Decathlon Kiprun KD900X LD+ Introduction

If you’re not familiar with Decathlon, they’re a budget-friendly, French sporting goods retailer. They’re basically the IKEA of sports brands and they have over 1700 stores in over 60 countries.

Decathlon designs, manufactures and sells most of its products with very few middlemen. This gives them full control over R&D, manufacturing and retail. Decathlon doesn’t pay licensing or distribution fees, which allows them to slash costs.

The KD900X was originally designed to be a budget, carbon-plated racer. When the first version launched, it cost only $125, half the price of most flagship racers at the time. Since then, they’ve changed the pricing strategy and the new KD900X LD+ (version 3) has seen a significant price increase in some regions.

The KD900X LD+ isn’t a great name because it’s difficult to remember. The “K” stands for Kiprun, “D” stands for distance, “900” is the tier tech level (with 900 being the highest), “X” represents cutting-edge features like a carbon plate, “LD” stands for long distance and the “+” represents minor tweaks or improvements over the base model.

The KD900X LD (version 2) which I reviewed last year felt more like a speed trainer than a racer. It didn’t have as much cushioning as the other flagship racers and it didn’t offer as much speed assistance due to the flat midsole foam. Its carbon plate also wasn’t stiff enough.

The KD900X LD+ weighs 219 grams (7.7 oz) for a men’s US 9. This is 13 grams (0.4 oz) heavier than its predecessor. It does however have 2 mm more stack height in the heel and in the forefoot.

Its price varies significantly around the globe. Here in Malaysia, it only costs $149 USD but in England, it costs $204 USD and in France, $238 USD. This is a significant price increase over previous versions.

Decathlon Kiprun KD900X LD+ First Impressions

My first run was a 14 kilometre, steady-paced run. It felt like a completely different shoe to the previous 2 versions: the foam felt bouncier, the plate felt more propulsive and the upper felt more comfortable.

The thicker midsole was well-cushioned and the forefoot rocker was more prominent. It also felt a lot more stable than it looks. The shoe that it reminded me of was the PUMA Fast-R Elite 2, another stable but relatively heavy racer.

Decathlon Kiprun KD900X LD+ Upper

The upper is a big improvement over previous versions but it still needs some more refining. It’s too long so you need to buy a half size smaller than your normal size.

It’s also too narrow so it’s not suitable for wide feet. I had to wear thin socks with it but the width still bothered me during runs longer than 15 km.

The upper mesh has a rough texture and has decent breathability but it isn’t as thin or light as the industry standard when it comes to super racers.

Foot lockdown is good when using a runner’s knot but I find the laces a tad too long. It also has no reflective elements.

Decathlon Kiprun KD900X LD+ Sole Unit

The KD900X LD+ finally feels like a super shoe, unlike its predecessors. The main reason for this is that its VFOAM PLUS midsole has been tweaked to be softer and more energetic. It’s still made of Pebax but it compresses more and it springs back faster. It reminds me of the Lightstrike Pro in the Adios Pro 1.

The other reason it feels more like a super shoe is that its stack height is 2 mm taller. This gives it deeper cushioning and makes the rocker more prominent. There’s a noticeable forward rolling transition that makes it feel smoother and more efficient.

Although its midsole has become thicker and is 39 mm in the heel, I feel that it doesn’t have soft enough cushioning for the marathon distance. The longest run I did was 23 kilometres and by the end of that run, I was glad to get it off my feet; I wouldn’t be able to go any further without my feet hurting.

The KD900X LD+ has a relatively versatile ride because it’s so stable. It feels comfortable doing easy paces as well as steady, marathon and threshold paces. For me, it feels most comfortable at steady or marathon paces.

The carbon plate in the KD900X LD+ is more flexible than your average super shoe and this makes it feel more natural at slower paces. It could be tweaked to be stiffer and more propulsive in future versions. A stiffer plate would result in a more aggressive ride with a more extreme rocker.

In order to save weight, they’ve placed a gap under the midfoot section of the sole and this makes the rearfoot and the forefoot feel like two separate parts. If you’re a heel striker, you will notice that there’s a slight delay when rolling from your heel to your forefoot. The gap becomes more noticeable when running at slower paces.

Just like the previous versions, outsole durability is excellent. This version of Pebax foam doesn’t scrape or chip very easily so the KD900X LD+ can be used for both racing and training. The outsole rubber is also relatively durable and it covers the high wear areas. Traction is good in wet conditions too.

Decathlon Kiprun KD900X LD+ Conclusions

I enjoyed testing the KD900X LD+ and it’s the first Decathlon shoe which I’ve gotten excited about. It feels like a racer now and not a speed trainer.

If you’re buying it in Europe, the price is way too high but if you can buy the KD900X LD+ for around $149 like I did here in Malaysia, it’s a great deal. It has a really fun, engaging ride that can pick up the pace. It feels nothing like its predecessors which had firm and flat rides.

It has a full Pebax midsole with a carbon plate and its price is cheaper than most plated speed trainers. The thing you need to watch out for is its narrow forefoot which is not suitable for wide-footed runners.

It doesn’t provide as much speed assistance as the flagship racers from other brands so I won’t be racing in it but I will be using it in my rotation as a speed trainer because it’s so durable.

This version is a big improvement over previous versions but there’s plenty of room for improvement. It needs to be softer so it can be used for marathons and it needs to be wider in the forefoot.