Creator Andy Krafsur founded his new line of running shoes with the hope of revolutionizing the industry. That’s why Spira incorporates its patented WaveSpring technology into the heel and forefoot of every pair of shoes. According to the brand’s explanation, the stable, lightweight spring is supposed to not only give you an extra spring in your step, but the new technology promises to lessen the pressure on your muscles and joints, a great bonus for long-distance runners.

As my running addiction grows, I am trying to work my way up in miles per run, which is why Spira caught my attention. After all, who doesn’t want to join the ranks of some of Spira’s greatest racers? So, when the company sent me a pair of the Stinger XLT Running shoes, I was excited to push not only myself but also the limits of this proclaimed “marathoner’s shoe.”

Following the current trend, the Stinger XLT comes in a variety of fun neon colors and uses fabrics that are highly reflective for nighttime running. I personally loved the purple, but Spira’s other color combinations of pink and black and pink and blue were equally attractive. Having received a number of minimalist and maximum cushion shoes, I was immediately drawn to the sole. Divided into two main sections, each features a spring encased in rubber. The two sections are then connected by a fiberglass nylon shank, which provides stability for your arches. The result is somewhere between the trends, leaving me sure that my feet would have adequate padding without worrying about feeling disconnected to the path I was running on. The only drawback to the sole was the lack of grips, which was not a factor when running on pavement, but provided less traction when off-road racing.

The upper is a combination of mesh and plastic that creates a shoe far more breathable and comfortable than I imagined it would be. The inside is slightly padded, but again, Spira doesn’t take the design too far in either direction. Instead, the company found a happy medium, best displayed by the tongue that, as you may know from my previous shoe reviews, is always an issue for me. This one had just enough padding to keep me comfortable without stifling my foot.

The Stinger XLT is relatively true to size, though I found the toe box to be significantly larger than other running shoes. For those who don’t have a super narrow foot like me, however, this is a great feature because it allows your toes to move while you run, helping you land each step more efficiently. For me, it caused my toes to slip around a little too much, but I quickly tightened the laces at the top to compensate.

This intricate design has the potential to be very heavy, which is why I was most impressed by Spira’s ability to still keep the shoe relatively light. For minimalist runners, it may still be too heavy, but for me, I was not at all weighed down.

The overall result was that once laced up, I was so comfortable I almost forgot they were on. Though I have felt similar spring qualities from other running shoes, the greatest benefit from the product was how little recovery I needed after I took them off. I was able to run the next day without showing any signs of fatigue.