Kiprun Kiptorm Elite First Run Review: A Comfortable Step Forward for Kiprun Racing

Introduction

The Kiprun Kiptorm Elite is Kiprun’s new top-of-the-range marathon racing shoe, and it arrives with some genuinely interesting credentials: a claimed 215g weight, a stacked two-foam midsole, and a ride that, after a first run, feels like a real step forward for the brand. It is positioned as the widely available flagship racing shoe, taking many of its cues in ride feel and setup from the developmental Kiptorm Lab, which Kiprun has not planned to release as broadly.

On paper, this shoe did not look all that exciting. It is a little heavier than the Kiptorm Lab, and the weight is not the lowest in a market where many elite racers now sit around 160g to 180g. But the first run told a more encouraging story, and the early impressions are worth breaking down in detail.

Midsole and Plate: Built for Dynamism

The midsole is where Kiprun has focused most of its dynamism work. The bottom layer uses a light A-TPU foam with a very low density, delivering strong cushioning at minimal weight. On top sits a PEBA insert, which is there to add bounce and forward propulsion. The result is a combination that Kiprun claims is 13% more dynamic than the previous version, a shoe that already carried race records of its own.

The plate is a different shape from the one in the Kiptorm Lab. Rather than the patented Kiptorm Lab geometry, this is a more classical plate shape, chosen deliberately as the right fit for this type of shoe. Expectations are high: this is a shoe built with records in mind.

Upper and Fit: The Best Yet from Kiprun

The upper is an engineered mesh focused on being lightweight while remaining comfortable, with minimal design elements and small foam pieces inside that lock the foot in place over the long haul of a marathon. Flower-style lacing applies pressure-free wrapping across the forefoot. Everything here is geared toward long-distance racing, where security matters most.

From a fit and comfort perspective, this is arguably the best-fitting, most comfortable upper yet on a Kiprun race shoe. Past Kiprun uppers have often felt not quite right, but this soft, bootie-like fit hugs nicely with good lockdown across the midfoot. There were no heel concerns and no problems around the Achilles, an area where the stiff plastic on the older KD 900X racing shoes caused trouble.

One caveat: the tongue seemed to come away slightly when pulling the shoes on, and it does not appear to be stitched in particularly firmly. That may be a sample issue, but it raised a small durability question mark straight away.

Sizing: Go Half a Size Down

Sizing deserves attention. The tester normally wears a UK 9 (US 9.5 or US 10), but tested this in a UK 8 (US 9), a full size down. The general advice for Kiprun racing shoes is to go at least half a size down from your normal size. With no half sizes available at the time, a full size down still worked out fairly well: the shoe fits pretty long, and even at a full size down there was still reasonable room at the front without hitting the toe during the first run. A half-size drop is likely the sweet spot for most runners.

Ride Impressions: Smooth, Fast, and Fluid

The first run covered six miles, pushing hard for five of them, including three miles around 5k pace up hills. When moving quickly, the shoe gives energy back and rolls smoothly from heel to toe. It feels stiff in structure but surprisingly pliable on the run, comfortable and very fast.

In a track session of 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1-minute reps off short recoveries, the shoe impressed. It felt light and poppy in the shorter, faster reps, then cruisy and protective over the longer ones. It was noticeably faster than expected given the on-paper stats, rolling through with a fluid turnover that brought to mind the feel of the original Nike Vaporfly Next%. It is not quite as punchy as some of the leading carbon race shoes, and it may sit in a second tier rather than blowing everything else out of the water, but at fast paces, where it matters most, it delivers.

Stability is textbook all-out racer territory: not the most stable, not the most unstable, with a little wobble depending on where you land. It felt slightly more stable than some of the most aggressive competitors, and it held up reasonably well when backing off the pace, which is why it could double as a fast training shoe for harder marathon intervals. Road protection throughout was solid.

How It Compares

Against Kiprun’s own history, this feels like a clear step on from previous race shoes. The Kiptorm Lab was the more impressive developmental shoe, lighter and more exciting, but the Kiptorm Elite refines the formula with better comfort and a more accessible release. Compared with the KD 900X LD series, which did not win over the tester, this is a much stronger proposition.

Against the wider market, the honest assessment is that it is not quite as propulsive as shoes like the Fast R3 or the ASICS MetaSpeed Edge Tokyo, and the 217g weight in a small UK 8 size gives some rivals an edge in pure racing. But it is competitive, and it may be more shoe than the first impressions suggest, since one run with tired legs rarely tells the full story.

Buying Advice: Sizing and Who It Suits

Start with half a size down from your normal running shoe size; even a full size down can work if you are between sizes, given the roomy length. This is a shoe for runners targeting fast racing, from 5k pace efforts up through marathon racing, and it has real appeal as a faster marathon training shoe for hard interval sessions. The price is not low, so it competes in a crowded market, but the comfort, smooth ride, and fast-pace performance make it easy to get excited about after time on the road.

Conclusion

The Kiprun Kiptorm Elite is a comfortable, fluid, and fast marathon racer that improves on its predecessors in the areas that matter: a more welcoming upper, a cushioned yet dynamic two-foam midsole, and a ride that shines at genuinely quick paces. It may not dethrone the very best race shoes on pure speed or weight, but it is firmly in the mix, and the early verdict is far more enthusiastic than the spec sheet suggested. More testing will tell whether it can climb higher, but as a first impression, this is a strong start.