Noosa Tri 16 vs Mach 7

The Noosa Tri 16 is Asics at its most playful: a light, lively tempo running shoe with triathlon roots and a deliberately loud look. At 215g with a low 5mm drop, it sits in that sweet spot between a daily trainer and a racer, the kind of shoe you reach for when an easy run turns into a fartlek and you want your feet to feel quick. There is no carbon plate here, so do not expect supershoe propulsion. What you get instead is honest, connected speed: a firm, responsive ride that rewards a forefoot or midfoot strike and turns over fast. The tri heritage shows in details built for racking transitions and shrugging off water, which also make it a genuinely fun stripped-back trainer. We rate it as a speed-day shoe for runners who already have a cushioned daily trainer and want something snappier for tempo work, strides and shorter races. It is not a do-it-all shoe, and it is not trying to be.

The Hoka Mach 7 is the brand's do-it-all tempo trainer, a lightweight road shoe that wants to cover almost everything between an easy jog and a genuine session. There is no carbon plate here and that is the point. Instead you get a supercritical EVA midsole that feels lively and quick without the aggressive, one-pace demands of a racer. With a low 5mm drop and a 37mm heel stack it sits in the sweet spot for runners who want one shoe for daily miles, tempo runs and the odd longer effort. It is a clear step on from the Mach 6, keeping the versatile, pick-up-and-go character that made the line popular. At £130 it is fairly priced for a modern lightweight trainer. We rate it as one of the smartest single-shoe buys for club runners who log steady mileage but still like to push the pace once or twice a week.