Tuning frictional behavior on the fly has been a long-standing engineering dream. This new insight into how surface geometry governs slip pulses paves the way for tunable frictional metamaterials that can transition from low-friction to high-grip states on demand.
The system, tested in prototype form by NPR at the company's headquarters, consists of fairly standard-looking sneakers with a carbon fiber plate running through the soles. These sneakers are attached at the back to close-fitting, 3D-printed titanium leg shells that cinch to the calves. The battery-powered contraptions, containing complex motors, sensors and circuitry, weigh a couple of pounds and look like something out of Terminator or RoboCop.
There are certain suitcase staples worth having in your travel wardrobe. An effortless pair of wrinkle-free travel pants is one of them. A comfy pair of shoes is the other. While clogs and flats make a stylish choice, sneakers are our top travel shoe pick, especially when they're known to endure 13-hours on your feet or 15,000 steps without blisters, like two of our editors' favorite Adidas styles.
Squeaking occurs across various contexts including shoes, bike brakes, rubber tires, and biomedical implants when soft and hard surfaces contact each other. Researchers used high-speed photography to study a rubber block sliding across hard acrylic to identify the source of these sounds. The investigation revealed that pulses similar to earthquake dynamics drive the squeaking phenomenon.
The gravel edition sticks with the same PEBA and EVA hybrid midsole with a transition-smoothing curved rocker, but adds extra grip in the form of a 2.5-mm lugged outsole. There's also some extra reinforcement around the toe box.
Super shoes and ultralight gear make a difference, but with new advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) that can look at our running form and compare it to the ideal, analyze our nutrition intake from a simple photo and help us plan our diets, and offer guidance on training and recovery, the interwovenness of technology and running is only set to increase.
The midsole of the Nimbus 28 is slightly softer than the 27 but it's not very noticeable. The 28 midsole is also more sculpted and more streamlined which is how they managed to reduce the weight. The 28 is 7% lighter than the 27.
In addition to being comfortable to wear for long periods of time, I make sure my sneakers are supportive, don't give me blisters, and have a long-lasting quality. Skechers Hotshot Cool Transition Suede Sneakers from QVC met all of these requirements with flying colors after I tested them out recently, and they have become my go-to pair of walking shoes.
The Brooks Adrenaline GTS reaches a major milestone in 2025 with the release of its 25th edition. Outside of the ASICS Kayano, it's hard to think of another stability trainer that has remained in production for this long. That longevity speaks to a shoe built on a strong foundation, one that has continued to evolve over the years while maintaining its place as one of the best-selling stability shoes on the market.
The On Cloudlfow 5 is a versatile daily trainer that is heavily focused on fast training runs, intervals, and speed workouts. They are part of On's lineup of performance-oriented footwear;they are not just an "everyday" sneaker. It is packed with numerous great technologies from On. Some of the new features include a top layer of Helion HF supercritical foam, a nylon-blended Speedboard, a rockered midsole geometry, and an upper made from engineered mesh.
The Hyperion Elite 5 has a midsole made entirely of DNA Gold, a PEBA foam. It's the foam with the highest level of energy return of all the Brooks midsole foams. The Hyperion Max 3 has a dual-density midsole with a top layer of DNA Gold and a bottom layer of DNA Flash, an EVA foam. The firmer DNA Flash provides a stable, durable base. Both shoes have plates in their midsoles but the Hyperion Elite 5 has a stiff carbon plate while the Hyperion Max 3 has a flexible nylon plate.
Puma PUMA MagMax Nitro 2 Verdict The PUMA MagMax 2 is a good max-stack daily trainer with deep cushioning and a moderately bouncy ride. Version 2 gets rid of the annoying poking arch and has a tweaked midsole that's more energetic. I was impressed with the updates made to the MagMax 2; however, there are similarly priced competitors with even more energetic rides. Daily training
This latest iteration offers more cushioning and protection than ever, with an outsole that looks like it could be tread on a small bulldozer. Its generous 43-millimeter stack height at the heel and 35 millimeters under the forefoot for women, with 2 millimeters more on the men's side, and actual weight of 11.1 ounces (314 grams) for a U.S. men's 9 make it anything but svelte, yet the ride is surprisingly forgiving - absorbing impact without feeling sluggish.
Specifically, the company is focusing on the production of its newest, weirdest shoe-a giant soled laceless running shoe with a single-piece toe box made of "hyper-foam" plastics sprayed on by robot arms. The plastics are 40 percent biofoam, and the shoe is made of just eight pieces; On says its minimalist approach saves on the shoe's carbon footprint.
And you don't have to be an ultramarathon runner or a floor nurse in order to feel the difference, either: Our feet are tasked with supporting our weight all day, so when there's an unsupportive sole or a too-tight toe box, we can almost instantly feel the shortcut in design. That's why we preach the importance of investing in quality, supportive footwear so much.