Decathlon Kiprun Lineup Explained: Every Shoe Reviewed, Ranked and Rated

Introduction

Kiprun is Decathlon’s dedicated in-house performance running brand, and it has quietly built a reputation for offering genuinely good quality running shoes at very attractive prices. The catch is that the brand recently went through a full rebrand, renaming every shoe in the lineup, which makes it genuinely confusing to work out which model suits which kind of running.

To clear that up, we bought every single shoe in the current range and ran in them. This guide covers what each shoe is best for, what we liked, what we did not, and which models are the real stars of the lineup. There are some brilliant shoes here, and a few that are best avoided.

How the Kiprun Range Is Organised

The Kiprun range is split into three mini ranges, running from cheapest to most expensive: the Kip Core line for entry-level daily running, the Ride line for slightly more premium daily training, and the Storm line for faster running and race day. Prices at Decathlon do fluctuate, and several of these shoes appear on discount regularly, so it is worth watching the pricing.

Kiprun Kip Core: The Entry-Level Daily Shoe

Formerly known as the Cushion 500, the Kiprun Kip Core is the basic entry-level daily shoe in the range. At £60, you get a 35mm heel stack with an 8mm drop, a very basic EVA midsole with no plate, and a fairly heavy 342g in our test size. It is also offered in gravel and water-resistant versions.

The good news is that the upper is nicely breathable for the price, the outsole grip works really well, and it is a sensible shoe for someone new to running who does not want to commit to a more expensive pair straight away. Decathlon also discount this one, and we have seen it as low as £39. The main downside is the foam: despite the Soft Tech name, it rides very firm. That firmness brings stability, and it will soften over time, but if you want bounce and squish, this is not your shoe. We rated it 4 out of 10.

Kiprun Kip Core Premium: Hard to Recommend

Formerly the Cushion 500 Premium, this is the up-tempo daily version of the Kip Core, and at £75 it costs £15 more. The midsole is exactly the same Soft Tech EVA foam, the stack stays at 35mm with an 8mm drop, yet the shoe is heavier still at 355g, making it the heaviest shoe in the entire range.

Grip and rubber coverage remain good, and the firm foam means you can trust it in corners and changes of direction. But the supposedly more premium upper actually breathes less, feeling a bit like wetsuit material, and the ride is unexciting. If £75 is your budget, a discounted Puma Velocity Nitro or a lightly used alternative would be a wildly better buy. We rated it 3 out of 10.

Kiprun Ride: The Standard Daily Trainer

Formerly the KS900 Light, the Kiprun Ride is the standard daily trainer of the range, sitting in similar territory to the Nike Pegasus. At around £100, it steps up with a 36mm heel stack, a 6mm drop, a much more reasonable 290g weight, and the Fast Tech midsole.

This is a lightweight, nimble and very smooth-riding shoe that works however you strike the ground, whether at the heel, midfoot or forefoot, with a really pleasant transition. It also feels well made and should last a good while. The dislikes: the rigid tongue dug into the top of our tester’s foot, the foam is still slightly firm, and at £100 there are better shoes on sale. A perfectly okay shoe that gets the job done, rated 5 out of 10.

Kiprun Max: The Comfort Gem

Formerly the KS900.2, the Kiprun Max is the max stack premium shoe of the range, aimed at long runs and easy jogs, and rivals shoes like the Nike Vomero Plus, New Balance More and Asics Gel Nimbus. At £120 it undercuts those competitors, and you get a 42mm heel stack, a 6mm drop, and 332g, which is reasonable for this much cushioning.

The Soft Tech Plus midsole, a PEBA and EVA blend, makes this the most comfortable shoe in the Kiprun range straight out of the box. The upper holds the foot in place nicely, the soft foam soaks up impact and looks after your legs, and it is a great option for long days on your feet. You could comfortably run a marathon in it if comfort is the priority. It struggles at faster paces, but that is not what it is for. This is one of the best shoes Decathlon has produced in recent years, rated 9 out of 10.

Kiprun Storm Challenger: The Value Carbon Racer

Formerly reviewed in an almost identical version, the Kiprun Storm Challenger is the value carbon-plated race shoe, aimed at 5Ks, 10Ks and up to half marathon distance. At £100 you get a 40mm stack with an 8mm drop, a gloriously light 238g, and Fast Tech Plus ATPE foam with a carbon plate that is not super stiff.

It is extremely breathable, has a soft yet smooth ride that suits many different types of runners, and is accommodating enough to be a great first carbon-plated shoe for regular runners. It is also genuinely fast, and the value at £100 is close to insane; the current version only differs from the previous one by a slightly tweaked upper. It will not compete with £200-plus super shoes, but as an entry point it is excellent, rated 8 out of 10.

Kiprun Tempo: The Star of the Range

Formerly the KD900.2, the Kiprun Tempo is the non-plated speed shoe, going up against options like the Adidas Evo SL and Mega Blast. At £120, and sometimes found for £99, it is insane value for how good this shoe is. The spec includes a 45mm heel stack with an 8mm drop, just 264g, and Fast Tech Plus ATPE foam on top of a layer of standard EVA for durability and stability, with no plate.

This shoe is snappy and seriously fast, with a fantastic turn of speed coming out of corners, and it is remarkably stable for such a high-stack shoe. Durability is strong too, making it one of the very best non-plated race day shoes on the market at any price. It is on the firmer side and softens slightly with time, and it is strictly a faster-running shoe rather than a daily trainer. Paired with the Kiprun Max, it makes a fantastic two-shoe rotation. Rated 9.5 out of 10, it is the gem of the range.

Kiprun Storm Elite: Fast, but Fit With Caution

Formerly the KD900X LD Plus, the Kiprun Storm Elite is the long-distance carbon racer for half marathons and the marathon, similar in intent to the Puma Deviate Elite. At around £180, you get a 39mm stack right at the legal race limit with a 5mm drop, and a gloriously light 252g, built on the Fast Tech Plus ATPE foam.

The quality is immediately obvious: a lightweight, very breathable upper, nice sawtooth-style laces, and a fantastically fast ride with responsive, propulsive turnover that surprised our tester at how quick the paces were. The big problem is a very narrow, tapered toe box that rubbed the toe raw, and sizing up makes the shoe too long, so wide-footed runners may well struggle. At this price you could also find an Adidas Pro 4 or Deviate Elite on deal that is a bit faster and more comfortable. Try this one in store first. Rated 7.5 out of 10.

Kiprun Lab: Built for Elite Athletes

The top of the range is the £240 Kiprun Lab, an ultra-lightweight racing shoe built with elite athletes in mind and aimed at 5K, 10K and half marathon racing. It features a 39mm stack with a 4mm drop, an estimated weight of around 196g, and a VFOAM TPU midsole with a Pebax core and a super-stiff carbon plate.

Because of the super-stiff plate and elite focus, it is much better suited to faster athletes than the general runner. At £240 it does not undercut the big brands at all, and it is a tough sell when the Asics Metaspeed line is available at the same price and the Adidas Pro 4 costs a good chunk less. We were unable to test this one in our size, as it was only listed up to a size 10 on the UK site at the time.

The Stars of the Kiprun Lineup

Three shoes stand out from the full range. The Kiprun Max is a really nice, soft and squishy max-stack shoe that looks after your legs on longer runs and is super comfortable. The Kiprun Storm Challenger delivers a high-end foam and a carbon plate for around £100, making it one of the best value shoes in the running world in general.

And the Kiprun Tempo is the plateless speed shoe that genuinely rivals the Mega Blast. If you do regular speed work and the occasional race and want strong value, it is one of the best options out there right now.

Overall Buying Advice

If you are new to running and on a tight budget, the Kip Core is adequate, but we would honestly stretch to something better if you can. For everyday training, the Kiprun Max is the comfort pick and superb value against its competitors. For speed sessions and races, the Tempo is the standout of the whole lineup, and the Storm Challenger is the best-value carbon plate you can buy. The Storm Elite is fast but needs an in-store fit check, and the Lab only makes sense for elite-level runners who specifically want a super-stiff plate.

Conclusion

The rebrand has made Kiprun’s naming confusing, but the lineup itself is simpler than it looks: the Storm range is where the real value lives, the Max is the comfort gem, and the Kip Core line is best left to absolute beginners or heavily discounted purchases. Buy the Tempo or the Max and you will be getting some of the best value in running shoes right now.