Atreyu Daily Trainer 2 Performance Review

Atreyu is a scrappy, underdog of a shoe company out of Austin, Texas. Atreyu originally launched with a unique subscription model for its aptly-named Base Model before pivoting to a more traditional sales approach. The Atreyu Daily Trainer 2 is the sum of the learnings Atreyu has made over the years through its Base Model (1-3), original Daily Trainer, Trail Model, and Race Model as the company finally decided what it could do without a price target.

Atreyu’s founder, Michael Krajicek, is a true shoe nerd, so it’s fun to see someone like that out there trying to build a great shoe without the resources of a large company behind him. It’s not an easy task. Let’s find out how Michael and the team did with the Daily Trainer 2.

What is the Atreyu Daily Trainer 2?

According to Atreyu, the Daily Trainer 2 takes the previous framework of the Daily Trainer line and elevates the componentry with significant upgrades. The tagline for the Daily Trainer 2 is “Premium simplicity, everyday performance.” [Editor’s Note: I’m still luxuriating in the word “componentry” myself…]

Cushion

Atreyu has never been about the max-cushion, max-stack architecture that has absolutely overtaken the running shoe industry since 2017-ish. With the Atreyu Daily Trainer 2, the Atreyu team aimed for mid-cushion with lots of bounce despite its pedestrian stack height (30mm in the heel and 24mm in the forefoot). 

The midsole foam is called CUSH, which stands for Compression and Uplift Synchronization Hub, a mouthful I won’t ever be referencing again in my review. [Editor’s Note: That’s probably for the best.] The make-up of the foam is a straightforward 40% Pebax and 60% Supercritical TPE. 

On paper, that mix sounds very soft, but it’s not. I’d actually place it on the firmer side of the foam continuum. Yes, there’s bounce, but the slight squish I got walking around the house quickly disappeared when I would get 2-3 miles into my run. I think this partly had to do with my size (6’6” 200lbs) and partly with the compound. If you’re used to the soft foams littered all over our Best Running Shoes list or are a larger runner, you’ll feel like the Daily Trainer 2 isn’t quite delivering a modern running shoe experience.

More traditionally sized runners will get more benefit out of the midsole in a similar way to the Brooks Hyperion 2. The Daily Trainer 2 actually shares a lot in common with the Hyperion 2. There’s not much of a rocker on either shoe, and they’re both primed for shorter workouts, track sessions, and high school/college athletes who use a non-carbon-plated shoe that helps build leg and foot strength while rocketing around the oval.

So, yes, the cushion is a non-traditional experience for the current running industry. But the Atreyu Daily Trainer 2 fits into a solid niche as a daily trainer with uptempo DNA that will appeal to the younger, bouncier runners among us.

Support

You’d think a fairly minimal upper and heel counter wouldn’t line up well for this category, but the Atreyu Daily Trainer 2 brings the support in a few ways. First, a midsole that flares outward all around the shoe creates a bumper of sorts that helps keep the foot firmly planted on the middle of the midsole at all times. Second, the upper fits well (more on that in the next section), so the foot is easily locked into the heel and onto the footbed. Together, the foot is secure around corners or when terrain gets iffy.

Upper

The AstroKnit (a marketing name I love) upper is an engineered mesh featuring high-tenacity and elastomeric fibers. I’d compare it to Nike’s Flywire when it’s TPU-coated. It moves nicely with the feet, to the point where it disappears from my mind, allows in a ton of airflow as there’s only one layer, and is super durable. 

I’ve got a white colorway of the Atreyu Daily Trainer 2, and it still looks brand-new after plenty of miles. This level of durability/stain resistance combined with comfort is rare in running shoes.

The other extra benefit for those in wet or wintry climates is that the upper doesn’t hold water. And it’ll of course be a great summer upper as the airflow and build will keep the foot as dry as possible despite hot and humid conditions.

Traction

I go back and forth on whether the upper or the outsole is my favorite feature on the Atreyu Daily Trainer 2. The GripCast outsole is elite. It offers complete rubber coverage via two thin, 1mm layers. And even though that’s not much rubber, the durability is elite. There’s no visible wear on the outsole after my test period. I test a lot of shoes, and that probably only happens with 3-4 shoes per year.

The traction is also elite – maybe not quite PumaGrip-level, but close. I never ran into an issue with grip even in wet and post-winter-storm conditions. Only straight ice can flummox this outsole (as it does with every running shoe).

The GripCast rubber is so good, I’d probably suggest Atreyu try removing all the red portions and allow the midsole to be visible. The midsole would get some wear and tear; but weight would go down, and the midsole should have extra room to expand so it feels slightly softer. With today’s foams, allowing them extra room to expand pays big dividends in underfoot feel and may be exactly what the Daily Trainer 2 needs to feel more modern without adding stack height.

Is the Atreyu Daily Trainer 2 wide foot friendly?

Yes, the Atreyu Daily Trainer 2 is wide-foot friendly. Though the heel narrows for fit reasons, the midfoot and toebox have plenty of wiggle room. This is a throughline from Atreyu’s previous shoes and is one of the biggest positives I hear from those who regularly buy Atreyu sneakers.

Is the Atreyu Daily Trainer 2 worth $170?

This is a hard one. $170 is above most high-stack daily trainers as they primarily sit around $160. I know it’s difficult for a smaller company to compete with the economies of scale the big boys get…but very few people will give Atreyu the benefit of the doubt when shoes like the adidas Evo SL are priced at $150 and offer everything Atreyu is trying to do plus a few extras.

I’d feel much more comfortable if the price point was $140, in line with the Brooks Hyperion 2 and below that band of daily trainers in the $150-160 range. It’s probably not possible given Atreyu’s scale, but it’s something to which the company may aspire.

That said, if you place a premium on supporting small, scrappy businesses that are passionate about their product category, the extra $30 probably won’t bother you.

How to use the Atreyu Daily Trainer 2

The Atreyu Daily Trainer 2 is great for runners that highly value durability. It’s best used as a daily trainer when lots of mileage isn’t the goal, and the emphasis is instead on uptempo sections, track workouts, and other sessions geared towards gaining strength.

Atreyu Daily Trainer 2 Summary

The Atreyu Daily Trainer 2 is an ultra-durable training shoe made for those (typically) younger speed demons whose coaches need to constantly explain why a runner needs to take easy days. The runner that will love the Daily Trainer 2 doesn’t need or want a carbon plate during their speed sessions and wants to maximize building leg and foot strength. Like a few other shoes on the market, it’s a modern-day track flat that comes with a ton of longevity and comfort.

How does the Author Run?

Drew Whitcomb (age 43, 6’6″ 200lbs): Runs daily with a once a week rest day. Runs a lot of miles due to testing needs and a growing affinity for long-distance races. Regularly competes in marathons, half-marathons, 10k, and 5k races.

Disclosure

While Atreyu did provide a pair of the Daily Trainer 2 to facilitate this review, the company had no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it, and has not attempted to influence it.