I'm wondering, can runners really tell the difference between the Adidas boost material, or the Asics Gel technology, or the NB fresh foam, Saucony GRID, etc.?
Or is like the Stradivarius violins where violists say they can hear the difference but really can't?
If we're talking about something like an Ultraboost, then yes it has a noticeably different feel to your typical EVA midsole. Asics gel? Might as well not even be in there, there's nothing obvious about it. I've tried the Pegasus Turbo, which half the midsole is ZoomX/Pebax, it was also noticeably softer than your standard running shoe.
I only have experience with tradidional EVA and a couple of TPU midsoles.
EVA in comparison generally often feels dead to me at toe off, whereas most TPU shoes i tried feel bouncier.
Never did timed trials to see wether I'm actually faster with them but feel wise i prefer TPU.
But midsoles can greatly vary even within a seemingly similar material. Both EVA and TPU can be super soft, but also hard as bricks depending on the mixture used.
Of course you can also have snappy toe offs with EVA foams, but these shoes then have in my experience way worse cushioning properties than TPU ones.
Yes... Pebax to tpu to Eva is very different
Go to your local running store and run in Saucony Triumphs to see what top TPU feels like. Totally unlike EVA or even other TPU shoes. They feel like those jumping stilts.
I now run exclusively in various Hokas (damn foot injuries). Before I made the switch I ran in all sorts of shoes (NB, Brooks, Mizuno, Merrel, Altra, Asics) including Hokas and there was a noticeable difference in cushioning throughout. Now that I only wear Hokas, I notice a difference from model to model. Cliftons have a lot of cushioning but not nearly as much as Bondis (which I cannot wear), Hupanas & Machs not so much. The Challenger ATR has less than the Clifton but more than the Machs.
Definitely! I have tried all kinds of running shoes over many years. I find the newer foams with interesting properties are mostly unremarkable to simply awful for running.
I remember prior to about 2013 when shoes were standard EVA I never had a problem and most of my runs were pleasurable. I did like the Nike Lunarlon. It was firm yet highly shock absorbent. That's what I want in a midsole.