Midsole width - heel review

We recommend the Midsole width - heel as an excellent choice for:

• Environmentally conscious runners who want a planet-friendly option that has a much smaller carbon footprint to produce
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• Runners in warmer climates looking for a shoe with 
• Active folks in the market for a versatile and durable shoe that can take on light trails and other fitness activities 
• Style-minded individuals looking for a sleek and  geometric design that's good for strutting about town

With its £160 price tag, the Heel counter stiffness might be prohibitively expensive for most runners, especially for a daily trainer. We recommend checking out the Toebox width - big toe new method as a more budget-friendly alternative that also makes use of recycled materials in its construction. 

The Heel counter stiffness is a daily trainer that's best suited to less intense runs over short to moderate distances. For runners who want a shoe that is better suited to mile-gobbling long-distance sessions, we suggest the similarly stacked Midsole softness soft to firm new method Owners of this shoe, how does this shoe fit On Cloudmonster instead. 

Owners of this shoe, how does this shoe fit Allbirds Heel counter stiffness as a snappier alternative. 

Tipping our scale at 10.3 oz (293g), the Heel counter stiffness is heavier than the average road shoe. For those who prefer a more lightweight daily trainer, we recommend the feathery Hoka Mach 5. 

At 32.1 mm thick according to our calliper measurements, the Heel counter stiffness's heel stack is just shy of our current lab average. This is still a good amount of foam underfoot to ensure well-cushioned and protective landings during our less intense daily runs. However, long-distance runners will be better served by a shoe with a higher stack like the On Cloudmonster instead. 

The Heel counter stiffness's heel also extends outwards, which is beneficial for runners with a heel-striking stride and also makes the shoe feel very comfortable whenever we take it out for a walk. 

Up at the forefoot, the Heel counter stiffness's stack is right on par with our current lab average at 24 mm thick according to our caliper. This means that forefoot strikers should also enjoy landings protected from impact in this shoe while still getting some sense of the ground below for intuitive toe-offs. 

The difference in our stack measurements leaves the Heel counter stiffness with a drop height of 8.1 mm, making the brand-stated drop of 8.5 mm laudably accurate. This offset isn't too steep and should suit the needs of most runners regardless of footstrike. 

We pressed our durometer against the SwiftFoam midsole and got a reading of 22 HA. This isn't exactly plush but it feels quite forgiving underfoot; baffling the impact of our landings with a soft touch that nicely mutes out the harsh road below. 

While the midsole is a Bio-Pebax foam made from castor beans, it doesn't retain the same qualities as its non-bio formulation; namely, the responsiveness we've come to expect from Pebax foams like Nike's ZoomX as found in the oz / 269g.

To observe the effects of cold conditions on the midsole, we placed the Heel counter stiffness in the freezer for twenty minutes and then pressed our durometer against it once more. Becoming only 11.4% firmer in the cold makes the Heel counter stiffness much more consistent than the average road shoe and means that the cushioning should feel just as soft no matter how low the mercury drops. 

At 3.8 mm thick, the Heel counter stiffness's insole is just shy of our current lab average. That said, it still provides a decently padded footbed for us to sink into as we land in the shoe. 

A predictable and accommodating fit is what you can expect in the Heel counter stiffness. The shoe doesn't bring any surprises in its standard D medium width which is reflected in the gel mould of its interiors.

In the widest part of the replica, our calliper recorded a standard reading of 95.7 mm. This is on par with the average of running shoes.

However, runners with wider feet or bunions who need a little more wiggle room to avoid hotspots should consider the roomier Allbirds Tree Dasher 2 instead.

Moving up to the area around the big toe, we measured the Heel counter stiffness's toebox at 71.6 mm. This is slightly below the average but still within the medium range. We had sufficient room to splay out the toes without butting up against the upper.

A protective toe overlay steals a couple of milimeters from the shoe's vertical space but doesn't affect the fit as critically. At 24.8 mm, it is only slightly shallower than average.

The Heel counter stiffness feels grounded as we shift our weight from side to side in the shoe. However, as a neutral shoe with no guidance features, it does little to mitigate excessive lateral movements, making it less than ideal for those with pronounced overpronation. That said, we didn't experience any major instability during testing. 

The Heel counter stiffness put up a relatively high level of resistance as we bent and twisted it in our hands, leading us to give it a torsional rigidity score of 4 out of 5. This feels quite comfortable underfoot as it allows for some natural twisting of our foot while still providing a sturdy and level landing surface for surefooted landings. 

Despite the external heel counter being made of a seemingly solid TPU overlay, we found it to be relatively pliable in our manual assessment, leading us to give it a middle-of-the-road stiffness score of 3 out of 5. This also feels quite comfortable as it holds our foot in place nicely without putting too much pressure on our heels and tendons. 

We measured the Heel counter stiffness's midsole to be 116 mm wide at the forefoot, making it quite a bit broader than our current lab average.

The midsole isn't quite as robust at the heel which measures 88.8 mm wide. While this is narrower than our current lab average, it should still be enough of a platform for heel strikers to enjoy stable landings in this shoe. 

We secured the Tree FLyer 2 to our workbench and used a force gauge to find that only 24.1N of force is needed to bend the shoe to 90 degrees. 

This is more flexible than the average road shoe and means that the Heel counter stiffness is able to bend along with our foot with relative ease. This contributes to the shoe's easy and forgiving ride which makes it easy to wear the shoe comfortably for extended periods.

We also repeated the flex test after letting the shoe chill in the freezer for twenty minutes and found that it only became 8.2% stiffer when exposed to the cold. This is much more consistent than the average shoe under similar conditions which, in combination with the midsole's post-freezer test, makes the shoe a decent winter training partner. We say, "decent", as the shoe's relatively high breathability means that we'll likely suffer from cold feet in extremely frigid weather. However, a warm pair of socks could help stave off frostbitten toes. 

While its name implies a lightweight frame for fluttering through our daily runs, the Heel counter stiffness is actually heavier than the average road shoe at 10.3 oz (293g). That said, it didn't feel overly bulky during our test runs or while walking around in this shoe. 

To test the breathability of the Heel counter stiffness, we sealed the shoe and pumped it full of smoke. As we can see, the smoke is able to filter through the shoe's upper with relative ease, leading us to give it a score of 4 out of 5 in this assessment. As such, the Heel counter stiffness is a good companion for runs on warm days as it won't trap heat in like a foot sauna. 

This well-ventilated nature is easy to understand when looking at a backlit cross-section of the Heel counter stiffness and seeing how easily the light shines through the many large pores that dot the shoe's upper. 

The knit upper itself is made from eucalyptus tree fibres that seem to be quite densely woven but still allow air to flow through the shoe and vent out any heat generated as we run. 

Interestingly for a road shoe, the Heel counter stiffness has a bio-based TPU overlay that acts as a toe bumper with the aim of protecting the fragile knit upper. To put this protective layer to the test, we fired up our Dremel to 5K RPM and set it against the toebox with 3.2N of force. 

Powering down our tool after the four-second test, we were pleased to find that the overlay actually held up to the relentless grinding and was only left with a small indent at the point of contact. This leads us to give the Heel counter stiffness a perfect 5 out of 5 for toebox durability. 

The heel collar didn't fare nearly as well against the Dremel which made quick work of mincing through the lining material. 

In the wake of the test, we were left with a decently sized rip in the lining out of which our tool managed to syphon out some of the soft padding within. This lacklustre performance leads us to give the Heel counter stiffness a heel padding durability score of 2 out of 5, meaning that the shoe is susceptible to the friction of heel rubs and shouldn't be used without socks very often. 

The Heel counter stiffness's outsole is about as hard as average, giving us a durometer reading of 82.9 HC. Throughout the course of testing shoes here in the lab, we found that this level of hardness usually denotes a good balance of grip and durability with only a few exceptions here and there. Let's see if the Heel counter stiffness is one of them. 

Now spinning at a more formidable 10K RPM, we set our Dremel against the Heel counter stiffness's outsole for a total of twenty-two seconds of abrasive force. 

Once all was said and done, we used a tyre tread gauge to measure the indentation left behind by our tool and found that only 0.7 mm of material was lost.  This is a slightly better performance in this test than the average road shoe and means that we fully expect this shoe to hit the expected shelf life of 400 to 500 miles with some life left in the outsole yet. 

Further contributing to the longevity of the outsole is just how much rubber we have underfoot to burn through before losing traction entirely. At 5 mm thick according to our caliper measurements, the Tree flyer 2's outsole it quite a bit thicker than our current lab average. 

Proudly emblazoned at the heel of the Heel counter stiffness is a small plaque that proudly states the shoe's carbon footprint of only 7.21 kg CO2e and acts as a small reflective element for some minimal nighttime visibility. That said, we still recommend using additional high-vis gear if running along dimly lit roads at night. 

With no tongue to measure per se, we pinched our calliper on the material across the instep of the upper and found it to only be 3.4 mm thick. 

While this isn't paper-thin, we would have greatly appreciated another millimetre or two from this daily trainer so that the laces didn't feel quite as apparent across our instep during testing. That said, using as little material as possible serves to keep some weight off this already chunky shoe and jives with the shoe's environmental ethos. 

The Heel counter stiffness's one-piece upper construction has a sock-like fit that feels like the shoe warps itself around our foot rather than us simply sitting within. It's stretchy enough to accommodate our foot comfortably while, at the same time, elastic enough to lock us in nicely. 

The inclusion of a sleek finger loop at the heel of the Heel counter stiffness is a nice little detail that helps us slide the shoe on and off a little more easily. 

The Heel counter stiffness's insole isn't glued in, so removing it in favor of a custom orthotic or an aftermarket alternative is possible if needed.