In case you’re not familiar, Speedland is a quirky, technical trail running shoe brand that burst on the scene four years ago with a $375 shoe that had so many newfangled components and features that brand founders Kevin Fallon and Dave Dombrow justifiably said their shoes should be considered equipment more than they should be known as footwear.

Continuing with its tech-equipped shoe designs, Speedland has proven its worth with well-built, high-performing shoes for the trails. But what can that kind of design philosophy bring to road running shoes, which have traditionally been built with a less-is-more design motif even in the age of maximally cushioned shoes?

Based on my 83 miles of initial running in the new Speedland RX:FPY this spring, it’s clear that this brand has successfully brought some of that same technical sauce to the open roads. The small, crafty two-man brand from Portland, Oregon, designed this max-cushioned shoe to be a highly responsive and speedy super trainer and ultra-distance racer for the tarmac. Like Speedland trail shoes, what sets it apart are nontraditional features like removable carbon-fiber plates, a unique, two-part super-critical foam midsole, and a BOA-enhanced, knit/mesh upper that serves up a similar personalized fit the the brand has built a reputation on with its trail shoes. 

I’m not going to suggest you leap at the chance to buy a $299 shoe sight unseen — not because I don’t think it’s a very good shoe — but because this is one you definitely have to try on to understand and appreciate. And yes that’s hard to do, given that the shoes are almost entirely sold online and only available at a few stores.

Speedland is certainly making a statement and pushing the envelope of road shoe design with this RX:FPY, but the bottom line is that it works quite well. (The naming convention is a call out to the prescriptive fit and ride characteristics of Speedland ultra-distance athlete Don Reichelt, who hails from Fairplay, Colorado.) Read along to find out what it’s all about.

What’s New: This is Speedland’s first road running model and it was built to have a smooth, stable, and responsive ride, but what makes it special is that it’s built with a unique collection of materials and componentry. First and foremost, it has a stretchy, high-tenacity knit/mesh upper called a PerformFit Wrap that is activated by a BOA Fit System featuring multidirectional Li2 dial closure. It also has a drop-in rigid carbon-fiber prolusion plate that attaches under a thick, responsive blended super-critical foam midsole drop-in that sits in a firmer, uncompressed HTPU carrier foam, and a thin but durable layer of scratch rubber on the outsole.

Fit/Feel/Ride: The Speedland RX:FPY fits true to size with ample wiggle room in the toe box and a medium interior volume. (It is not compatible with after-market replacement insoles because of the drop-in midsole piece.) The tongueless, stretchy mesh upper and three supportive overlays create a custom fit sensation that allows the BOA dial system to securely wrap each foot based precisely on the size and shape of your feet. The locked-down connection to the chassis is uncanny but also very comfortable. 

How does it run? The ride is very smooth and extremely stable with some inherent bounciness, but the shoe takes on different ride characteristics with or without the removable carbon-fiber plate inserts. With the plate (which is more rigid than the versions used in Speedland’s trail shoes), it’s slightly sharper, snappier, and faster shoe with a noticeable spring in every step almost to the level of a marathon-racing super shoe; Without the plate, it feels slightly softer with more of a responsive rolling sensation. In both cases, what it lacks in agility in makes up for in comfort, security and an almost effortless vibe. Based on my initial running in this shoe (and each of Speedland’s previous trail running models), I expect this shoe to serve up long-term durability.

Speedland RX:FPY Specs

Price: $299
Approximate Weights: Without the plate: 7.5 oz. (women’s size 8), 8.5 oz. (men’s size 9); With the plate: 8.1 oz. (women’s size 8), 9.2 oz. (men’s size 9)
Heel-Toe Offset: 7mm; 40mm (heel), 33mm (forefoot)

Why It’s Great: The comfort and security of the fit of this shoe are unparalleled. I generally love shoes with a BOA Fit System instead of traditional laces because of the secure connection they provide, and this is one of the best, thanks to the airy spacer mesh upper being able to perfectly and comfortably mold around the shape of your feet. The BOA system is easily adjustable during those moments on a run when you find one of your shoes feels annoyingly too tight or too loose. All you have to do is rotate either of the dual-directional Li2 dials a micro-click or two to precisely adjust the level of snugness.

You can adjust laced shoes, too, of course, but those adjustments mean stopping and re-tying the shoes after arbitrarily reconfiguring the laces. (The only area where the fit of the Speedland RX:FPY is slightly lacking is in the heel, which can feel a bit too loose when scaling back the tightness of the dial a few notches.) 

What You’ll Love It: There are a lot of reasons to like this shoe, but I love it for its versatility. The ability to remove the carbon-fiber plate is a rare feature that gives this shoe a dual-purpose personality and allows you to make a quick adjustment to fit the type of run you’re about to do, either slightly softer or slightly livelier. I ran many miles at tempo pace and did one modified interval workout in this shoe and generally liked it at faster speeds, but it doesn’t have the explosive giddy-up of a top-tier, featherweight marathon super shoe. However, it definitely has a propulsive feel and can be a great training shoe for long runs and long intervals, and it could be a marathon shoe for runners aiming for the 3:15-3:30 to 5:00-5:15 range or for bigger/taller/heavier runners seeking an mix of optimal stability and energetic responsiveness.

Pro: It’s a seemingly low-profile feature, but I really like the flat, smooth rubber outsole. It offers superb grip on dry and wet surfaces and offers better purchase on pavement, concrete, curbs, pebbles, and other big and small obstacles than shoes with unique outsole patterns and grooves that are supposedly optimized for traction and natural foot flex.

Con: After running in the RX:FPY about a half dozen times, I initially thought I would prefer it if this shoe were a tad lighter. But after continuing to run in it, I realized that it’s not heavy (and it actually has a lighter spec weight than I expected), but it’s more that it’s not exceptionally agile. Like a lot of high-stack shoes, the mass of the midsole and the wide footprint can make it feel like there’s “a lot of shoe” attached to each foot when running slower paces. But it’s not a deal-breaker (especially because it feels more nimble running faster), so don’t let that aspect override your desire to check this shoe out.

Also: Speedland partnered with Under Armour (where Fallon and Dombrow worked before starting Speedland) on a collab shoe called the UA x Speedland Infinite Mega, which is a cushier max-cushioned road runner with a two-dial BOA Fit System and no carbon-fiber plate.

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Senior editor Brian Metzler has wear-tested more than 2,500 running shoes and is the author of “Kicksology: The Hype, Science, Culture and Cool of Running Shoes” (2019). He has raced just about every distance from 100 meters to 100 miles, but he’s most eager to share stories about his experiences pack burro racing in Colorado.