Running shoes

[ERCougar]

FIFY[/COLOR]

I have never worn sneakers with jeans, dammit!

Ok maybe I have. But not a lot.

[FN Phat]

For FNPhat or anyone else who cares, my review of

Skechers Go Run (1)
Great-looking shoe, my favorite that I've owned. It's light, it feels last, I love the upper on this. And it was $30. I really, really wanted to like this shoe.

But...I ran a slow recovery 5 miler in it and didn't. Skechers took their infamous toning walking shoe design and adapted it to a running shoe--much less pronounced, but still a built-up midfoot--with the idea of promoting a midfoot strike. I think all this midfoot strike business is a misguided hacking at the limbs of a posture problem but thats for another post. For Meb, that may be just fine, but for slow recovery miles on your average weekend runner (me), it feels weird. I took them out a few days later on a track workout and they felt much better--I didn't notice the midfoot issue at all. So I decided to keep these around for a speed workout shoe and a sneaker some day because I like how they look.

Skechers Go Run Ride Ultra
I had read that that Skechers toned down the midfoot on this shoe quite a bit, so I decided to give it a shot. For $40 this time.
I did 11 miles on the treadmill today on these for the first time and really really liked them. This is a great shoe. It's light, it flexes well, it has a good amount of cushioning, and still the really great upper of the first version. Felt great the entire run. This is a really good all-around shoe. And cheap!

In the end, neither one of these are minimalist shoes like they advertise, but they're good lightweight shoes. I definitely wouldn't do the Go Run for a beginner, or anything but faster paces, but I really like the Go Run Ride Ultra--at least for a treadmill run of a medium distance.

I am a bit late on this but thank you. I think that I will get myself a pair of the Ultras and see how I like them. Thanks again for the reply.

[Realtall]

The only running shoes that I can use without eventually getting shin splints or the like is Brooks 'The Beast.' They're expensive at around $140 but they do a nice job of supporting us bigger folk.

[Bo Diddley]

Just ordered me another pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS. These shoes have been working great for me for the last three years or so.

[MarkGrace]

Picked up some Kinvara 4 last night. From I've read people didn't seem to like them as much as older models, but they were $50 at the Rack so I figured I'd give them a shot. Going to start mixing them in with my Wave Rider and will likely use them on shorter runs.

[OceanBlue]

Saucony Rides are my favorite shoes at the moment.

[MarkGrace]

Ran about 6 on the Kinvara yesterday and definitely understood the complaints. The shoe is definitely narrow and feels like it squeezes a bit in the toe box. But I liked them generally and am going to try and keep using them on shorter runs. Hopefully they stretch out just a little with some use.

[OhioBlue]

I've tried a few new shoes since last checking in on this thread, here's a brief rundown of the notables:

Brooks Transcend: expensive and very different than anything I've run on before. Stable, smooth, and cushy. Not Hoka/marshmallow cushy, but that's okay. Just got these, not sure I'm keeping them yet. Will give them a few more runs. I need them to be as good as their price to justify keeping them. Too early to tell just yet, but they are smooth and dead silent, which I love.

Brooks Launch: everything they say about this shoe seems true. Not mind-blowing, just a very solid shoe in a hard-to-find combo of light, responsive, but also a soft ride. I've put about 100 miles on these and I think they're in the rotation to stay, probably for tempo runs and maybe some longer races in the future.

Nike Pegasus: I tried to resist Nike shoes for whatever dumb reasons, but this one is one of the classics for a reason. On my feet they feel near perfect. Not too heavy, plenty of cushioning, quiet footfalls, very very smooth. For now this is my favorite go-to shoe and has surpassed the Mizuno Inspire that used to occupy that spot for me.

Brooks Ravenna: Soft ride for a true stability shoe, and that prototypical smooth and silent Brooks ride. As much as these feel good on my feet, I think the dull ache in my shins is a bit worse after running in these. Could be other factors, who knows.

Next up, I think I'm going to blow through all of my brand snobbiness and try the Skechers, probably the Go Run Ride or maybe the Ultra.

[Topper]

I've tried a few new shoes since last checking in on this thread, here's a brief rundown of the notables:

Brooks Transcend: expensive and very different than anything I've run on before. Stable, smooth, and cushy. Not Hoka/marshmallow cushy, but that's okay. Just got these, not sure I'm keeping them yet. Will give them a few more runs. I need them to be as good as their price to justify keeping them. Too early to tell just yet, but they are smooth and dead silent, which I love.

Brooks Launch: everything they say about this shoe seems true. Not mind-blowing, just a very solid shoe in a hard-to-find combo of light, responsive, but also a soft ride. I've put about 100 miles on these and I think they're in the rotation to stay, probably for tempo runs and maybe some longer races in the future.

Nike Pegasus: I tried to resist Nike shoes for whatever dumb reasons, but this one is one of the classics for a reason. On my feet they feel near perfect. Not too heavy, plenty of cushioning, quiet footfalls, very very smooth. For now this is my favorite go-to shoe and has surpassed the Mizuno Inspire that used to occupy that spot for me.

Brooks Ravenna: Soft ride for a true stability shoe, and that prototypical smooth and silent Brooks ride. As much as these feel good on my feet, I think the dull ache in my shins is a bit worse after running in these. Could be other factors, who knows.

Next up, I think I'm going to blow through all of my brand snobbiness and try the Skechers, probably the Go Run Ride or maybe the Ultra.

I have traditionally liked Asics Kayanos, but I wonder what Hokas are like. How would Transcend compare with Kayanos I've tried?

[Pheidippides]

I love my Hokas for long slogs. I will be using them in IMTX next week.

[MarkGrace]

What is the weight like on those Hokas? They look so clunky.

[Pheidippides]

Way less than you think - 11 oz or so I think. They feel different but not as clunky as you might imagine. Did 8 miles in them this am

[OhioBlue]

I have traditionally liked Asics Kayanos, but I wonder what Hokas are like. How would Transcend compare with Kayanos I've tried?

Not sure. The closest to Kayanos I have run in was the 2100 series of Asics' stability shoes. As for the Hokas, I had the transcend on one foot and a Hoka Bondi on the other in the store for comparison...the Hoka was unquestionably more cushiony-soft, which is saying something considering how cushioned the Transcend is. But it was also a considerably less stable platform, more wobbly is how I would describe it. I still would like to try running in some Hokas but I can't bring myself to pay $160 for a pair of shoes more than one at a time. (Which is also partly why I'm willing to try the Skechers Go Run Ultra, similar cushioning for half the price as Hokas/Transcends or other 'maximal' shoes).

[OhioBlue]

Pdip, which Hokas do you have? I returned the Transcends and picked up a pair of Bondi2 for $89, couldn't pass that up. Transcends are a good shoe but not for me, and ultimately didn't feel all that cushioned at least for me. long story short they didn't feel all that much more cushioned than the Pegasus that I run most in and I'm looking for a high-cushion, maximal shoe for recovery and some long runs. Ultimately they weren't worth the $160 so I am going to try the Hokas.

I also tried on some of the Skechers shoes finally. Didn't run in them, but tried the Ultra and the Go Run 3 and Go Run Ride 3. ER you still run in yours sometimes?

[Pheidippides]

I'm in the latest Bondi.