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The Kiprun Kipstorm Lab is the most impressive racing shoe we’ve tested to date from Decathlon’s in-house brand, and it can compete with the best carbon plate running shoes on performance, especially for shorter events like 5K to half marathon.
It’s an extremely light shoe with a novel midsole setup that features two foams and a J-shaped plate. While we still prefer a couple of racers to the Kipstom Lab overall, most notably the Asics Metaspeed Sky Tokyo and Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3, it’s an excellent shoe, and bodes well for the future of Kiprun’s racing line-up
Design & Key Stats
- Price: £240/€300
- Weight: 174g/6.1oz (men’s UK 8.5 / US 9.5)
- Drop: 4mm
- Stack: 39mm heel, 35mm forefoot
- Upper: Lightweight mesh
- Midsole: TPU frame with Featherbounce PEBA core & J-shaped carbon plate
- Outsole: Minimal rubber on forefoot and heel
Kiprun Kipstorm Lab review
How’s The Fit
Nick tested the Kipstorm Lab for our review and went half a size down on his normal UK size in the shoe. We recommend going half a size down wherever you are, or ideally using cm-based sizing to get the right fit. Once you have the right length, the Kipstorm Lab has a comfortable and secure fit for fast runs.
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The Run Test: Likes
The Kiprun Kipstorm Lab is one of the lightest racing shoes we’ve ever tested, with only the Asics Metaspeed range and Adidas Adios Pro Evo 2 coming in lighter than it. That featherweight design makes a difference when hitting your fastest paces, and you still get a high stack of foam underfoot for protection and bounce.
We found the ride to be very fluid and fast, with the Kipstorm Lab rocking us onto our forefoot with each stride, and the combo of foams and plate in the midsole delivering a lot off punch of the toes.
The shoe worked well for a wide range of fast runs, from all-out 400s at sub-70s pace to 2-mile reps at marathon pace. It’s an explosive shoe but also one that helps you to maintain fast paces over long distance.
Nick did a couple of workouts where he used both the Kipstorm Lab and the £450 Adios Pro Evo 2, and while the Adidas shoe has a bit more explosive bounce, the performance level of both was very similar. The Kipstorm Lab can compete with any carbon racer on the market.
Throughout testing the Kipstorm Lab also gripped well in wet conditions, and it’s not showing any signs of wear and tear after about 40 miles of fast running.
The Run Test: Dislikes
Although a comfortable shoe, the Kipstorm Lab wouldn’t be our first choice for running a marathon, as there are more cushioned and springy racing options out there, like the Asics Metaspeed Sky Tokyo. Its aggressive build leans more towards 5K, 10K and half marathon events.
The Kipstorm Lab is not yet available in the US, and in the UK and Europe it goes against Kiprun’s traditional approach of undercutting the competition. This is an expensive shoe, and while we believe its performance merits the price, Decathlon might have a hard time convincing people to turn away from more established running shoe brands.
Verdict And Alternatives
The Kiprun Kipstorm Lab impressed us on all our runs in it, and it can compete with the best running shoes for racing out there. It slips into the middle of the pack of great carbon shoes, and picking between it and others will largely come down to personal ride preferences and price.
We still prefer a few outstanding racing shoes available from other brands, like the Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3, the Asics Metaspeed Tokyo duo, and Asics Metaspeed Ray, but for us the Kipstorm Lab has a faster, livelier ride than some big hitters like the New Balance SC Elite v5 and Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4.
If you’re someone who prefers short distance events in general it’s worth looking at, and it will also work well for marathoners who prefer slightly more aggressive designs. The Kipstorm Lab has a little of the look of the Nike Vaporfly NEXT%, and it runs a little like it too.