Brooks Glycerine 19.
Love the shoe, but they screwed up the sizing. The 19 is smaller than every other version and every other Brooks shoe.
Brooks Glycerine 19.
Love the shoe, but they screwed up the sizing. The 19 is smaller than every other version and every other Brooks shoe.
Worst: Kinvara 12's. I was impressed with them off the bat, but the foam immediately flattened down/deflated, making them unusable in less than a hundred miles- not even suitable for walking.
Best: Adios Pro 2. The foam is about as good as the Next %'s, but the carbon rods are a far better layout, in my opinion.
Shoe Recommender Guy wrote:
The Saucony Endorphin Shift was the worst shoe that I purchased in 2021. The ride is way to firm for daily use. I bought it at a discount, but wouldn't buy it again even at the lowest price point.
Agreed on this. Disappointing considering I really like everything else in the Endorphin lineup
Reebok FFE wrote:
TrackFan55 wrote:
...
Best shoe: Reebok forever floatride energy 2. Have found it perfect for anything faster than easy pace. Have even been able to run 200s at mile pace in them. Recently got the 3s and so far disappointed but only 30miles in
How do the FFE 2 and 3 compare to the first version? I've used 6 pairs of the first version and have two left. Best shoe I've ever had for steady & long runs and slower tempos. Was planning on buying v2 or v3 once I finish my v1s, but disappointed to hear that you don't like the 3s.
Quick update: wore the FFE V3 for 20x200 @ 3k pace today and they felt great, easily the best they’ve felt since first wearing them
I haven't bought any truly awful shoes this year. The worst has been the Nike Invincible. It's not bad, it's just expensive for what it is, and nowhere near as bouncy as most reviewers made it seem. I'll go back to the NB 1080 for my easy miles shoe
Saucony Fastwitch was probably my least liked shoe. I found them too narrow, and the foam hardened in the cold to the point of hurting my feet. Skechers Horizon Vanish was also kind of sucky, though I found myself liking them more after 300 miles.
Surprise best of the year was Skechers Razor Pro. Awesome shoe, and it's nice to have a fast, cushioned shoe without a rigid plate. Hope they don't get rid of them.
Hoka Clifton 8.
Very disappointed. Unusually fast wear on the sole. Got a calf injury in them, but that could just be a coincidence. The super fast wear on the sole is unacceptable in a shoe at that price point and previous reputation. My Clifton 7s were great.
TrackFan55 wrote:
Worst shoe: I don’t think I bought any shoe that I was particularly disappointed with, definitely no shoe that was un-runnable
Best shoe: Reebok forever floatride energy 2. Have found it perfect for anything faster than easy pace. Have even been able to run 200s at mile pace in them. Recently got the 3s and so far disappointed but only 30miles in
Honestly the Reebok FFE 3's were a total dissapointment for me. The 2 was, in many ways, the perfect do-it-all shoe imo. The 3 was very unremarkable. At least it wasn't too expensive.
Best shoe is Nike Invincible. This shoe just works so well for me. I now do 80% of my mileage in Invincibles and have just ordered my third pair.
Ghost of Jason Rexing's Trainers wrote:
CTTC wrote:
I have had like 5-6 pairs of the 890v6 and still love them. I'm actually blown away at how bad they f*cked up the v7's and just from looking at the v8's, they can't be much better.
Running shoe people: This is a plea for help. Anyone have pretty inexpensive recommendations similar to the 890 v6? Low drop, neutral shoe? I heard the vomeros are similar, are they a good shoe?
Also, why do shoe companies stop making versions of shoes?
NB FC Rebel v2 or NB FC Propel
Which of the three versions of the Propel? I had three pairs of the V1 and aside from the similar heel/toe drop I didn’t find them all that similar to the 890v6. They are clunkier, softer, more flexible, offer less grip for mild trails, and don’t offer the heel lockdown for me that nearly every other New Balance shoe has. I really need to try the Rebel V2 though.
Joe Jackson wrote:
Ghost of Jason Rexing's Trainers wrote:
NB FC Rebel v2 or NB FC Propel
Which of the three versions of the Propel? I had three pairs of the V1 and aside from the similar heel/toe drop I didn’t find them all that similar to the 890v6. They are clunkier, softer, more flexible, offer less grip for mild trails, and don’t offer the heel lockdown for me that nearly every other New Balance shoe has. I really need to try the Rebel V2 though.
I've had v1, also 3 pair. I read reviews that v2 lost what was good in v1, and subsequently have seen favorable reviews of v3 that they got it right again. I had no issues on any trail running with v1, found it to have a smooth transition for my midfoot strike, but I dislike rigid and controlling shoes and prefer more of a slipper feel. That said, Rebel v2 is significantly better as an all-around daily trainer than the Propel. Maybe also crappy over rocks for you. By all appearances, the Rebel v3 will be the perfect sweet spot with a touch more cushion while still being light and responsive.
Kenaneeser Beckelay wrote:
Damn. The Novablast seems to be mentioned quite a lot this year. I didn’t pull the trigger on that one.
A lot of reviewers love it, which almost made me buy it. The more I looked at it the less appealing the huge heal was. It’s probably a great shoe for some heel strikers
I think the Novablast feels great to run in - it's a nice change from the usual shoes I use.
But it's not stable, hard to fit tight, and causes weird pronation issues.
When I used it for a 9-mile run, it left me with a large heel blister on my left foot, and the side/edge of my right foot felt really strained afterwards suggesting pronation.
They work fine on easy 3-5 mile runs but I will definitely not be racing in them LOL.
I didn't buy any bad shoe in 2021.
Fit problem: NB Zante V4 Oddly narrow under midfoot, and too small against my outside toes. This is the only shoe that has ever caused me toenail problems and the shoe would be great if the fit wasn't so odd.
My worst shoe purchase of 2021: NB FC Propel V2 I like the V1 because it seemed like a fairly soft and not-too-heavy trainer, but the V2 seems much harder. Not a terrible shoe, but I would say it was my worst buy of 2021.
B0NER wrote:
I didn't buy any bad shoe in 2021.
Fit problem: NB Zante V4 Oddly narrow under midfoot, and too small against my outside toes. This is the only shoe that has ever caused me toenail problems and the shoe would be great if the fit wasn't so odd.
My worst shoe purchase of 2021: NB FC Propel V2 I like the V1 because it seemed like a fairly soft and not-too-heavy trainer, but the V2 seems much harder. Not a terrible shoe, but I would say it was my worst buy of 2021.
It is interesting to see other people's commentary on the NB FC Propel v2. I was not blown away initially, but came around to thinking they may have been my best shoe purchase of 2021.
On my first run, they felt kind of heavy and clunky (which is a huge contrast to the shoes I was replacing, the last available pair I could find of the NB Vazee Pace v2 - those shoes felt amazing right out of the box, but only decent past about 150 miles).
After a few runs, I felt like I was coming around to the Propel v2, but then my left ankle started to get sore - the shoe was rubbing against my lateral malleolus, causing a slow bruise. I gave up on them for a week, then re-laced them to use one less eyelet. This seemed to solve the problem, and I got close to 600 miles out of the pair with no more complaints. In fact, that pair probably felt fresher at 500 miles compared to any other pair of shoes I've had in quite a while.
I also bought a pair of the NB FC Rebel v2, after hearing rave reviews. I have only done a handful of runs in them so far, all relatively short and easy. They are lightweight and the fit doesn't present any issues, but they feel way softer than the Propel v2 in a bad way. My opinion may change after I get a few more miles in them, and try some faster workouts - but my current feeling is that they have a weird bounciness that is not conducive to getting into the flow of a run. We'll see.
Worst pair is a toss up between Asics Gel Cumulus-22 and Saucony Endorphin Pros. Wore Cumulus for years (10+ pairs) before I switched out of them, due to suspecting them of giving me some foot pain. That was 2018 and I tried again this year and I got weird lower leg pain. Endorphin Pros were my first carbon plate shoe and I got them for my marathon, ended up disliking them compared to regular flats in every run I did in them. Felt slow/heavy. Ran the marathon in my Adios-4 instead. I'd say the cumulus takes the cake for worst.
-RS
Interesting about the endorphin pros. How much do you weigh? That shoe definitely isn’t for super light runners, as it has one of the stiffest carbon plates inside of it. I would say the stiffest shoes I’ve tested are the endorphin pro and alphafly. I can see why the tiny professional men prefer the vaporfly.
Found a pair of Peg 37s in my size for about $60 at a store. I hadn't worn pegs since the 33/34 but i figured for $60 why not. Well....they suck. Stiff and firm, and I've never had a shoe with that much of a lockdown issue. Only managed 10 miles or so before they got sent to goodwill. Endorphin Shift is kinda sucky too but its got its time and place.
On the good side-
Endorphin Speed
Endorphin Pro
Kenaneeser Beckelay wrote:
Interesting about the endorphin pros. How much do you weigh? That shoe definitely isn’t for super light runners, as it has one of the stiffest carbon plates inside of it. I would say the stiffest shoes I’ve tested are the endorphin pro and alphafly. I can see why the tiny professional men prefer the vaporfly.
I was 141lb the morning of my marathon, 6'4". I wear 10.5, not sure what the weight is of the shoes for that size but the general weight saucony gives is 7.5 oz. I've been racing shorter stuff in Type As (previously Streak LT), not sure what my next marathon shoe will be, maybe the Adidas Takumi Sen
Best shoes 👟 by far have been my Sacony Ride 13’s and Nike Epic React 2’s.
runthecountry wrote:
B0NER wrote:
I didn't buy any bad shoe in 2021.
Fit problem: NB Zante V4 Oddly narrow under midfoot, and too small against my outside toes. This is the only shoe that has ever caused me toenail problems and the shoe would be great if the fit wasn't so odd.
My worst shoe purchase of 2021: NB FC Propel V2 I like the V1 because it seemed like a fairly soft and not-too-heavy trainer, but the V2 seems much harder. Not a terrible shoe, but I would say it was my worst buy of 2021.
It is interesting to see other people's commentary on the NB FC Propel v2. I was not blown away initially, but came around to thinking they may have been my best shoe purchase of 2021.
On my first run, they felt kind of heavy and clunky (which is a huge contrast to the shoes I was replacing, the last available pair I could find of the NB Vazee Pace v2 - those shoes felt amazing right out of the box, but only decent past about 150 miles).
After a few runs, I felt like I was coming around to the Propel v2, but then my left ankle started to get sore - the shoe was rubbing against my lateral malleolus, causing a slow bruise. I gave up on them for a week, then re-laced them to use one less eyelet. This seemed to solve the problem, and I got close to 600 miles out of the pair with no more complaints. In fact, that pair probably felt fresher at 500 miles compared to any other pair of shoes I've had in quite a while.
I also bought a pair of the NB FC Rebel v2, after hearing rave reviews. I have only done a handful of runs in them so far, all relatively short and easy. They are lightweight and the fit doesn't present any issues, but they feel way softer than the Propel v2 in a bad way. My opinion may change after I get a few more miles in them, and try some faster workouts - but my current feeling is that they have a weird bounciness that is not conducive to getting into the flow of a run. We'll see.
Yeah, I'm not saying that the Propel V2 is a bad shoe. I just didn't make any shoe purchases that I thought were any worse among: Endorphin Pro, Freedom ISO 2, Novablast, Kinvara 11, and DS Trainer 25.
Ghost of Jason Rexing's Trainers wrote:
Joe Jackson wrote:
Which of the three versions of the Propel? I had three pairs of the V1 and aside from the similar heel/toe drop I didn’t find them all that similar to the 890v6. They are clunkier, softer, more flexible, offer less grip for mild trails, and don’t offer the heel lockdown for me that nearly every other New Balance shoe has. I really need to try the Rebel V2 though.
I've had v1, also 3 pair. I read reviews that v2 lost what was good in v1, and subsequently have seen favorable reviews of v3 that they got it right again. I had no issues on any trail running with v1, found it to have a smooth transition for my midfoot strike, but I dislike rigid and controlling shoes and prefer more of a slipper feel. That said, Rebel v2 is significantly better as an all-around daily trainer than the Propel. Maybe also crappy over rocks for you. By all appearances, the Rebel v3 will be the perfect sweet spot with a touch more cushion while still being light and responsive.
Your description above rings true in every way. I guess you threw my by the comparison to the 890v6. I’d put the Propel V1 somewhere between the 890v7 and 890v8 but closer to the latter. Not a huge fan of any of those but obviously did run quite a bit in the Propel so it wasn’t a truly awful shoe me.
If you like a slipper feel to your shoes, the 890v7 sounds tailor-made for you. By all account a super comfortable shoe for me, as long as all I did was walk around in them. I stopped running in them a while ago but kept them around for casual wear.
If I need new shoes before the Rebel V3 and SC Pacer come out (and can’t get the Sonic any more) the Rebel V2 sounds like my best bet.