Tracksmith Eliot Racer Performance Review

The Tracksmith Eliot Racer follows the successful launch of Tracksmith’s everyday running shoe, the Eliot Runner. While the Eliot Runner provides a nice running experience, it’s a firmer, more old-school running shoe versus the soft, cushy monsters most often found on the market today. But the Eliot Runner looks fantastic and brings Tracksmith’s signature style to footwear in a very casual-friendly package. It’s a running shoe that you can dress up nicely.

The Tracksmith Eliot Racer, though, aims for an even harder target: the long-distance road racing shoe market. There’s a lot of very good competition to be found there. Companies that show up without great technology or a strong viewpoint on what a racing shoe brings to the table create shoes that can’t measure up and see dismal sales.

Tracksmith, and its racing heritage, has a unique viewpoint. But was the company able to translate that into a great road racing shoe?

What is the Tracksmith Eliot Racer?

The Tracksmith Eliot Racer is a “squishy and soft racing shoe that helps you feel fresh and protected late into your races” whose “energy return is in the top 5% of shoes tested in the database of a well-respected industry lab.”

That’s light on marketing speak and more about the running experience. And that energy return stat got my attention. Rubs hands together in anticipation.

Cushion

Remember how I said companies in this space need a viewpoint? Well, not only does Tracksmith bring the visually compelling Tracksmith look to the Eliot Racer, it also built this thing unlike any other road racing shoe on the market. And that’s not hyperbole. It’s built using construction methods that are exceedingly rare in running shoes and only occasionally show up in other parts of the market (see Serious Player Only).

And what I mean by that is mostly the midsole construction and everything that follows from it. From the outside of the shoe, the Tracksmith Eliot Racer’s midsole looks unimpressive. It’s not thick like modern high-stack shoes. And that’s because the secret sauce is hidden.

The Tracksmith Eliot Racer uses a Pebax midsole chassis and an ATPU drop-in midsole. That means the midsole is completely removable. And if you remove it from the shoe, you can see right through to the scooped carbon plate that sits right beneath it (the Pebax chassis sits beneath the plate). You could also, theoretically, replace the midsole later in its life when it starts to lose some of the bounce.

All the components of a poppy, responsive, and protective midsole are there, just done differently from the industry standard. As a result, the Tracksmith Eliot Racer looks more like a normal shoe and uses a lot less glue. The high-end foams and lack of glue allow the energy return to shine.

If you’ve worn basketball shoes with removable midsoles you know they can perform as well or better than shoes with normal construction. And that’s the same here. The Tracksmith Eliot Racer feels lively and elite as soon as it’s on-foot. Then, the faster you go, the better it feels.

I didn’t love the Eliot Racer at my warm-up paces; but once I got into a track workout or extended section at marathon pace, I loved it. The Eliot Racer feels smooth at higher efforts and makes it easy to maintain those torrid paces. 

Though the rocker doesn’t look aggressive, the carbon plate is scooped more towards the toe than most shoes on the market in order to make the drop-in midsole work correctly. As a result, the turnover feels natural, and pushing hard off the big toe reveals a helping hand from both foam and carbon.

And, even though the Tracksmith Eliot Racer doesn’t reach the coveted, World Athletics-legal 40mm mark in heel stack height (it clocks in at 38mm), it has enough foam to go the marathon distance. I’m 6’6” and 200lbs and haven’t felt any signs of bottoming out on longer runs. The Eliot Racer still feels lively at 16ish miles…and that’s a key sign for me that this shoe is marathon-ready, even for larger runners.

Support

The support of the Tracksmith Eliot Racer is also built differently due to the drop-in midsole construction. There’s a standard internal heel counter, but the higher, beefier rand that surrounds the foot really improves the support. It keeps the drop-in midsole firmly on the footbed and doesn’t allow it to move within the shoe. 

Combined with the drop-in midsole’s sidewalls, the broad forefoot, the Tracksmith sash that locks the midfoot down, and a tightly gusseted tongue, all the elements are there to lock the foot into place, prevent movement, and allow the wearer to rocket around corners without any worries.

That said, if you don’t tie the top of the laces tight enough, you’ll get some heel slip. I didn’t need a runner’s knot (though some other media members told me they did). I just needed to ensure the final lace loops were tight enough…and voila, no heel slip.

The Tracksmith Eliot Racer is on the upper end of the spectrum in terms of racing shoe stability. That spectrum includes some very tipsy shoes that people race well in…so while it’s not 100% necessary, it makes the Eliot Racer more appealing to those whose form breaks down towards the end of long road races.

Traction

There’s much more rubber on the bottom of the Tracksmith Eliot Racer than I expected. It’s traditionally a place where shoe companies save weight. To me it shows that Tracksmith is prioritizing durability. The 2mm rubber is heavily perforated and has a long channel down the middle for flexibility and weight savings. But, the entire lateral side of the foot is covered in rubber, so wherever you land, you won’t be tearing through the soft foam.

In practice, the traction was a mixed bag: definitely good enough for a race shoe, but not top tier. I had some slight slippage on wetter streets (think of the area around a race’s aid stations). But the majority of the time, the outsole was reliable and gripped the ground well.

The Eliot Racer matches the traction of most marathon racing shoes but isn’t the best outsole for days with awful weather.

Upper

The upper’s mesh doesn’t retain water, and the microsuede tongue and liner add comfort not often present in race day footwear. The Tracksmith Eliot Racer looks amazing as the sash stands out without being as gaudy as most options in the category.

The laces do have silicone grippers on what amounts to about six-ish inches [Editor’s Note: Can I refrain? No…I don’t have the discipline. THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID] at the ends of the laces. It’s a nice touch but ultimately ineffective. [Editor’s Note: You’re killing me.] The laces are slippery and must be double knotted. If you don’t double knot these babies, they will come undone. I warned you. [Editor’s Note: You did a lot of things in this section.]

Is the Tracksmith Eliot Racer wide foot friendly?

The Tracksmith Eliot Racer is on the wider side of racing footwear and will work for the majority of wide-footers. This is due to a wider-than-usual-forefoot for toe splay, a straighter last, and a taller toebox for wiggle room. The cumulative effect is a shoe that wide-footers can enjoy.

Is the Tracksmith Eliot Racer worth $280?

This is a tough question. My experience with Tracksmith is they make durable, long-lasting clothing that can often justify the high prices (though not always). In this case, Tracksmith is on the higher end of the race shoe price continuum. The range starts at $225 and ends at $285, with a couple outliers above $300.

If you’re price conscious, I don’t think the Tracksmith Eliot Racer is the right road racing shoe for you. But if you want bounce, support, and a race-day shoe with understated, high-end looks, the Eliot Racer will be worth the money.

How to use the Tracksmith Eliot Racer

The Tracksmith Eliot Racer is a road racing shoe that will handle any distance from the 5K to the marathon and all of the faster workouts required during a training block for one of those races.

Tracksmith Eliot Racer Summary

The Tracksmith Eliot Racer is a top-tier road racing shoe that’s different from any racing shoe you’ve used before. The drop-in midsole setup is unique in road running and works well. The outsole is durable, and the upper is comfortable. It’s a top-tier racing shoe despite a few minor complaints. And alongside the unique internals, it’s got that Ivy League, Tracksmith swagger and look on the outside that avoids the big and bright aesthetics most race shoes are sporting these days.

It’s really impressive for a small brand like Tracksmith to be able to create a super-competitive race-day shoe on its first try. Clearly the team at Tracksmith knows what it takes to make a high-end race shoe and was able to translate their vision to reality.

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 Tracksmith did provide a pair of the Eliot Racer 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.