CAN HANDLE HEAVY STRIKING
The Elixir is like a Ferrari with all-terrain tires. It combines the barely there mesh upper of a race shoe with the full-foam midsole of a distance trainer. A snug heel cup and soft forefoot flex promote maximum thrust at toe-off, while a thermoplastic spring mechanism injects plenty of giddyup into the midsole for everything from track workouts to marathons. But you don’t need to be an Olympic qualifier to appreciate this shoe—the concave heel offers enough support and cushioning to appeal to a wide range of neutral- and mild-pronation runners. The only bummer? The Elixir’s low arches bothered some testers. 9.9 oz; mizunousa.com