Looking for shoe recs
A little background. I have been running in Newton (fate / gravity) for last four years or so. Never really had any trouble with them. I had typical calf niggles here and there, especially when coming off low volume. I also never really did more than 25-30 mi / week. I changed shoes appropriately and always had a couple in rotation for alternating days.
Fast forward to joining EN with main goal of improving my run. Most races for me involved a large degree of walking (another thread altogether). My Vdot is now around 40-42. I am not fast. I used to have two speeds 10'/mile, and walking. I've improved over the past year and my TRP had gotten to around 8:30-8:45 / mile. I did out season and upped mileage to 35-40 mi/ wk. Was happy with progress. Then plantar fasciitis. Shut down running for about 6 weeks total. Took steroids, then aggressive PT / scraping. I can now walk to BR in the morning without cringing in pain. Did night splint for a while, but now don't even need it.
I started to consider running again and my ortho, PT and higher up in EN suggested maybe going away from the Newton's -- too much stress on heel area and achilles. So I tried several different shoes. Wound up trying Saucony Liberty ISO. Made it 3 miles and had to quit due to severe pain in the same area. Returned them to the store. Iced, let inflammation die down then tried Hoka Clifton 4. Low and behold, no pain during or after the runs. I have been in them now for 4 weeks. The PF has not returned. BUT...
The Clifton's to me feel lifeless and I feel like I am working super hard to run in them (slower paces and higher HR). Maybe this is just loss of run fitness? Haven't quit cycling or swimming so overall fitness is still there. Anyone go through this and have other suggestions. I should just be happy to be running again and keep running in Clifton;s but feel like my run has lost that effortless TRP setting. I have ordered some Hoka Machs to try...lighter weight, maybe some extra snap to the run. Thanks for reading and any input.
Fast forward to joining EN with main goal of improving my run. Most races for me involved a large degree of walking (another thread altogether). My Vdot is now around 40-42. I am not fast. I used to have two speeds 10'/mile, and walking. I've improved over the past year and my TRP had gotten to around 8:30-8:45 / mile. I did out season and upped mileage to 35-40 mi/ wk. Was happy with progress. Then plantar fasciitis. Shut down running for about 6 weeks total. Took steroids, then aggressive PT / scraping. I can now walk to BR in the morning without cringing in pain. Did night splint for a while, but now don't even need it.
I started to consider running again and my ortho, PT and higher up in EN suggested maybe going away from the Newton's -- too much stress on heel area and achilles. So I tried several different shoes. Wound up trying Saucony Liberty ISO. Made it 3 miles and had to quit due to severe pain in the same area. Returned them to the store. Iced, let inflammation die down then tried Hoka Clifton 4. Low and behold, no pain during or after the runs. I have been in them now for 4 weeks. The PF has not returned. BUT...
The Clifton's to me feel lifeless and I feel like I am working super hard to run in them (slower paces and higher HR). Maybe this is just loss of run fitness? Haven't quit cycling or swimming so overall fitness is still there. Anyone go through this and have other suggestions. I should just be happy to be running again and keep running in Clifton;s but feel like my run has lost that effortless TRP setting. I have ordered some Hoka Machs to try...lighter weight, maybe some extra snap to the run. Thanks for reading and any input.
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For this reason, I find I need more shock absorption than the smaller guys if I am going to sustain my running week over week at 30 - 40 miles on concrete. I prefer Hoka Clifton's and normally by two pairs at a time, rotate them between runs then track the mileage using Strava. Bigger bodies will need to replace them faster than larger bodies. For me, 500 miles but should probably replace them at 300 to ensure better shock absorption. It is nice to have a lighter shoe, but be aware of the trade off and the downstream effects of that with volume. Consider the lighter shoe for race day only.
SS
I also ran in Newtons as an early adopter, and have tried various models over the years. They end up feeling too stiff compared to the Kinvaras.
I agree with Shaughn that shoe choice ends up being very individual - shape of your foot, angle of ground contact, weight, running speed are all important factors. I've discovered that a 4 mm heel-to-toe drop; a neutral shoe without significant support in the mid foot; and a lighter weight (< 8 oz) works best for me. YMMV, but it takes $$$$ to find that perfect shoe - a few minutes or even hours is not enough time to get the kinesthetic feedback needed.
I race in Saucony Type A8 for all distances, and even use a lightweight trail model of theirs for off-road/dirt work. The main difference among them is the quality and firmness of the sole.
For many years I ran on Nike Lunarglides until they changed the mold and they stopped feeling good. I switched to Brooks Glycerin and they were good but the lifespan was very short (about 200 miles). Run three pairs of this but I was going broke buying shoes.
Lately I have been running with Hoka's Arahi and I'm pretty happy with them. Going on my third pair and get a mileage of 400 miles per pair. They provide a lot of stability and cushion in a relatively light shoe.
But as others have mentioned, this is such a personal issue that many times is a matter of trial and error.
I had my first run in Hoka Mach tonight. It may be the answer. Its a lighter shoe, and felt snappier and more responsive. No heel pain during or after run. A little more room width wise up front for metatarsal spread. Was only 5 miles, but its a good start.
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