But what is a "normal" shoe to you? Most modern real running shoes have some level of bounciness to their midsole. If we're comparing AF to a modern lightweight trainer the gap isn't that big. That's a normal shoe for me. A shoe that you can do a fair comparison against. Not comparing a plated racer with a chunky daily trainer.
But what is a "normal" shoe to you? Most modern real running shoes have some level of bounciness to their midsole. If we're comparing AF to a modern lightweight trainer the gap isn't that big. That's a normal shoe for me. A shoe that you can do a fair comparison against. Not comparing a plated racer with a chunky daily trainer.
Here's the thing. In other endurance sports like x-c skiing and cycling, the guys who can afford the best gear can get an an advantage. What's the big deal with super shoes?
Pegasus is a brick that weighs almost 300grams (in US 10.5).
Compare AF with Peg Turbo or something like that. Easy to say AF is way faster when the control is something not made for speed at all.
This quote is the problem, "Easy to say AF is way faster when the control is something not made for speed at all".
Many young and inexperienced runners are believing that the shoes are "faster", when in fact it is the actual runner who needs to be "faster", not the shoes. The shoes are just one small piece of the puzzle, they're not a substitute for training to become fast. Yes, the shoes can enhance training, but they're not going to "Win" races for you. Talent is talent, no matter what $300 shoes you wear, you're still going to get you're a$$ kicked if you don't train hard and or have the talent. There are NO shortcuts. For the majority of runners in high school and college the shoes ain't gonna make a substantial difference.
yeah really. My old man PRs were set in a pair of Tiger Jayhawks 2.0 (5K) and an old mid-'80's Reebok racing flat that I don't even remember the name of now (marathon).
When I feel the propulsion from a pair of Adios pro 3's i think, "I would loved to had these when I could knock of 6 minute pace for 20 miles." It would have been freaking awesome. Just to have that feeling.
So yeah, my PRs were set after leather shoes and 40 years before supershoes. Guess what, time moves on.
yeah really. My old man PRs were set in a pair of Tiger Jayhawks 2.0 (5K) and an old mid-'80's Reebok racing flat that I don't even remember the name of now (marathon).
When I feel the propulsion from a pair of Adios pro 3's i think, "I would loved to had these when I could knock of 6 minute pace for 20 miles." It would have been freaking awesome. Just to have that feeling.
So yeah, my PRs were set after leather shoes and 40 years before supershoes. Guess what, time moves on.
my old man PRs were set when super shoes existed. I could have at least been smart enough to put on a pair of zoom streaks anyway.
I think this opens up a wider discussion about super-shoes, for which the boat has well and truly sailed at this point.
You can complain all you like, but they're here to stay.
I personally, am ambivalent towards them, as they certainly do enhance not only my performances, but also the experience I have when running (it feels really nice to be able to do long marathon workouts without being absolutely hobbled the next day).
I do hate that shoes are so damn expensive now (and lack durability), and it irritates me that people are unashamedly trying to buy PBs (why else would you spend $750 on a pair of EVO 1s?).
Ultimately however, you still have to train really hard to get the full benefit of super-shoes, which to me, doesn't seem unearned. Sure, you can buy a $300 pair of shoes and immediately run a little bit faster, but if you use that to do more running (at a higher intensity) than you otherwise would, then the shoe becomes a gateway into a more effective method of training.
I think this opens up a wider discussion about super-shoes, for which the boat has well and truly sailed at this point.
You can complain all you like, but they're here to stay.
I personally, am ambivalent towards them, as they certainly do enhance not only my performances, but also the experience I have when running (it feels really nice to be able to do long marathon workouts without being absolutely hobbled the next day).
I do hate that shoes are so damn expensive now (and lack durability), and it irritates me that people are unashamedly trying to buy PBs (why else would you spend $750 on a pair of EVO 1s?).
Ultimately however, you still have to train really hard to get the full benefit of super-shoes, which to me, doesn't seem unearned. Sure, you can buy a $300 pair of shoes and immediately run a little bit faster, but if you use that to do more running (at a higher intensity) than you otherwise would, then the shoe becomes a gateway into a more effective method of training.
I did not like the shoes at all in the early years, and I still think they ruin the spirit of the sport and may even change talent profile, with some people who might have had an edge prior to the shoes losing it over super responders.
That said, the ship has sailed. There is a performance boost from simply wearing the shoes and an even bigger boost from training in them due to improved recovery and simply giving your muscles, nerves, and tendons time to adjust to the higher rate of speed you can maintain in them relative to regular flats. The latter point about improved training was a surprise to me; I didn't realize that while the aerobic benefit of the shoes is immediate, it takes the body a bit longer to adapt.
But...the shoes make it impossible to compare times before and after the shoes. Super shoe PRs are not the same as pre-2017 PRs.
All of my pbs were set before super shoes. In an all out 5k, the alphafly would be a hindrance compared to a lighter more "direct" responsive shoe.
I admit however, that at slower paced like the marathon, it probably helps a fair bit.
I used to think this, but recently I tried on the Hoka Cielo X1 2.0. And oh buddy, it’s literally a spring. Just walking it was throwing me forward without any effort. I ran 4:09 in high school and honestly if I had this type of shoe in high school, I may have been 4:01-4:02 without any change in training. Just being thrown along without any extra effort would be great.
Same with the adidas Adios Pro 3's. Feels like cheating. The first time I ran in them, I ran 30 seconds/mile faster than usual. I remember thinking that I was not in that kind of shape at the time. It's an addicting feeling. Boing, boing...
I agree with the marathon and maybe the half but I've worn the Streakfly (which is no different than flats from 15 years ago) for 5ks and have run faster than in those than when I wear the Alphafly. Only thing is, calves and quad are more sore the next couple days.
I’m of the belief that anyone who took up running after 2017 should be required to run a marathon in the Asics Hyperspeed or Adidas Adizero Adios, just to understand what kind of shoes we were working with.