Before Blandine L’Hirondel won the 2026 UTMB faster than any woman in history, the French superstar’s name was mostly unknown to fans in North America. The same could be said of the Kiprun shoes on her feet.

Kiprun is a household name in Europe, best known as the in-house, budget-friendly running gear brand from Decathlon—the European equivalent of Dick’s Sporting Goods and world’s largest sports retailer. However, in recent years, Decathlon has made a heavy investment in its performance equipment, aiming to rival the big dogs and top innovators in the space—and succeeding.

Jimmy Gressier (the defending 10,000 meter world champion on the track) is breaking area records and winning global medals in Kiprun’s road and track line, while teenage phenom Paul Seixas (the youngest Tour de France rider in nearly a century and fourth-place finisher at the 2026 Tour) is winning World Tour cycling races on Decathlon’s in-house Van Rysel bicycles. On the trail side, Thomas Cardin quietly finished fourth at the 2026 Western States 100 in Kiprun shoes, sneaking under Jim Walmsley’s previous course record in the process.

Needless to say, Kiprun is rapidly emerging as a contender for trail shoes worthy of your attention—and now dollars, since they entered the North American market in early 2026. So, how does their max cushion training offering, the Kipsummit Max, stack up in a highly competitive category? Spoilers: Très bien.