It took all of 10 steps in the lunar trainer before I decided that it was my new first choice shoe for distance road racing. Just can't wait to try the racer version.

As a bit of background, I'm a high mileage runner, used to minimalist shoes. I run most of my miles in the Nike Streak XC and Streak Racer - both under 200g in my size UK11. My running is split between road and light trail / grass.

In my first 3 days of ownership, I've covered over 60 miles in this shoe which has included a long run, long road intervals and a few recovery runs. First impressions were great. It's like nothing I've ever run in before. The cushioning is far superior to the racers I usually wear - and also much better than the Pegasus lurking in the depths of my wardrobe. Running feels almost impact free; akin to running on a flattened out stress ball. The closest shoe I would compare it to is the Skylon, but it feels significantly lighter - only marginally heavier than my ultra lightweight racers.

When the surface moved from hard towpath to light trail, the shoes gripped well. Only gripe is that the foam spreads wider than the upper which can make them feel a little clumsy on uneven surfaces.

On the tempo intervals the lunars also felt great and I felt they were protecting my legs from the impact very well. Whilst the stress ball comparison may not sound suitable belongs on a fast shoe, it seems bouncy and responsive - well suited to faster running.

So why not a score 9 or 10?
The high heel collars have dug into the skin around my Achilles tendons, up to the point of drawing blood. I've never experienced this on any other type of running shoe before and unfortunately it’s bad enough to prevent me wearing them for several days whilst the skin heals up – watch out for this on your test run.