Converse Run Star Trainer review

Don't let the Run Star Trainer run away from you if:

• You put quality first, second, and third (this pair features authentic suede and top-notch waxed laces).
• You're looking for a really durable and stylish shoe to show off in town.
• You adore the Samba but you want to break the mold with something different.
• You're a retro lover and you want some sneakers that look good with everything you've got in your wardrobe.

Forget about this shoe if you've got wide feet, pointy toes, or anything in between. Its worryingly narrow profile and solid upper just won't give in, so the space this Converse provides is limited. As an alternative, if you don't mind changing brands, the Adidas Superstar might just be your new sole-mate. Its 90's sporty style and high-quality design make its affordable price hard to believe!

Then, if you're looking for something comfortable to wear all day but you don't want to deal with the extra weight, ASICS keeps it affordable with the Gel 1130, which also has a retro vibe but in a different design.

Our caliper returned 17.2 mm when we measured the Converse Run Star Trainer's heel stack. It's a whole 42% lower than average, which means your feet will feel closer to the ground. If you have tried the Samba before, it's pretty much the same kind of feeling!

At 13.7 mm, the forefoot stack is also really close to the floor, breaking with the chunky sneakers trend that's so popular nowadays.

As both stack heights are pretty close, this Converse has a very low drop: 3.5 mm. Followed by the Nike Killshot 2, the Run Star Trainer is the sneaker with the lowest drop we've tested so far. This translates into a flatter ride (toes and heels feel pretty much at the same level), which makes the muscles of your ankles and calves work a little bit harder than your hips and knees.

As this Converse doesn't have a midsole, the insole is the only cushioning piece that separates your foot from the outsole. At 6.3 mm and with a memory foam design, the brand made sure it was thicker and softer than usual to provide some very much appreciated comfort.

Just by looking at it, we can tell this Converse pair definitely has a sleek profile. Our caliper confirmed it by marking 91.3 mm when we measured the toebox width at the widest part. This is yet another record for the Run Star Trainer, as it's the sneaker with the narrowest widest part (as contradictory as it might sound) we've seen in our lab.

We believe this might be an issue if you're planning to wear this pair during the entire day. Feet get swollen after walking for hours, which translates into them needing more space. The key point here is that, during our lab tests, we found this Converse's upper uses a suede material that's not very stretchy, so it might lead to discomfort.

With 73.8 mm at the big toe, this shoe is definitely pointy. Even our standard-width feet could feel the really snug fit of the Run Star Trainer, which is bad news for wide-foot sneakerheads. And the same goes for people whose toes are pointing up!

Also, during our wear tests, we found out this shoe doesn't have a lot of vertical space. This only adds fuel to the fire for those people, as this Converse might pressure their toes uncomfortably.

Despite its sporty style and heritage, this Converse is not a shoe to play sports with. It didn't give our ankles much trouble when we moved them from side to side. Even though it has a foot-hugging structure, it's definitely not built to stop your ankles from overextending themselves.

The 1/5 it scored on our torsional rigidity test just backed this up: as you can see, our fingers could twist it easily. This reflects its comfortable and easy nature, as the Run Star Trainer felt comfortable from the very first moment we put it on. In conclusion: you can forget about a painful break-in period!

The heel follows pretty much the same logic. It agreed to bend as soon as our thumb pushed it, so we decided to give it a 2/5 on our stiffness test. As it features a rubber extension from the outsole that offers some extra structure, it didn't earn the most flexible score this time.

When we looked at the bottom of this Converse model, we realized its midsole followed its overall slim structure. At only 99.7 mm, it doesn't shine because of its stability. It's still comfortable, as it doesn't reach the extremely narrow nature of the Adidas SL 72... but we believe you'll enjoy it the most if you're looking for a pair with a very narrow profile.

On the other hand, and as we feared, the heel does mirror the narrowness of the SL 72. At only 70.8 mm, if you're looking for a supportive shoe, this isn't it.

Partly, one of the reasons why these sneakers felt so comfortable from the very first minute we put them on is their extreme longitudinal flexibility. When we took them to our lab, our force gauge marked only 11.2N when we flexed them all the way up to 90 degrees. This is a crazy 51% lower than average, which reflects why the Run Star Trainer bent so easily alongside our feet when we walked around town with it.

The lightweight nature of this pair was just one more reason why our feet fell in love with it. Its stylish design comes at only 11.4 oz/322.0g, which is a solid 18% lower than average.

This, added to the overall flexibility of the Run Star Trainer, translated into an easy and comfortable ride during our wear tests, as our feet didn't have to deal with any extra weight.

Just by having a quick look at this Converse's solid suede and nylon upper, we guessed breathability wouldn't be its strongest point.

When we took it to our lab, our light test showed no traces of ventilation holes.

As you can see, our smoke test was directly affected by this... and not in a good way! The Train of its name definitely does not refer to the form of transportation, as the Run Star Trainer refused to let any of the smoke go throughout the 10 seconds of the test. Consequently, we could only give it a sad 1/5 on our breathability test, which is totally understandable if we compare its performance to the ASICS Gel NYC's.

Last but not least, our microscope showed us why there's no way this shoe's design could favor airflow.

We burned one of the suede patches of this shoe to see if its materials were authentic or synthetic.

We weren't welcomed by a big flame or a sticky mess, which proves the Run Star Trainer features real suede. Its affordable price makes it hard to believe, but trust us: it's scientifically-proven true!

We're more than happy to tell you that the Run Star Trainer confirms the "low breathability = high durability" rule.

At 5K RPM and with 3.2N of force, our Dremel drilled its toebox mercilessly. Even though we saw blue dust and debris flying around from the very first second, when we put the tool aside we realized the damage was not bad at all. In fact, it didn't even come close to affecting its integrity negatively. This wonderful result earned it a perfect 5/5 on our toebox durability test.

Sadly, the heel padding showed poor durability. Once again with the same 5K RPM and 3.2N of force, our Dremel chewed on this Converse pair like a mouse finding some fresh cheese.

As you can see, the results were disappointing: the tool managed to eat away pretty much all the material. Consequently, we could only give it a 1/5 on our heel padding durability test, which creates an awful contrast with the previous excellent result.

At 85.0 HC, our durometer indicated the Run Star Trainer features an outsole just as hard as the average. This usually indicates a nice balance of durability and grip.

Even though our Dremel came back stronger for its last test, this Converse also got back on its feet to show another great result on durability. This time at 10K RPM, the tool attacked the Run Star Trainer's outsole during 22 seconds.

Just by looking at it, we realized the damages were not so bad. Our tread gauge confirmed it by returning 1.0 mm when we measured them, which means this shoe is as durable as the average. In other words, it should be by your side for a while, as its outsole is made to last.

As the Run Star Trainer doesn't have a midsole, the brand decided to go for a padded insole and a thick outsole in order to protect your feet from harsh urban surfaces. Our caliper marked 7.8 mm, which is a whole 31% chunkier than average.

Making use of its sporty heritage, the Converse Run Star Trainer provided us with great traction during our wear tests walking around town.

It features a linear pattern full of cuts that favors flexibility, but overall it keeps it simple. We can't say this pair bites the floor like there's no tomorrow, but we really can't complain either. It does its job well, and that's what matters to us.

These retro sporty sneakers look really similar to the iconic Samba, yet they are $10 cheaper! We believe Converse has joined the 90s trend with a very solid pair that features durable and real suede in a low-profile and high-quality design. But the best part is that looks stunning with baggy jeans, sports clothes, mini-skirts, and everything in between!

This Converse doesn't have any reflective elements.

The simple and minimalist vibe of the Run Star Trainer is portrayed on its thin tongue. Our caliper marked only 3.8 mm, which is way lower than average. Even though this reduces the overall weight of the shoe, we'd advise you not to tie your laces too tight... just in case.

Also, during our wear tests, the tongue did dance a little bit from side to side. Even though we really like the waxed laces of this Converse pair, they couldn't keep it in place, which was a bit annoying to be honest.

To keep its retro aesthetics unmatched, the Run Star Trainer doesn't have a heel tab. But it features a non-gusseted tongue, so we didn't really need it to put the shoe on; its opening made it pretty easy!

Instead, we were welcomed by a leather patch with the name of the brand in a color-blocking design that added a really cool contrasting touch.

This Converse pair features a removable insole, which means you can just change it if you need or want to.

But there are 3 things we want to warn you about:

• First, its alarmingly narrow midsole might not make this easy, as some insoles might just not fit width-wise.
• Second, it's not the most spacious sneaker out there, and even though it features a thick insole, adding an even bigger one might lead to discomfort due to compression.
• Third, if you go for a thinner insole to get some extra inner room, this might also lead to discomfort. Just keep in mind the insole of the Run Star Trainer is the only padded piece separating your feet from its outsole.