Well, back in those days when we do not have the internet and running was simple, we only had one pair of shoes and use that pair for all kind of stuff. In the recent 10 years, shoe technology has gone from just simple gels, foam to all kinds of space jargon and what have you…
I am extremely guilty of being a shoe-whore (a word I learned from the internet) – now where do I start – alright, 4 years ago, when I decide that I want to take up running ‘seriously’, my first pair of running shoes was the Nike Pegasus – I never bothered what pronation was, what a neutral foot strike was, I just went with what caught my eye on the shelf, and what was comfortable. Ran the shoe down in my first uncompleted marathon. And after that I started to know that there is such thing as a running shoe review. Thereafter, I started to know about over pronation, under pronation, neutral, foot strikes… and all that jazz. Running became complicated, I was trying on new shoes every 2 months, and dumping shoes the moment I ‘feel’ they were not right for me!
Let’s see….
2010 – Nike Pegasus
2011 – Asics Kayano 17, Saucony Kinvara 2, Saucony Cortana, Brooks Ghost 4
2012 – Newton Motion, Saucony Kinvara 3, Mizuno Wave Rider 15, Mizuno Enigma 2, Mizuno Inspire 8, Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12
2013 – Saucony Mirage 3, Mizuno Enigma 3, Brooks Pure Flow, Brooks Pure Cadence, Newton Distance S, Newton Motion, Mizuno Cursoris
2014 – Brooks Pure Flow 2, Brooks Pure Cadence 2
These shoes were purchased because I was reading too much and was bought into the marketing hype….
Now that I am listing them out, it looks scary! I was buying more shoes than my wife!! Some of those shoes, I only ran in them for a month, and donated them to red cross.
So today, I tell myself – just run in what is comfortable and what works. Having experimented and understanding how I ran, I now only have 2 pairs of running shoes which I am the most comfortable with…. Would I say ‘money well spent?’ – well, I don’t know, I just know I won’t buy 6 pairs of running shoes a year anymore….
They say ignorance is bliss… I agree.
Nice write-up, _Hitman!
When I first saw your blog title, I was wondering if you had run in excess of 9000 km in 3 yrs you were running (if we take an average of 500km per shoe). That’s an eye-popping number of mileage to clock!
Reading further, I realised that you din really run in all the shoes till their end-of-life.
I agree with your assessment about marketing hype and all those seemingly well-meaning advise about forefoot striking and minimalist shoe. I also dun necessarily agree that heel-striking leads to injuries.
The simple fact is that all of us are built differently. So what works for one may not work for another. And there’s nothing to suggest that under or over pronation means anything other than the natural movement of your feet. So trying to correct that may not be the wisest thing to do.
So which are the 2 running shoes that you remain comfortable with? Let me guess, one is a Sacony and the other a Brooks (same as me! I’m using the Ravena and ProGlide though)
So whats the best shoes u found in this list you ran with??
Thanks for the messages, the shoes I run in now are the Brooks Pure Flow 2 (for distances up to 12km), and the Brooks Pure Cadence 2 for longer distances (up to marathons).
Me, on the contrary, once I get comfortable with a shoe I won’t change it till I really really have to… that leads me changing shoes about less once in a year (or 1000km or so), which I know is not that good.
I started out buying what looked cool in the shelf, then I was caught in the Nike+ thing so I had to buy Nike+ shoes, then luckily I moved to phone tracking apps so I had more freedom.
Unfortunately I developed plantar fasciitis (self-diagnosed) which is not yet completely gone… I think running in worn-out shoes played a major role, along with my overpronation and the (not so great) quality of the Nike shoes. So I moved to Asics Gel Gt-2000 which I still use for all distances…
Anyway my question is, from your experience which ones give a good arch support? Did you ever had probs such as PF, and would you recommend anything for my case?
thanks
In my opinion, the shoe that gives the best arch support is the Mizuno Inspire and the Mizuno Enigma. I land mid-foot, so I do not feel that the Mizuno Wave helps me much, and that’s why I was more sold on Brooks DNA.
I did suffer from plantar fasciitis after the 2012 Sundown Marathon. My solution – don’t run at all for 2 full weeks, and I’m constantly applying muscle gel to the arch of the foot to reduce the inflammation. The particular brand I use is Ammeltz Yoko Yoko, it comes in a bottle form with a sponge applicator, ya, the package says for neck and shoulder, but it works wonders on my arch.
I know it is sometimes difficult to resist the urge to go run a 10km, but giving the arch the full rest really helps it’s recovery.
Hope you’ll recover soon.
thanks for the input on those shoes, will check them out. The Asics I got now are pretty solid with good support, but I feel they are a bit on the heavy side…
Anyway, yeah I had to stop all together for 2-3 weeks when it first hit me as well, and I still sometimes have to go slow to avoid stresses 🙁
that’s an interesting use of Yoko Yoko, I actually have a bottle and often use it for my neck as it feels soothing…. do you apply it before running or say after done and showered? I am eager to try it actually. Apart from that I tried ibuprofen but didn’t really help.
I usually apply the Yoko Yoko after I shower and before I put on my shoes to go to work. If before running, you can try to rub some counterpain, it’s quite effective too.
Great read – that’s a lot of shoes 🙂
I think I am somewhere inbetween Hitman and The Running AngMoh. I usually have two or three pairs of shoes on the go at once, a trail pair, a regular cushioned pair and some minimalist
Usually I stick to New Balance, but I’m a bit of a sucker for bright colorways sometimes!
Currently have:
New Balance 890v4 Boston Edition
Adidas Response Trail
trail shoes are due a replacement soon, i have just ‘retired’ some new balance minimus 1090’s and a pair of adidas sonic boost.
Are Asics running shoes any good? Especially the DS Trainer.
I am looking for a pair to run 10km on race day and also for training
Hi, I have not ran in the DS Trainer before, but Asics shoes are generally well made and built to lasts, so chances are, you’ll be happy with it.
Thank you Hitman for your reply. If i have normal foot should i go for stability or cushion?
Well, depends on your weight, but in my opinion, you will never go wrong with a stability shoe. Unless you are on the bulkier side, then I would say go for cushion shoes.
Nice read. I ran in the brooks raveena for a long tome but found that flats are actually much more comfy.
I don’t know if you feel the same, but when i don’t have a support shoe on and i start feeling the pounding in my knee from heel striking… i correct myself naturally so the pain will stop lol.