Kiprun Race Ultra 2 First Run Review: A Budget-Friendly Trail Super Shoe That Gets a Lot Right

Introduction

Trail running has boomed over the last few years, and with it, shoe prices have climbed sharply, especially since the rise of the trail super shoe. So a performance-driven trail shoe with a supercritical foam midsole, a lightweight and durable upper, and a chunky 5mm lug pattern for just a penny under £120 is worth a closer look.

That shoe is the Kiprun Race Ultra 2, the first proper attempt at a super trail shoe from Kiprun, the running division of Decathlon, the large French sports retailer known for affordable, good-quality sporting goods. Previous Kiprun shoes have been very good value, but none have been particularly exciting to run in. The Race Ultra 2 aims to change that, and after a first 7.5-mile test run, it makes a strong opening argument.

Key Specs and Design

At £119.99 in the UK, the Race Ultra 2 undercuts most of the super trail shoe market considerably. A UK 9.5 pair tips the scales at 295g, which is a respectable weight for a deeply cushioned shoe designed for long distances, and it keeps an 8mm heel-to-toe offset.

The midsole is Kiprun’s Voam supercritical foam, claimed to be the brand’s most advanced to date. It is a blend of 90% EVA and 10% PEBA, and Kiprun says this delivers 38% more cushioning and 10% more energy return compared to previous models. Pushing into the foam by hand, it feels fairly firm, though real-world feel only becomes clear once the shoe is underfoot and moving.

Up top, you get a lightweight, highly breathable and durable Matrix Evo upper, a construction normally reserved for much more expensive trail shoes, plus a booty-style design with a quick-lace system, another feature usually seen on pricier models. The outsole gets a generous helping of blown rubber for a shoe under 300g, with an aggressive 5mm lug pattern: forward-facing chevrons at the front to drive you along and reverse-facing chevrons at the heel for extra bite when running fast downhill.

First Run in the Race Ultra 2

The first run covered 7.53 miles through dry woodland trails on a warm evening, a good distance for breaking in a brand-new shoe. The route mixed terrain types, and the shoe soaked it all up well, with no foot issues or discomfort during or after the run.

Sizing runs true to size: the UK 9.5 delivered just the right length in the toe box. Once laced up, the fit is very secure, with a snug lockdown around the midfoot and a solid hold in the heel, no slippage or movement at all. The small zones of padding around the ankle collar add a nice level of plushness and seem to help heel hold too.

The midsole sits somewhere in the middle on the softness scale. It is not the softest or bounciest trail shoe out there, especially next to some ultra-distance racers on the market, but it is not firm either. The ride felt comfortable throughout, and the slightly firmer character brought a genuine benefit: a planted, stable, connected feel underfoot, which proved useful on technical rooted trails partly hidden under a blanket of fallen autumn leaves.

Upper, Fit, and Lacing

The Matrix Evo upper performed exactly as hoped on the run: no rubbing, no hot spots, and a snug, wraparound feel thanks to the booty construction. Breathability was also excellent in warm conditions.

There are a few compromises, though. The booty-style tongue is quite thin, with only a little padding, which limits protection across the top of the foot when pulling the laces tight. For a 7.5-mile run that was fine, but on a longer training run or a tough ultramarathon, more tongue padding would add comfort. The lace stow pocket at the top of the tongue is also very small and quite fiddly to use.

Getting into the shoe is another sticking point. The quick-lace system is quite short and offers little slack, so the opening barely widens, and even with a neither-wide-nor-deep foot shape, it took some effort to fight into the shoe. Runners with wide or deep feet will likely struggle. The toe box is also quite narrow and tapers to a point, so this shoe is probably best suited to a narrower midfoot shape.

Outsole and Traction

The 5mm lugged outsole did a great job on the loose gravelly trails of the first run. There was no mud to test, but judging by the chunkiness, depth, and layout of the lugs, the outsole looks like it would handle muddy conditions well.

The open question is grip on wet, rocky terrain. The rubber appears to be a standard in-house compound rather than a premium sticky formulation, and after getting used to super-sticky rubbers on modern trail shoes, confidence on wet rock is something worth verifying before trusting these on slick descents.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The biggest caveat is cushioning. Kiprun calls this a deeply cushioned shoe, and there is a deep stack of supercritical foam, but it is not the softest or most cushioned foam available, and it feels a touch more old-school compared with the high-energy-return foams found in today’s leading racers. Building a top-performing, high-energy midsole on a tight budget is genuinely difficult, and the trade-off here is affordability and stability over plushness.

For ultramarathon distances of 50k and above, more cushioning underfoot would be welcome. That said, the foam may soften slightly with more mileage, and swapping the fairly budget stock insoles for a quality cushioned pair, the kind that adds a small layer of plushness close to the foot, could noticeably lift overall comfort.

Also note that Kiprun apparel sent alongside the shoes ran very small: a medium technical tee was tight and medium trail shorts could not even be pulled up to the waist, so sizing up may be worth considering if you buy the kit too.

Buying Advice

If you like to feel the ground and prefer a connected, stable ride over a super-soft one, the Race Ultra 2 is well worth a closer look, particularly at a penny under £120. It suits runners with narrower feet who want a secure, breathable, well-made trail shoe with an aggressive outsole for mixed dry terrain. If you have wide or deep feet, want maximum plushness for ultra distances, or demand premium sticky rubber for wet rock, look elsewhere or try before you buy.

Conclusion

The Kiprun Race Ultra 2 is an impressive first swing at a super trail shoe from a brand better known for value than excitement. The Matrix Evo upper delivers a secure, comfortable, breathable fit, the 5mm outsole inspires confidence on loose gravel, and the price point is genuinely hard to argue with. The firmer-than-expected midsole and tricky entry are the main trade-offs, but for runners who favour ground feel and stability over cloud-like cushioning, this is one of the most interesting affordable trail options around right now.