Now and again, a running shoe comes from nowhere to become a word-of-mouth sensation, and right now there is probably no hotter shoe with highly invested runners than the Dynafish Xiaonian.
Given that many runners will never have even heard of Dynafish, that’s quite different to the last couple of shoes I’ve seen become so popular in the running shoe community, which are the Adidas Adizero Evo SL and the original Asics Superblast.
Those were new lines launched with relatively little hype to become instant favorites that reshaped the running shoe landscape, but were made by two of the biggest brands in the industry, and were available to buy everywhere.
In contrast, the Dynafish Xiaonian comes from an unheralded Chinese brand and until recently was only really possible to get through marketplace sites like AliExpress.
The Xiaonian is now available to buy directly in the US, but only through small retailers like HobbyJogger and ShopNings, and while it’s still good value at $130-$150 through those sites, it’s not as cheap as you can get it through marketplace stores.
I was excited to try the Dyanfish Xiaonian, so I bought it for £97 (around $127) from AliExpress to ship to the UK. The shoe arrived about 10 days later, and it absolutely lived up to the hype.
Here’s why I think it’s one of the best running shoes you can get right now.
It’s extremely light but still highly cushioned
My men’s size 10 Dynafish Xiaonian weighs just 7.6oz despite 41mm of cushioning at the heel and 34mm at the forefoot.
It’s not an extremely stripped-back design, with lots of foam in the midsole, some padding on the upper and generous rubber coverage on the outsole, so the lightweight design doesn’t detract from its comfort as a daily trainer, while making the shoe great for speedwork.
There are very few non-carbon plate racing shoes that offer a similar balance of weight and cushioning, with even other lightweight options I love, like the Adidas Evo SL and Puma Deviate Pure Nitro, being heavier with less foam underfoot.
The foam and rocker deliver a fast ride
The key feature in almost all running shoes is the midsole foam used, and Dynafish has created a winner with the supercritical TPEE material in the Xiaonian.
It’s clearly very light and delivers a high level of energy return during faster runs while also being soft enough to feel comfortable at easy paces.
I also enjoyed the pronounced rocker design on the shoe during my testing, though this might not be for everyone. It really helps to throw you forward with each stride and gives the Xiaonian a smooth feel, especially at fast paces.
It’s as versatile as super-trainers that cost twice as much
I love do-it-all running shoes that excel at a wide range of paces, but you often have to pay big money to get the best all-rounders. The Asics Megablast, Adidas Hyperboost Edge or Asics Superblast 3 are all versatile super-trainers that cost $200 or more, for example.
The Dynafish Xiaonian feels every bit as versatile to me and will set you back at most $150, and likely a lot less, depending on where you get it from.
I’ve done 1km reps in the shoe at sub-5min/mile pace, tempo runs and a whole lot of easy running in the shoe, and it felt great throughout my testing. It’s pretty stable for a lightweight, high-stack shoe too.
I’d say it’s at its best for faster efforts, especially long workouts or progression runs, but the Xiaonian can handle pretty much anything you throw at it.
There’s a full outsole and it’s built to last
It’s fair to say that whenever you come across a bargain in any product area, there’s always a fear that the build quality won’t be up to par, but that’s not the case with the Xiaonian.
I’ve run 60 miles in my pair with no signs of wear and tear, and the feel of the midsole has only improved so far, becoming a little more flexible.
The shoe also has a lot of rubber on the outsole, which is surprising for such a light shoe. Often super-trainers have minimal rubber coverage to reduce weight, but the Xiaonian’s outsole should last and has gripped well for me on roads and light trails.
Should you buy the Dynafish Xiaonian?
If you prefer to stick with more accessible shoes, then the Adidas Evo SL or Puma Deviate Pure Nitro would be good options instead of the Dynafish Xiaonian, and the Evo SL is often on sale these days, so it offers good value.
I expect Chinese shoes from brands like Dynafish and Li-Ning to become more and more popular and indeed more accessible. Steph Curry's mega-deal with Li-Ning will certainly help make them more well-known.
If you're happy to shop through smaller sites or marketplace platforms like AliExpress, the Xiaonian is well worth trying now, though. It's not quite as cheap as it was a few months ago because it's already becoming well-known, but it still undercuts most running shoes while out-performing them.
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