Posted by Marian Vasilescu on June 27, 2019 in Shopping
Purchasing the right running shoes for you is very important for obtaining the best results. Becoming an elite runner is as much about the reps you crank out in the gym as the miles you rack up on the track. The On Cloud X is designed to push you through a strength workout, but is a great standalone good running shoe in its own right. Billed as the lightest fully-cushioned running shoe in the world (229g for size 8.5), it is much firmer under foot than your average cross trainer, so you may not want to rely on it every day. However, it has the latest CloudTech midsole, accompanied by Zero-Gravity foam, to provide support for those quick changes of direction. The heel is engineered for comfort and support, while the upper is engineered from a highly breathable lightweight mesh. As always with On running shoes, the design and construction is flawless.
The adiZero Boston can work very well for runners looking for an introductory minimalist shoe – lighter than average, but with a fairly normal heel-toe drop. Some reviewers claimed the shoe is narrower than average (especially in the toebox) so if you have wider feet it may not work out for you. My feet are about average width and I didn’t experience any discomfort putting hundreds of miles on them. The shape of every shoe varies, especially between manufacturers, so it can be helpful to experiment with those that fit your foot best. I’m usually most comfortable in Adidas and ASICS but sometimes struggle to find Saucony’s and Nike’s that are comfortable.
How long will a shoe last, and how do I know when it’s time to get new ones? In general, brands advise that running shoes will last 500 miles or so, but they’re not going to fall apart at that point, so unless there are clear signs of disrepair, there’s no need to move on immediately. Signs to watch out for are when the cushioning starts to feel squishy, rather than firm, and the grip on the sole being eroded. Also if you suddenly start picking up injuries when you haven’t changed your running routine, it could be a sign that your shoes are no longer providing the support needed.
Brooks is primarily known for its big, bulky comfort models, like the super padded Glycerin 16. Even its speedy racing flats are full of plush padding and midsoles, like the PureFlow line. But we see a slight departure in the Brooks Hyperion, the new Top Pick for Lightweight Racing Flat. Putting this shoe on was an immediate trip back to the old track days. They seem a lot like racing spikes without the spikes. They’re incredibly light and the feel super fast. A pair of men’s 11 are just 14.5 ounces. As you can expect, when you’re in these kicks, you’ll be doing some serious pace work and generating a ton of heat. To make that an easier proposition, they are super breathable, keeping your feet cooler and drier. They also have a great BioMoGo DNA midsole that takes a good deal of shock out of the stride, but it’s lean enough not to interfere with your stride the way some of the highly cushioned midsoles in comfort models do.
Designed to make long-distance running easier, the MetaRide is structured to reduce movement in the ankle joint, where most of your running energy is expended. It does so with Asics’ new sole design, called GuideSole, which is a rocker-shaped sole that helps you roll forward smoothly through your stride. Layers of FlyteFoam Lyte and FlyteFoam Propel support your feet and provide good energy return, but the jury’s still out on how much these shoes can improve your distance running. See more details on https://info4runners.com/asics-gel-venture-6/.