I have the Li Ning Challenger 5 and they are great. Super Shoe quality for 100$. But sizing was a bit off, so check it before buying
I recently picked up a pair of Li Ning Challenger 5's. For me they fit true to size (US men's 10). I don't have any issues with the width, although maybe my feet are narrow.
I was surprised at the ride. I was expecting something more like a traditional supershoe, but the ride is pretty firm and more aggressive than expected. I'm old, but I would wear these for any workout from 200s to repeat miles, and race anything from a mile to 5K, maybe 10K in them.
But I'm still looking for a half marathon racing shoe. I loved my first pair of Vaporfly 2 Next%, but the Vaporfly 3 has been disappointing. I'm thinking of trying the Li Ning Feidian Elite 6. Has anyone tried them?
thinking of trying the Li Ning Feidian Elite 6. Has anyone tried them?
I've only done one run in them (light workout), but initial impressions is: bounciest damn things I've ever worn. I'm not sure that makes them any faster, but they are fun and certainly don't feel any slower.
I've only done one run in them (light workout), but initial impressions is: bounciest damn things I've ever worn. I'm not sure that makes them any faster, but they are fun and certainly don't feel any slower.
I'd describe them as a mix of the Adios Pro 4 and Alphafly 1 on steroids. So damn incredibly propulsive and soft, definitely a bit unstable around turns but very smooth cruiser with a lot of protection.
The Red Hare 9 Ultra despite utilizing the same Boom Capsule tech is a pretty different feeling ride overall, though an equally excellent shoe in its own right. Nothing gets me through my easy runs feeling more refreshed and I reach for it at least 3 times every week.
I don't know if anyone else here has tried them but I'm ordering a pair of the 361 Miro Nude 2.0 off of Amazon (on sale for $130), will see if their durability is any better than v1.
Yeah, they remind me of the Nike Invincible 2 in terms of bounciness -- except, those were recovery shoes at best and these are racers, lol. I'll try them for an HM in a couple of weeks. Alternative was Do Win PB Pro but they felt a bit too harsh and flat for my taste.
Red Hare 9 Ultra are decent but slightly too much shoe and a little too rigid maybe? For easy, I like the Xiaonian or the Kiprun Challenger (formerly 900XD.2 or something).
361 Miro Nude, yup, bought them after seeing jogoncrago recommending the 1.0 for a 5k. They are pretty light but I'm a bit confused that they're apparently being marketed as marathon shoes? They feel like something between an Adios 9 and a Takumi Sen. Pretty sure they would kill my feet on a 10k or above -- and I usually prefer "ground feel".
Do-Win must be reading this thread because they have a non-plated max cushion shoe releasing tomorrow (3/27), the "Critical Evo". It shows that it has the same foam (Suder F3) that's in the PB Pro, Speedster, PB Elite. Unfortunately, they don't show the weight on the product page, so can't tell if it's going to be a clunker or not.
Somewhat related, does anyone using Taobao notice that the Do-Win shoes seem to get almost no reviews compared to the bigger brands? I know they aren't particularly popular among the hobby jogging or local elite crowd, but some of their newer releases like the PB 4.0 Elite, which look pretty competitive on paper, have barely any reviews. I'm curious to know who, if anyone, is buying these shoes since these max stack plated shoes don't fit the bill for PE exams.
I'm trying the Red Hare 9 Pro now. I was hoping they would be an everyday trainer for me, but they feel more like a lightweight trainer to me, kind of like the Brooks Launch. They're okay, but on the firmer side and the ride is a bit choppy and my old feet may just need more cushion, so they may get retired early. I'm still looking for a cushioned daily trainer, so I might try the Red Hare 9 Ultra next.
First: OP's Username is the first one in a long time that actually made me laugh out loud. As someone who has toggled between amusement, annoyance and bewilderment at the level of "contentious discussion" on that thread, it was nice to see at least one other person with a similar level of amusement/annoyance. So, kudos to OP for brightening up a (sometimes) dark corner of the internet.
Second: What retailers are a good, reliable source for these shoes? I've seen several models on Amazon and almost pulled the trigger, but I'm a little hesitant given the pricing and the constant struggle with Chinese counterfeiters. For $50, I'd roll the dice. At $100-$150, I'm looking for a little more reassurance that I'll actually get something resembling the item photo/description.
First: OP's Username is the first one in a long time that actually made me laugh out loud. As someone who has toggled between amusement, annoyance and bewilderment at the level of "contentious discussion" on that thread, it was nice to see at least one other person with a similar level of amusement/annoyance. So, kudos to OP for brightening up a (sometimes) dark corner of the internet.
Second: What retailers are a good, reliable source for these shoes? I've seen several models on Amazon and almost pulled the trigger, but I'm a little hesitant given the pricing and the constant struggle with Chinese counterfeiters. For $50, I'd roll the dice. At $100-$150, I'm looking for a little more reassurance that I'll actually get something resembling the item photo/description.
The official brand pages on Amazon should be completely fine: I've ordered from Li Ning, Anta, and 361 Degrees on there with no issues.
Second: What retailers are a good, reliable source for these shoes? I've seen several models on Amazon and almost pulled the trigger, but I'm a little hesitant given the pricing and the constant struggle with Chinese counterfeiters. For $50, I'd roll the dice. At $100-$150, I'm looking for a little more reassurance that I'll actually get something resembling the item photo/description.
As of last week, Anta has three excellent shoes on its U.S. site: Zone 2, C 202 7, and C 202 G9.
Zone 2 is $115 for a nonplated, superfoam, under-40mm-stack daily trainer.
C 202 7 is $130 for their "budget" plated trainer/racer.
C 202 G9 is $180 for a top-tier 6-ounce racing shoe.
All of these are about two-thirds the price of what Western brands charge for comparable models.
Second: What retailers are a good, reliable source for these shoes? I've seen several models on Amazon and almost pulled the trigger, but I'm a little hesitant given the pricing and the constant struggle with Chinese counterfeiters. For $50, I'd roll the dice. At $100-$150, I'm looking for a little more reassurance that I'll actually get something resembling the item photo/description.
As of last week, Anta has three excellent shoes on its U.S. site: Zone 2, C 202 7, and C 202 G9.
Zone 2 is $115 for a nonplated, superfoam, under-40mm-stack daily trainer.
C 202 7 is $130 for their "budget" plated trainer/racer.
C 202 G9 is $180 for a top-tier 6-ounce racing shoe.
All of these are about two-thirds the price of what Western brands charge for comparable models.
Alright, this convinced me to try out the Zone 2. Really didn’t want to jump through any hoops just to order a pair of shoes. Was about to pull the trigger on the Red Hare 9 off amazon until I said the Brooks Launch comparison. That’s the last shoe i wore back in the day before a rough injury.
Alright, this convinced me to try out the Zone 2. Really didn’t want to jump through any hoops just to order a pair of shoes. Was about to pull the trigger on the Red Hare 9 off amazon until I said the Brooks Launch comparison. That’s the last shoe i wore back in the day before a rough injury.
I basically never worry about arch support, but the Red Hare Pro 9 is the first time my arches have felt flat in a shoe. The Feidian Challenger 5 has been a fantastic fast workout shoe and I'm about to give the Feidian Elite 5 a whirl as a racing shoe, but the Red Hare Pro 9 has some question marks by it. The two workouts I've run in it (around 8 miles each with 5 miles around HMP) have been fine and a lot of people are enthusiastic, but so far they don't feel right for me. I might try the Red Hare Ultra next to see if that's an improvement.
I saw the Ultra and thought about it, but honestly the design of the Zone 2 spoke to me. Not well versed in modern shoes and just returned to running so I’m just trying to build a rotation and go from there.
As of last week, Anta has three excellent shoes on its U.S. site: Zone 2, C 202 7, and C 202 G9.
Zone 2 is $115 for a nonplated, superfoam, under-40mm-stack daily trainer.
C 202 7 is $130 for their "budget" plated trainer/racer.
C 202 G9 is $180 for a top-tier 6-ounce racing shoe.
All of these are about two-thirds the price of what Western brands charge for comparable models.
Alright, this convinced me to try out the Zone 2. Really didn’t want to jump through any hoops just to order a pair of shoes. Was about to pull the trigger on the Red Hare 9 off amazon until I said the Brooks Launch comparison. That’s the last shoe i wore back in the day before a rough injury.
Ordered it Tuesday afternoon, received it almost too late for my run last night. Pretty quick because I live about 30 minutes from the shipping point (SoCal). I don't think I'm well versed in modern shoes to provide a detailed review + I just returned to running. I currently run in the Hylo Impact (comparable to your typical neutral daily trainer) and have the Adios 9 for speedwork and racing. When I put on the Hylo and other modern trainers at the store I was blown away from what we had 10-15 years ago. The Adios 9 reminded me of a better racing flat from back in the day.
The Zone 2 blew me away on my easy run last night. I wasn't going quick by any means, I had a ton of soreness in my moobs from chest day the day before, so running wasn't pleasant. But once I got home it clicked. It didn't feel like I ran at all. No idea how it compares to other supertrainers, but I'm guessing it may not be as quick (responsive might be the right word?) as my Hylos but I'll test it out. The rubber seems okay-ish, I'm curious how long it'll hold up. They run true to size, maybe a half size up would be okay too.
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