Karhu Mestari Run 1.5 Review: Smooth Strides & Scandinavian Style

All shoes are reviewed by the Fleet Feet tester team, which represents a wide variety of goals, foot shapes, running locations and terrains. Reviewers pound the pavement, climb the hills, tackle the trails, then come together to compare notes. Debates ensue over the feel of the cushioning, the purpose of the shoe, and how it compares to last year’s model. While each reviewer has their own individual preferences, we hope that capturing our debates will help you make an informed decision.

They said don’t judge a book by its cover, but you can learn a lot about a shoe by its name. Karhu, a Finnish sports brand, chose to name the Mestari Run 1.5 after the Finnish word for “champion.” The Mestari Run was first introduced in 2023 and served as Karhu’s introduction to the max-cushion world of running shoes.

With a moderate stack height, firm cushioning and a smooth rocker shape, can the latest version of the Mestari Run, available January 10, serve as the champion of max-cushioned shoes? Or is it just a champion amongst the Karhu line up? Read on to find out.

Our wear test team typically doesn’t agree on everything, but we all agreed that the AeroFoam midsole in the Mestari Run 1.5 is firm. Whether we thought that was a good thing or not depends on our own individual preferences for soft versus firm cushioning.

“I was surprised by the step-in feel of the Mestari Run 1.5,” Heather says. “Looking at it, I expected it to feel softer, but it was way firmer than I expected. The firmness isn’t bad, per se, but I have been gravitating towards shoes with a softer feel overall, so it took me by surprise as I was running.”

“While this shoe doesn’t feel super soft to me, it also didn’t feel as firm as the last version,” says Travis. “As Goldilocks says, it felt “just right!” As I’m advancing into my thirties, I’m finding that I don’t enjoy super soft shoes anymore and they wear out my legs much more quickly. The Mestari Run 1.5 has a good balance that really worked for me.”

I’ll always reach for a soft shoe over a firmer one, so I wasn’t really enjoying the feeling of the AeroFoam cushioning underfoot. However, the shoe’s rocker geometry and amplified toe spring helped to roll me along for a smooth, natural-feeling ride. I took these on an easy 6-miler with some friends. When I began the run I was thinking about how much firmer the shoes were compared to what I’d normally wear, but after the first mile they became one with my body and I wasn’t even thinking about them anymore.

The rocker geometry that, in my opinion, saves the ride of the Mestari Run, comes from Karhu’s signature Fulcrum piece. This technology lives right in the midsole, acting like the lever in a seesaw. The Fulcrum uses your body’s momentum to roll you forward as you land for easy toe-offs. Without the Fulcrum piece, I think the firm midsole would fall flat.

“The fulcrum piece gave me good momentum and rolled along nicely with my stride,” Travis says. “I also ran some pretty hilly routes in these and they still felt good!”

I ran some hilly routes too (if you count running up and over an overpass in Florida “hilly”). My route was also pretty dark—no street lights along the beach during sea turtle nesting season—so I had to be careful not to trip on the patchy sections of the path. Thanks to the shoe’s wide, stable base and high sidewalls, my feet felt exceptionally secure.

While the midsole of the Mestari Run garnered mixed reviews from our wear test team, we all enjoyed the fit and feel of the upper. Karhu prides themselves on their accommodating uppers that work for a variety of different foot shapes. Many of their running shoes are shaped using millions of scans from Fleet Feet’s fit id® process, so they’re created with real runners’ feet in mind.

“Karhu may have one of the best fit and last molds on the market,” says Brandon, who’s tested around 500 pairs of shoes over the past 6 years. “If you’re someone who can’t figure out the right size and fit in your running shoes, Karhu has got you covered.”

The Mestari Run 1.5 uses Karhu’s IdealKnit mesh material which feels soft and stretchy around the forefoot yet secure around the midfoot, thanks to their M-lock panels. These M-shaped overlays on either side of the midfoot help to hold your feet firmly in place.

“This shoe fit my feet extremely well,” says Heather. “It felt true to size with enough room for my high-volume feet so I never felt squished. The upper felt breathable enough, but not premium. In general, the materials just seem appropriate for a middle-of-the-road daily trainer.”

I have to disagree here and say I absolutely thought the stretchy yet secure material felt top-of-the-line. That, coupled with the Sea Foam / Excalibur colorway I received, makes me feel like Karhu has entered a new era of cool.

Travis, who has low-volume feet, agreed, saying “The upper felt very premium and plush, aligning with what you’d expect from a max-cushion training shoe. It seemed a little wide because I could see some clear puckering on the material in the front when I laced them up. However, the upper secured my midfoot and heel nicely and I didn’t have any slippage. I also really liked the Lunar Rock / Butterrum colorway of this shoe–the yellow sole and peach accents give it a vintage-style.”

The Mestari Run 1.5 is also available in “HiVo” sizing, which stands for high volume. This differs from the “wide” sizing that most manufacturers offer because it adds additional height as well as width.

If you’re unsure about the volume or width of your feet, your best bet will be to head into your local Fleet Feet. Fleet Feet outfitters use 3D fit id® foot scanning technology to gather information about your feet and the support they need by taking precise measurements of your foot length, width and arch height. Who knows, your feet might just end up shaping the next model of Karhu running shoes!

The Karhu Mestari Run 1.5 remains true to its roots as Karhu’s max-cushioned premium daily trainer. The tech specs are almost identical, save for an ever-so-slight variance in weight and a five-dollar price increase.

I was lucky enough to test both versions of the Mestari Run and something did indeed feel different, but it was hard to put my finger (or toe) on what. I put one shoe on each foot to see if I could figure it out.

Karhu says that the upper has been refined with a thinner and more elastic formula of IdealKnit mesh, which makes sense as the upper in the 1.5 definitely feels stretchier, softer and more premium. They also tout an amplified toe spring, which is probably the reason I felt the heel more prominently upon landings in the 1.0. Overall, I think the small tweaks to the 1.5 are certainly an upgrade from the previous version.

“I wore the original Mestari and it definitely wasn’t my favorite shoe,” says Travis. “I was skeptical about trying the updated version, but the 1.5 felt much more runnable than the last version. The Fulcrum and Aerofoam gave me great momentum. This is a shoe that I’ll continue to wear for easy days and recovery runs moving forward.”

We took a look at some comparable models to see how they stack up against the Karhu Mestari Run 1.5. Here’s what we found.

The Karhu Mestari Run 1.5, On Cloudmonster 2 and Brooks Ghost Max 2 are all referred to as “max-cushioned” by their respective brands. While the Ghost Max is clearly the “max-iest” shoe on this list (take a look at that whopping stack height), it’s important to take into consideration each brand’s personality when it comes to cushioning.

On and Karhu have never been the squishiest, softest, most cushioned shoes on the market and that’s not what consumers have come to expect from them. While they each have their own version of a max-cushion trainer, it’s not as high as the Brooks Ghost Max 2.

Heather thought the rocker shape in the Ghost Max 2 felt akin to the Fulcrum piece in the Mestari Run 1.5, and I thought the firm cushioning of the AeroNova foam felt similar to On’s CloudTec cushioning in the Cloudmonster 2.

With firm cushioning, a wide base and a rocker shape, the Mestari Run 1.5 is best for runners seeking a smooth and stable ride.

Thanks to its spacious interior, it can accommodate those with wide or high-volume feet. Because it’s a bit heavier than comparable options, it’s best for runners who don’t prioritize weight savings.

I recommend the Mestari Run 1.5 to runners who want a shoe that simply feels like an extension of their body–no fancy foams, no springy bounce, just some simple cushioning in a shape that moves easily with you.