Performance Running brands(Newton,Brooks, Altra Saucony non retro)

[swagadelphia2]

I didnt see a thread for this. But figured it made sense to make one. I started to take running more seriously about a year ago and realized Nike running shoes are shocking not the best. Currently my rotation is the Newton Gravitas and Saucony Kinvara 3. Whats everyone else logging miles in?

 

[azrael]

thank you sir! i've been waiting and wanting a thread like this...not sure why it never occurred to me to start it up myself...haha...

anyways, my rotation of modern performance running shoes ranges quite a bit...

off the top of my head, here's what i've been running in:

transitional

- saucony kinvara 3
- new balance minimus mr10
- adidas adipure gazelle

minimal/barefoot-style

- sketchers gobionic
- vibram fivefingers bikila ls

these above are my core rotation, with the kinvara 3 and minimus mr10 by far with the most miles on them. i'll toss in the gobionic and bikila ls from time to time for strengthening purposes, but i'm definitely a "minimalist" runner that likes some cushioning (and 4mm drop seems to be just the right sweet spot for me).

one main thing you'll notice above, is that there's no nike running shoes up there. while i've tried running in the nike flyknits (both trainer and racers), they're no bueno on my feet, as i always got too many hotspots and/or blisters. so i just wear those casually. i do also have nike free powerlines, but i've only worn them casually. maybe i'll try running with them one of these days (and hopefully no blisters this time around).

i also have a pair of asics gel lyte33 that i got on clearance, although this shoe may be classified as slightly more "traditional" than "transitional," and i've only used them on a couple of runs (mostly due to some comfort/fit issues in the toebox area).

i'm really looking forward to seeing the reviews for mizuno's minimalist offerings, specifically the evo collection with the levitas and cursoris. i'm also tempted by the sketchers gorun 2, but i'm holding off, since i'm looking to pick up a new pair of saucony kinvara 3's soon (current pair is gettin' pretty beat, and i already picked up a new pair of the minimus mr10's).

how is the newton gravity btw? do you like it better or worse than the kinvara 3?

 

[swagadelphia2]

I tried the flyknits as well and Zoom just does not work for me. I had previously run in the Lunarglides and started to transition into lower drop shoes and the Newton was awesome for bridging the gap and has got me quite a few PR'S. The only complaint is the Newton seems to stiffen up significantly in the winter so I have been almost exclusively in the Kinvara 3. The Mizuno EVO collection is number one on my must try list for this year. Kinvara 3's have been dropping in price at Footlocker so might be worth stocking up. Since we have a bit I think April till the 4 comes out.
 

 

[azrael]

sounds like you're similar to me in terms of a runner that likes to have some cushioning.

are you looking to and/or working your way to get more and more minimal (0mm drop and barely-there cushioning)? or do you feel you've found your sweet spot of 3mm-4mm drop shoes that have some cushioning?

aside from the evo collection, i'm also quite excited about the saucony virrata (cousin to the kinvara), new balance minimus mr10 v2, and of course the saucony kinvara 4!!!

 

[swagadelphia2]

I like 0 drop for crosstraining ( merrel trail glove) when I am going to log 1 mile intervals on a treadmill in a circuit type workout. But 3 to 4 seems to working great for me my strike is 1000 times better and I'm not getting injured as often. What's your daily mileage like? Training for any races? And thanks for posting I needed a nit of motivation this morning to get out for my pre work run.

 

[swagadelphia2]

Also how do you feel about the sketchers? It's still a brand that I have hard time seeing a true performance model from but Meb wears em.

 

[azrael]

i do the vast majority of my running just on the treadmill at the gym. i don't run everyday, but weekly, i'd say i get in roughly 10-15 miles in, so not too much. 2 decades ago back in high school i used to be a varsity cross country runner, but i'm about 50 pounds heavier than my fighting weight back then, so i usually take a nice steady pace (10-12 minute miles) on the treadmill. i've only just got back into serious running this past year, and have since only signed up for and run in 2 races. a 10k road race and a 6k trail race. i'm hopin' to work my way up to a half marathon sometime this year (haven't committed to any particular one just yet), but i'm also interested in possibly checkin' out one of those tough mudder or spartan races. i primarily train for my health though (have high cholesterol and tryin' to lose weight and increase my overall stamina).

i keep up with a bunch of running blogs, and after reading great reviews/experiences from the likes of pete larson (runblogger.com) on the skechers gobionic, i decided to pick up a pair to check it out myself. while i wouldn't say they're my favorite running shoes, they're definitely great 0mm shoes to mix in from time to time in my training. i've never purchased a skechers shoe prior to the gobionics, so i didn't have any basis to discriminate on that brand, even with their reputation as being a cheaper shoe brand (not to mention the whole "shape-ups" fiasco). seeing that the gorun 2 has a similar upper as the gobionic, but has more cushioning and the higher heel-to-toe drop ratio that i prefer, i'm tempted to check them out. but again, there's too many other performance shoes coming out that i'd rather pick up 1st. but yeah, if meb rocks the skechers in races, they gotta be legit and pretty decent.

are you running/training for races? or just running/training to be healthy/stay fit?

as a side note...i'm a bit surprised that nobody else has chimed in on this thread yet. there's gotta be more folks that just you and i who are actually training in performance running shoes on niketalk right?

 

[wings90]

@ this thread just being you two going back and forth. I've noticed before that there isn't much talk about other running brands.

I'm pretty much the same as azrael, I don't run everyday but I try to get in as much as I can. My rotation is the NB 890 V2, NB 1400, and Brooks Launch. Pretty happy with all of them, especially the Launch. Not a zero drop shoe or anything but they're fast.

I'm looking forward to the Mizuno EVO stuff too, and the updates to the Brooks Pure line.