Craft Kype Pro Performance Review

Ten years ago, the phrase “super shoe” sounded like something more out of a comic book than a real piece of footwear—or at least not one attainable by the masses.

Then Nike introduced the world to the Vaporfly 4% in 2016, and nothing has ever been the same. We’re now regularly seeing new iterations of super shoes from the biggest names in race day, like the Nike Alphafly and the adidas Adios Pro, along with impressive debuts from rising star companies such as the TYR Valkyrie Elite Carbon Runner.

That brings us to the Craft Kype Pro (Kype is pronounced “SHOO-peh”), the debut super shoe from the Swedish sportswear company that has drawn rave reviews for their other running products.

But in this crowded market, is a $300 super shoe from someone other than Nike, adidas, New Balance, or other big brands something that runners will want to embrace when any change is typically met with a whole lotta suspicion?

Luckily, you don’t have to wait for an answer since the team at Craft sent pairs of the Kype Pro to Stately WearTesters Manor, and we’ve got our full review below.

What is the Craft Kype Pro?

According to Craft:

“The Kype Pro supershoe is built for elite marathon and half-marathon runners, blending speed, comfort, and advanced technology to push limits and break records with unmatched efficiency.”

Cushion

This was my first experience with Craft in any way—I’ve never worn their sportswear either—and I truly had no idea what to expect. 

But once I took my first steps in the Kype Pro, I told Drew I thought this might be my favorite super shoe ever.

Now, before my running community membership card is revoked for not liking whatever shoe you dear readers want to assure me is truly better or “the best”, let me remind y’all that I have Hobbit feet (wider forefoot), and most super shoes are not made for my feet. My current favorite is another model from a sportswear company, the TYR Valkyrie Elite Carbon Runner. I don’t think it’s a shoe that will win major marathons, but it is one that works for runners not only with wider feet but who also weigh over 200 pounds and are looking to set PRs.

Both because of that weight and my natural gait, I’ve also found the bounce in many super shoes feels a bit uncontrolled, like I’m exerting more effort to stay stable than I am focusing on each stride. It’s both physically and mentally exhausting. And, let’s also be honest, I’m still a relatively novice runner so I also don’t have the performance capabilities to tap into the true power of something like the Nike Alphafly which is truly meant for the elite runners of the world.

How does this all relate to the Craft Kype Pro?

Let’s start with the Arris carbon fiber plate, which is so perfectly implemented in this shoe that I didn’t feel that stiff plate under my feet in a negative way (something I definitely felt with various New Balance super shoes). But I did feel just enough stiffening underfoot to help me control the incredible energy return from Craft’s Xx Foam mixed with Arkema’s Pebax. Even with my very mediocre speeds (by marathon racing standards), I could feel every ounce of effort gifted back to me exponentially with each step as I landed on my midsole and rolled through for the perfect toe-off.

I often dream of mirroring the effortless strides and movements of WearTesters’ pal (and mega running influencer) Kofuzi, who makes running look like art; and for the first time, I at least felt like I was accomplishing it. 

The greatest compliment I can give the midsole cushion, plate, and split heel design is that I never thought about the shoe as I was running—I was having too much fun setting PRs on every run.

But I need to exhale and take a beat, otherwise I just won’t stop gushing over this shoe.

Support

I touched on this a bit in the last section, but stability has been a major concern for me in most super shoes (and really any max-cushion trainer). It often feels like I have to choose between bounce or stability, with limited exceptions (like the Nike Zoom Fly 6).

I’m a recovering heel striker, and one of the amazing things about the Craft Kype Pro is that I don’t know that I’ve ever landed anywhere but the midfoot during my many runs. I can’t help but wonder if Craft’s heavily highlighted, split heel design was truly the game-changing element here.

One of my favorite things about the Craft Kype Pro is that the stability only got better when I picked up the speed. This shoe is made to go fast and rewards you in so many ways when you do.

That includes the way it encourages quick turnover with each step without ever feeling like the shoe is out of control. It rewards effort with speed, rewards speed with stability, and rewards your discipline by keeping you moving even when you’ve got every excuse to stop. [Editor’s Note: Damn, Arune. That’s verging on impassioned poetry.]

Is it clear how much I love this shoe?

Traction

This is a marathon race-day shoe, so I’m not expecting it to have the teeth over a variety of surfaces of a typical daily trainer.

That said, I was impressed by how well the Craft Lightsole gripped the road and even performed well on some uneven, slightly wet, grassy parts of my run.

However, I want to note that even after my first run I noticed a pretty surprising amount of wear on the exposed foam of the midsole. This is on me for using this shoe as a daily trainer for testing, and I would imagine the goal is—other than a first break-in run or two—to use the shoe only for race days.

But with that in mind, I’m not sure how many marathons this shoe will survive in comparison to its competitors.

Upper

“You’ll really like how this looks” is how Drew first pitched the Craft Kype Pro.

And he was right. This colorway (the only one so far) is named “Shock”—I don’t know how that became the decided upon name, but it definitely fits. This is a loud shoe that looks out of place moving at anything but your top speed.

But looks aside, the Craft Aero Mesh is incredibly comfortable and perfectly complements the surprisingly accommodating shape of an upper that welcomes wider feet (like mine!). Given the thinner nature of this upper and the more natural foot shape, it’s no surprise that I’ve been lacing up these shoes whenever I get the chance.

The Kype Pro also may have the perfect lacing system. I was able to precisely dial in the fit but never felt like the shoe ever choked my feet—even when I really tightened the laces. Even better, the laces stayed laced (though they lose a bit of tension as you run more).

From a performance POV, I had no slippage issues, and the upper continued to provide me enough room for foot swelling through even my double-digit-mileage runs.

Is the Craft Kype Pro wide foot friendly?

Absolutely. I’d love to see a wider size made available to accommodate even more runners, but I can’t complain when a race-day shoe actually has enough room to deliver the comfort I experienced.

Is the Craft Kype Pro worth $300?

That all depends on the runner.

This is a true race-day shoe, and as such, there’s a lot of excellent competition out there—shoes you’ve seen Drew, Annie, and the team here rave about throughout 2025.

But I’ve never really found a super shoe made for someone like me—my gait, my weight, my foot shape—and I can’t imagine picking any other shoe for anything from a 10K to a half-marathon to even a marathon (if I somehow ever develop that endurance).

The Craft Kype Pro may not be the race-day shoe for you, but it’s definitely the first—and only—one I’m choosing for the foreseeable future.

How to use the Craft Kype Pro

The Craft Kype Pro is built for marathon and long-distance road racing but can also be used effectively for speed workouts and long runs.

Craft Kype Pro Summary

Without a doubt, the Craft Kype Pro is my favorite race-day shoe ever and one of the most impressive shoe debuts in recent memory.

While it’s hard to find pairs at the time of writing, this is one worth tracking down and trying for yourself. I have a feeling Craft is going to make a whole lot of runners set a whole lot of PRs.

How does the Author Run?

Arune Singh (age 43, 5’11”, 210lbs): Trains daily with functional fitness programming from Deadboys Fitness, founded by Colby “Seth Rollins” Lopez and Josh Gallegos, along with logging 30-40 miles of running per week. He also has a medical history of Sleep Apnea and Myasthenia Gravis, meaning Arune’s focus is on lean muscle mass.

Disclosure

While Craft did provide pairs of the Craft Kype Pro 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.