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THE YEAR OF THE FAT RUNNING SHOE!!! Is it??

Juan VergaraJuan Vergara
in General Training Discussions
Is this the year of the FAT RUNNING SHOE???
Check the article below and share your thoughts!!!!
Should be an interesting discussion.

http://shopping.yahoo.com/news/2014--the-year-of-the-fat-running-shoe-013544860.html

Comments

  • Anu RaoAnu Rao
    Big shoes = big bucks? I am astounded, $170 for a shoe that will last 3-4 months?
  • Paul HoughPaul Hough
    Yes, apart from 5K racing flats, minimalist shoes have come and gone. Vibram 5 Fingers and the like are barely selling...some retail stores dumping them entirely. I bought a pair of Hoka's last year and loved them ... they lasted more like 6 months. I am going to get another pair at the Gasparilla Distance Classic expo next month.

    As to cost. In 1983, New Balance came out with the 990, the first running shoe that cost $100. In today's price, that shoe would be $234.
  • GMAN 19030GMAN 19030

    Posted By Anu Rao on 15 Jan 2014 04:31 PM


    Big shoes = big bucks? I am astounded, $170 for a shoe that will last 3-4 months?

    Hokas are the only shoe that kept me from having to basically stop running.  I'd pay $350 for a pair.

  • Peter WickPeter Wick

    You'll get my Hokas when you pry them from my cold dead feet. I looked at my mileage from last year's NOS and just the time from December to now and I've already exceeded it (well, thanks to the Holiday Run Challenge). Hokas made all the difference. I'd pay more than double the $170 if I had to.

  • Scott AlexanderScott Alexander
    Just ordered two pairs of Hoka from runningwarehouse.com, 2013 closeouts.

    I won't run with anything else anymore. I'm a big dood at 200ish lbs and absolutely love em!
  • Anu RaoAnu Rao
    Okay, I stand corrected. As a smaller runner I am a big fan of the lighter shoes. image Something for everyone.
  • kimmydctkimmydct
    I tried some Hoka's at an expo and liked them but didn't want to make a "rash" decision so I stuck with my Adidas Boost (in part because I had a bunch of Dick's gift cards and they were free, and proven for me)

    I believe Fleet Feet now has Hoka's so before I buy my next non-free pair o' sneaks, I will try them again!
  • jsumarajsumara

    I just pre-ordered the New Balance Fresh Foam 980 - they are expected to ship Feb 15.  I'm still searching for a shoe that is wide, neutral and cushioned. I own a pair of Hoka's but the width is wrong.

    Stay tuned.


  • Peter BeauregardPeter Beauregard
    Jim...I am sure you have done all of your homework and what works best for your foot, but when I was in running speciality not too long ago the Brooks Dyad was a great shoe for those looking for a wide (usually to fit orthotics or just a wide foot) but is still neutral. Brooks usually does a good job with wide widths as well. It has the same last as the brooks beast (pretty beefy) except no medial/ stability post.
    Not sure if this helps or not.....
  • Brad MarcusBrad Marcus
    I also have been successfully running in Brooks the last 2 years. My shoe of choice are Brooks Ghosts. I ordered 3 pair of Ghost 5's when I heard they were introducing the 6's. The Ghosts are neutral, very roomy in the toe box, and fairly cushioned. Brooks just released the Transcend. This, I believe, is their answer to the Hoka.

    That being said, I plan on trying Hokas as my distances increase past the 13 mile mark this season. I've found that, even with my Ghosts, more cushioning beyond that distance may be helpful.

    I suppose that with Hokas success, many makers will follow suit of their version.
  • Peter BeauregardPeter Beauregard
    It's so interesting the trends you see in running shoes...just 5-7 years ago the minimalism took control and all major shoe companies had their answer for the vibram 5 fingers. Then came the zero drop, and now the other extreme with the extreme cush. I can only tell you what kind is best for my feet, but I'm the end it's nice to have so many different options for so many different kinds of feet!
  • jsumarajsumara
    New Balance Fresh Foam 980 just arrived today. The bottom part of the 980,s are somewhat Hoka like - kind of fat. I'll be giving them a try this weekend.

    @Peter - I tried Brooks Ghost and a newer Nike Pegasus - both wide and both not quite wide enough. I get a better fit with the New Balancd 4E width.
  • jsumarajsumara

    Sent the NB 980's back. The stitching on the tongue was so poorly done that it was abrasive to the top of my foot. None of my other NB shoes have this issue. Since I race without socks, it's a big deal. I've asked that a replacement pair of NB980's be sent. We'll see if this is just a manufacturing glitch or a major flaw.

  • Coach PatrickCoach Patrick
    New shoe fad = expensive whether it's big or small. image I am working with a local foot guru and am out of my hokas now into some New Balance...took a look at my size 12 shoes and told me I needed a size 14 running shoe.

    #1 because almost all running shoes are a size small -- if you are 10 dress shoe you will be an 11 run shoe; it's not a 1-to-1.

    #2 because appartently our feet get slightly bigger as we age. So you were a 10 at 21 years old..but now at 51 you probably are an 11, etc.

    The "fad" that he and I have been discussing is the excessive widths in shoes. Trying to sort out the anecdotal reason (aka, SWAG). He's been in the shoe industry since 1950s...fit Bill Russell in size 15s...and they were all narrow shoes. But in the last 10-15 years...shoes just started getting wider and wider and wider.

    My hypothesis, based on nothing but personal experience, is that most folks aren't getting fit in shoes anymore (thanks Zappos!), they just buy them. As they stay in the same shoe without giving room for the foot to move when running (or even walking) their foot gets wider and wider...

    So how does the fat shoe fit? Well...it's so comfy you can run through almost anything, including the pain you have developed from years of the wrong shoe...

    More to come...and feel free to let me "have it" if you think I am crazy...but I am out of my orthotics for the first time since 2001 and am running crazy mileage pain free....
  • jsumarajsumara

    I’m experiencing just the opposite,  size-wise … maybe when you turn 40 your feet get bigger and when you turn 60 they get smaller!

    I’m just trying find a shoe that will allow me to run more than 10 miles without my toes going numb. It’s even worse on the bike.  I finally got fitted for running shoes a few months ago and the shop aimed me at their shoe choices: Nike - wide and Brooks Ghost – wide. I bought both in a ½ size smaller than I’d been buying on-line. The fit was a sight bit better but my toes still went numb … even after I inserted a metatarsal support pad.

    So now I'm buying NB 4E running shoes and they don’t squeeze my forefoot but I’ve not yet run long in them either. I am hoping that the NB Fresh Foam 980’s (Hoka wanna-be’s) will fix the numbness. If not, I’ll keep searching. And thus, the good news about shoe fads … at the least, they provide more options.

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