You always feel a natural scepticism when a brand without any past running pedigree dips a toe into the market, but Lacoste have come up with a capable shoe here. There’s plenty of tech packed in - the midsole combines a Pebax plate and a double layer of DOW foam to deliver a stable ride with good energy return. There’s definitely some ‘pop’, but the ride does feel firm so don’t let the ‘Ultra’ in the title give you the wrong impression, this is better suited to short outings with a bit of pace than long runs.
The upper construction is interesting, with a woven TPU mesh to help breathability and an internal tongue/toe ‘cage’ to hold your foot in place. It works okay – the fit feels reasonably secure and I had no overheating issues, but somehow the set up seems to function as less than the sum of its parts with neither breathability or fit feeling noticeably better than a more traditional construction.
Elsewhere the rigid heel counter feels secure and supportive and overall it's a pretty comfy shoe in a lightweight package. Underfoot the Goodyear outsole gave reliable traction on the road in both dry and wet conditions. It also flexes nicely, with a deep central groove running from the heel almost to the toe, allowing for the shoe to move with the natural gait cycle of the foot.
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All in all the Run Spin Ultra is a very credible offering that will suit most runners looking for a neutral, lightweight and comfortable shoe for shorter training runs.
