January’s Scignal Isn’t Another Max-Cushion Marshmallow. Our Editors Found a Firmer, Flexible Ride

It’s a tough go, launching a running shoe in a market flooded with max-cushion models, established shoe companies, and apparel brands tossing their hats into the ring. Harder still when you’re an unknown. But the BIPOC, women-founded brand January was up to the challenge and just released its first shoe, the Scignal.The shoe has nitrogen-infused TPEE-based KineXion midsole foam, which softens at the heel and compresses in the forefoot to promote high rebound. The intent is to provide high-performance cushioning without a maxed-out stack height or excessive weight.Runner-in-Chief Jeff Dengate and I have been testing the Scignal for the past couple of months. We sat down to talk about our initial thoughts and impressions running in the shoe. We recommend who the shoe is for and how it fits into your training.A Strong Debut for Easy Runs and Everyday TrainingProsSoft, supportive heel cushioningSoft rubber provides good tractionLightweightConsVery narrow fitFirm forefoot cushioningKey SpecsTypeNeutral road, training, easy runsWeight7.4 oz (M9, unisex)Drop8 mmStack Hieght36 mm*This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.A Heel Striker’s Kind of MidsoleAmanda Furrer: Let’s talk about that name. I thought it was pronounced “skig-nal.” I checked with their rep and they said it’s pronounced like “science.” It’s “signal.” I guess it refers to the whole driver with this shoe: to make it lightweight but cushioned—which of course is every brand’s agenda these days. You want a really soft shoe that doesn’t weigh a heck of a lot. Did they succeed?Jeff Dengate: It’s light. I will give them that. It does kind of feel luxurious when I first put them on—in an odd sort of way. I like the honeycomb tongue. The shoe wraps and fits around my foot, but the midfoot is a little tight right across the ball of the foot. The rest of it is so well tailored that I love it. It hugs me so much better than so many other shoes. It does kind of feel long and narrow though.A new company like them, how do they set themselves apart? A lot of new brands try to do too much. These guys have tried to do two types of cushioning in a single molded piece. They’re trying to make the heel softer, the forefoot firmer. I think Brooks did that.Winston ZhouThe Scignal has a 36 mm stack height and nitrogen-infused TPEE midsole.Amanda: You’re talking about DNA Tuned, where there are larger cells in the heel because most people land on their heel, and that gives you more cushioning and a little bit more bounce. And then, smaller cells in the forefoot. So, to that effect, January and Brooks do kind of compare.Jeff: I think it was sort of that similar sensation. I think the heel felt plenty comfortable. I made a conscious effort to even heel strike a little bit more because I did like the cushioning of the heel. The forefoot just feels a little thin. I’m not going to lie. It’s pretty firm.Amanda: The cushioning is good. I wouldn’t say it’s the softest. The stack height is 36 mm, and that’s pretty standard these days. But it didn’t feel like 36 mm to me.Winston ZhouThe shoe has a snug, narrow fit, which may be too tight for runners with wide feet.Jeff: You definitely feel the ground. And they’re really flexible. If you want the ground feel—which is kind of gone in modern shoes, they’re all marshmallows now—these give you that if you’re seeking it. I was surprised it has pretty good flexibility because you don’t seem to get that anymore. It says 8mm drop but it did feel a little flat to me. My Achilles tendons were bugging me. That could just be a knee thing on that day, but a couple runs in it, I was just kind of like, “Oh yeah, it does feel like I’m working hard.” I don't know why that is.I think it was a pretty smooth shoe though. I think it flows well. It feels good. I like that it’s a single piece of foam. When you start adding layers of components and glue, things get stiff and heavy. They made it simple. I did appreciate that.A Narrow Fit for Wide-Footed RunnersAmanda: Back to the fit, I had to wear a size 7. I’m usually a 6.5, and these shoes on my wide feet felt tight. I probably can’t wear these traveling. But the same thing happened when Tracksmith sent me their first shoe, the Eliot Runner. They sent me a 7, and I felt the same way. Even though I was wearing a bigger size, it felt so narrow.Jeff: I mean, you can even see it on the bottom of the shoe. It’s like a dog bone shape. I can see why you have a challenge. Wide-footed runners, especially anybody who has a wide midfoot, are going to feel that.Winston ZhouThe shoe has good traction on road and groomed and trail.Amanda: I like the upper. I like how it’s all waffly in the tongue area but, for me, it’s not a comfy shoe. It feels very constrictive.As for the outsole, we have a rail trail by me, and it did pretty well on the trail as well; it has good traction. They’re road shoes, but they can be a hybrid. They have that tread.Jeff: A lot of times you get a stiffer, thicker rubber and it just kind of deadens the experience, but this doesn’t.Who Should Run in the ScignalAmanda: What kind of workouts do you think this shoe is for? When would you reach for this shoe? I found, if I’m just going out for, say, even just a one-miler to maybe a four-miler, these are good. I can just grab them. I don’t have to think about it. I get going and they’re fine.Jeff: They’re a shoe I’m going to keep here for lunch runs. You know, we go out and I don’t really know what the day is going to bring, and then, there are some days I’m not going to use them as a workout shoe. For easy runs, if the pace happens to pick up because I’m running with somebody quicker that day, these are totally fine. They would definitely get the job done.Amanda: Any closing thoughts?Jeff: First shoes are hard. You don’t have this big, long history of building a shoe. You don’t have a lot of feedback from people in models. You’re taking things that you’ve seen, testing out iterations of it, and it’s hard to get right. I think they did a pretty good job. I’ve seen bad debuts; this is not a bad debut. I actually kind of enjoy it.Amanda: Well, if you want something a little different or maybe something that will have other runners asking you what kind of shoe you’re running in, it’s a solid pick.Shop the January Scignal at januarylife.coAmanda Furrer, Editor, Running Reviews, studied journalism at NYU and writing at Emerson College. She has reviewed gear and covered other topics in the running space for almost 10 years. Since 2013, she has consecutively run the Boston Marathon. She also has a master’s degree in gastronomy from Boston University and was formerly a professional baker for two years before hanging up her apron.Jeff is Runner-in-Chief for Runner’s World and the director of product testing. He has tested and reviewed running shoes, GPS watches, headphones, apparel, and more for nearly two decades. He regularly tests more than 100 pairs of shoes each year, and once had a 257-day streak running in different models. Jeff can usually be found on the roads, racing anything from the mile to a marathon, but he also enjoys racing up mountains and on snowshoes. When he’s not running, you’ll probably find him hanging from a ladder making repairs and renovations to his house (he’s also director of product testing for Popular Mechanics).