Could the Kipstorm Elite Be Your Next Race Day Shoe?
As I wrote in a review of the Kipride Max training shoes last month, I am a recent Kiprun convert. I had never tried a Kiprun shoe before the Kipride Max, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved them. Since then, I have solely run in my Kiprides, other than when testing different shoes for reviews — a task that eventually included trying out the Kipstorm Elite.
I won’t be running in the Kipstorm Elite every day like I do with its Kiprun cousin, but that’s because this shoe is carbon plated and designed for fast efforts. With that in mind, I will be wearing the Kipstorm in any races I enter this summer, as it is a remarkably fast and comfortable ride that I am certain will lift me to my best possible performances, whether I’m racing a 5 km, half-marathon or any other distance.
While I went into my first run in a Kiprun shoe with next to no expectations, that was not the case with the Kipstorm. I had already recorded many pleasant runs in the Kipride Max by the time I tried the Kipstorm Elite, so the bar was high as I set off to test it. The shoe matched — and even exceeded — my expectations run after run, and if I wasn’t already a Kiprun fan after wearing the Kiprides, I certainly became one after confirming that the company is the real deal with a second straight top-tier product in the Kipstorm Elite.
Kipstorm Elite Specs
- Weight: 7.6 oz (U.S. men’s size 9), 6.5 oz (U.S. women’s size 7.5)
- Drop: 5 mm
- Stack Height: 39 mm (heel) / 34 mm (forefoot)
- Price: US$260
One of the first things you will notice when putting on the Kipstorm Elite is its weight. At 7.6 ounces for a men’s size 9, the Kipstorm rivals most other top carbon-plated shoes on the market. This is a wildly light shoe, and its featherweight build is especially noticeable after spending the winter running in trainers.
The shoe’s stack height is 39 mm down to 34 mm from heel to toe, giving it quit a tame drop compared to the likes of the Nike Alphafly, Saucony Endorphin Elite and many other carbon-plated super shoes that feature drops of up to 8 mm. While those other shoes rely on a steep drop to create more of a rocker effect with each step, the Kipstorm Elite pulls this off with close to half of that same drop total at 5 mm. At no point in any runs in the Kipstorm Elite did I wish there was more of a drop, as it always felt like the 5 mm was more than enough to propel me and promote forward momentum.
The foam underfoot making up that stack in the midsole is Kiprun’s Fastech+ — a cushioning system that “provides a soft, dynamic ride that reduces fatigue while maintaining propulsion,” according to the company. Kiprun engineers say this foam is 25 percent softer than previous version they have produced, and it also boasts 21 percent more energy return.
Running in the Kipstorm Elite
This is a fast shoe. My first time wearing the Kipstorm Elite was on an easy five-miler. I was painfully aware that I was being that guy taking his carbon-plated shoes on an easy run, but I was too keen and really wanted to test them out. Right from the get-go, it was clear that my run was going to be faster than I had anticipated.
After the first kilometre, I looked at my watch and saw I had completed it in just over four minutes. This is right around 6:30 mile pace, and while this time wouldn’t win me any races, it was still a much quicker opening split than I had expected my watch to read. The time came as a surprise mainly because I was not trying to go that quickly at all. I had set out with eight-minute mile pace in mind, and although I knew early on that I was running faster than that, I did not think I was anywhere close to 6:30. The shoe simply made that pace easy, and it continued to feel like light work for the rest of that session.
After that run, I was very excited to take the Kipstorm Elites for a proper workout. A couple of days later, I did just that, and I was not disappointed. As I already touched on, the shoe has a great rocker feel that encourages you to go faster with each step. I have not had the opportunity to race in these shoes yet, but I did run a couple of solo time trials, and they helped me reach quick paces with relative ease, whereas other shoes would have left me struggling to hit and hold these times.
Kiprun had elite runners test the Kipstorm as they developed the shoe, and the consensus on the shoe was unanimous: it’s great. The team asked these elite runners if they would choose to run in the Kipstorm on race day, and “100 percent answered yes.”
As I said, I haven’t raced in the shoes yet, but that is definitely on my to-do list.
Maximal Comfort
I admit that, when I first pulled on the Kipstorm Elites, I was worried they wouldn’t be comfortable. They have a very snug sock-liner that made it tough to get on right away. (This could be a downside for T2 if you choose to use them at a triathlon, but I imagine you’ll have no problems if you simply loosen the laces before leaving transition on race day.) As I tried to maneuver my foot into the shoe, I thought it might be uncomfortably tight, but once it was on, I knew those worries were unfounded. The sock-liner is remarkably soft, and the snug knit upper hugs your foot comfortably.
As for the Fastech+ foam, this also adds to the shoe’s comfort. You might think that a shoe that weighs only 7.6 ounces would have to make sacrifices in the comfort or plush departments, but that is not the case at all with the Kipstorm Elite. I have taken it for hard runs, long runs and hard long runs, and at no point have I felt anything but comfortable. I’m not a marathon runner, but based on my experiences in these shoes, I have to imagine they would not only help you reach your time goals over 26.2 miles, but also that they would keep you running comfortably the whole way to the finish line.
The Kipstorm Conclusion
I have recommended these shoes to many of my friends. Everyone knows about Nike, Adidas and Asics, even if they’re not in the running world. More and more people are learning about Hokas and On Running shoes. Not enough know about Kiprun.
If you are in the market for a fast and comfortable race day shoe, the Kipstorm Elite is a must try. It will help you do what you want to do in fast training sessions and at races, and I believe it will even lift you to new levels. I haven’t looked back since trying out my first two pairs of Kiprun shoes, and I don’t think you will, either.
