The Nike Alphafly 3’s release date was officially announced this week as January 4th 2024. It’s certainly going to be one of the most anticipated shoes of next year, but it’s not the only exciting shoe to be revealed this week because The Running Event trade show is taking place in Austin, Texas—and all kinds of thrilling shoes are being revealed.
In general, the best place to see what’s due to come out is on Instagram, where journalists at the event are posting pictures and information on major launches from all the brands present, which includes most of the big-hitters.
I’ve been glued to my feed looking for info on new shoes, and here are some of the most exciting ones that I’ve seen so far to look forward to in 2024.
New Balance SuperComp Elite v4
New Balance is set to overhaul its SuperComp line-up in 2024, which will be headed by the Elite v4, its top carbon racing shoe. It has a new Peba-based midsole foam and will launch in February with a price of $250.
The SuperComp Trainer 3 and Pacer 2 also seem to have major updates, using the new Peba-based foam, and the Pacer 2 in particular looks dramatically transformed from the low-stack first version of the shoe into a high-stack racer.
Puma Fast-R Nitro 2
Puma officially announced the Fast-R 2 on Wednesday November 29th, which will be its top carbon racing shoe, and it’s also on show at The Running Event. The key updates to the shoe include that both sections of foam are now the brand’s nitrogen-infused Peba-based foam Nitro Elite, and that the carbon plate extends beyond the front of the shoe to increase propulsion. The shoe will launch on February 22nd next year and costs $260.
Hoka Tecton X3
The latest generation of Hoka’s carbon plate trail racer is on show in Texas, and it has a new gaiter at the back to keep debris out. Ultra-marathon runner Jim Walmsley used a prototype of the shoe to win UTMB in 2023.
Hoka is also showing off Mach X 2 and Mach 6 road running shoes at the show, as well as the Speedgoat 6. Rumors are also circulating of a new carbon road running shoe that will join the Rocket X 2 in its line-up.
Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 2
The Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro was one of my favorite new racing shoes of 2023, with its outlandish design: with a huge heel cut-out and an aggressive rocker-design created a bouncy and fast ride. The new version of the shoe on show in Texas has a new foam and plate, and Mizuno is also launching a new training shoe.
Brooks Hyperion Elite 4
Brooks is one brand yet to release a really convincing carbon plate running shoe, but that may well change with the Hyperion Elite 4, which has a new midsole foam and carbon plate that will hopefully mean it can challenge the best on the market.
Nike Zegama 2
The Zegama 2 trail-running shoe will have a new Vibram outsole, making it the second Nike shoe to use Vibram after the Nike Ultrafly launched in 2023, and it also seems to have more ZoomX foam at the heel of the shoe, which should create a bouncier ride than with the original Nike Zegama.
