These are vastly different shoes. Ghost is an everyday trainer, you can do faster stuff in the Kinvaras. It might not be an either/or. You're gonna want to log most of your mileage in the Ghost but if you get both you can do workouts in the Kinvaras.
Shoe boo wrote:
Ok the Kinvara is out. Enough posters have mentioned the drop and Achilles concerns.
I will consider the ghost or ride. I’ll look at the launch too.
Currently in the 1080 with an 8mm drop. Any concern about switching from and 8 to a 12 drop?
Switching from 8 to 12mm? You may not even notice the difference a lot. It depends on the firmness and width under the heel, and the overall shoe dynamic. For me, the 12mm Wave Rider 20 felt lower, in terms of drop, than the 10mm Boston 6. The Forever Energy 10mm feels substantially lower, more like some 6mm shoes I have (NB).
The main issue with higher drop shoes is they tend to have less protection under the forefoot.
LateRunnerPhil wrote:
Another good option is the freedom ISO - the Kinvara is more of an moderate run/up-tempo shoe that can be used for some tempos and longer intervals too, and the Ghost is just way too heavy for the average runner. The freedom ISO is light, fast, and cushioned enough to grind long runs and recovery mileage.
That's a good shoe, but I wouldn't recommend it to someone with Achilles issues. Low drop and very soft midsole mean the Achilles has to take a lot of work.
It's the only shoe to ever give me Achilles pain, although after a while and some rest I got used to them. The ride was a bit uninspiring, anyway. I like the Kinvara much better, and it's plenty cushioned for me.
gunna second the guy who said the brooks launch
as someone who has run in all 3:
ghost is great for easy runs but anytime you want to go fast I noticed the bulk. I get ~450-500 and then the upper tears on me. if you only want to do easy mileage then these are great.
kinvara. solid everyday trainer but a bit on minimalistic side. less durable. aft ~300 miles they start feeling flat. they handled long runs well enough for me (14-16 miles) and still could be used for workouts and be comfortable at higher speeds
launch: similar to kinvara but with a higher drop so will be friendlier on your achilles. also felt like these were more durable than kinvaras.
Do I sense some training advice coming regarding how to avoid achilles issues or improve recovery from sore achilles?? I could use some good tips myself...
Launch
Ride (What’s the different between the ride and ride iso?)
Ghost
Also will add, I have a high arch.
The Ride and Shift are the better options imo. Ride helped me thru achilles problems (on top of eccentric loading/therapy/etc.). Shift has become a daily trainer for me.
The ride iso is the older version of the ride. Saucony ditched their isofit in the new model. I would recommend going to a shoe store and trying on the shoes if you can
brooks launch ,, got me out of some issues, real neutral and simple, good for the feet, just slow down for the achilles for a while
These are such wildly different shoes. One is a substantial trainer and the other is borderline a racing flat.
StillRunnin wrote:
Do I sense some training advice coming regarding how to avoid achilles issues or improve recovery from sore achilles?? I could use some good tips myself...
If possible, let it heal until it doesn't hurt. Then resume running and back off when necessary. If you have identified the source of the problem (inadequate rynning shoes, not enough recovery, weak calves, etc), now would be the time to fix it.
If you can, run some steep trails. It does wonders.
* stipe wrote:
for someone with achilles issues, the biggest difference is the drop. kinvara 4mm, ghost 12mm
in theory, more drop is easier on the achilles.
why wouldn't your options include the ride? at 8mm, it is right between the two.
Yes, go with the Ride. The drop is great for consistently landing on the forefoot if you are used to the standard 10-12mm drop heights. Last time I checked it was lighter than the Ghost. I ran in both models consecutively before and the runs in the Ride were always so incredibly smooth compared to the Ghost. The Kinvara is going to be a good transition for your Achilles if you are already used to the 0-4mm drop heights.
Brooks Ghost. I've had chronic Achilles problems for years. I switched to Ghosts this year and haven't had any majour issues since. The shoes aren't the only factour, but I'm willing to bet they at least contributed.
tycobb wrote:
and the Ghost is just way too heavy for the average runner.
Ghost is 10.1
Ride is 9.7
Pegasus 10.0
The Ghost is not a heavy shoe. Best every day trainer I have used when I was running 80-90mph
The Ghost is quite heavy , but cushioned . The Ghost is a good shoe if you are at the mall for 2-3 hours.
Would avoid the Kinvara with achilles issues. like others said, the low heal to toe drop can aggravate it.
I go with the ghost and launch for every days.
The Freedom 3 is my pick. Incredible shoe. Soft and bouncy with a little bit of wild. Did a 20m long run recently in them and my legs felt GREAT at the end of it. Feels pretty fast through LT pace. I'm actually going to race my coming marathon in them.