This weekend, New York Road Runners and New Balance put on the annual Fifth Avenue Mile. Runners start at 79th Street and sprint 20 blocks down to 60th Street. This year, Jenny Simpson won her eighth title (seventh in a row) with a time of 4:16.1 in a pair of shoes that you, too, can run crazy fast in. The New Balance 5280 are designed to look and feel like track spikes, meaning they’re sleek and slim. Simpson wore these in 2018 to win, and the shoes launched just in time for the Fifth Avenue Mile this year.
At $200, they’re on the pricier end of running shoes, but if you’re looking to get a bit more daily wear out of the shoes, we recommend the FuelCell Rebel, which features the same foam as the 5280s, just in a slightly more wallet-friendly price.
We’ve been running in the FuelCell Rebel since May, and it’s safe to say these are some of our favorite running shoes of the year. They’re great for track days and short runs, plus comfortable enough to wear around all day long.
If you’re looking for other fast kicks, the men’s winner, Nick Willis, clocked a 3:51.7, wearing a version of the Takumi Sen, an adidas sneaker from a few years back in a vibrant bright green color.
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