Any running shoe store should have both the Brooks Ghost and the Brooks Launch, which is a bit lighter. Try them on and see what you think. I use the Launch as a workout and low-key race shoe. They didn't work for me as a daily trainer, but other people swear by them in that capacity.
I've seen much slower ex-pat runners putting out 10 minute miles in Vaporflys and Alphaflys in Shibuya/Omotesando. Not really sure what it is doing for them at that pace/effort.
You can get them for harder efforts though, like long runs with marathon pace mixed in, long intervals, etc. If you can afford them, they seem to baby your legs for the next run. But you can always use them for races and after 100/200 miles turn them into long run shoes.
I'd say about 10% of the ~300 runners at the monthly race I went to on Sunday had them on (well 4%, Next%, some Next% 2, and Alphaflys). There were a ton of Zoomflys and Tempo shoes too... They weren't just the top finishers either...
colder and wiser wrote:
Save the Vaporflies for road races somewhere down the road. It's not the pace your running, it's the surface. Even in CA, Vaporflies aren't necessary or ideal for most courses. Maybe Woodbury or other all-concrete courses.
This 100%. I really screwed up using my 4% in the Kawasaki monthly 5/10k. I hadn't ran the course before, so I had no idea what the course would be. I was expecting the usual concrete or tarmac riverside road, but it turned out to be tarmac before turning into a wide gravel path. I ended up having to extract a bunch of tiny stones from the foam...
The Next% are tougher though, but I would still avoid using them on such a course.
If you like the Adizero Pro, check out the regular Adios and Boston too. They're more comfortable under foot for long and easier runs, and have great rubber for wet traction. Last forever too. The Adizero Pro has the better upper, but for me the plate is too hard on the bottoms of my feet for an every day shoe.
As for the Vaporflys, I love them, but I probably wouldn't get them for track/CC unless you're old and broken like I am. For up to 10k, I don't think I'm any faster than something like a Nike Streak LT or Saucony A9, but I'm hurting a lot less afterwards. For anything longer, no question I'd be faster in the Vaporflys. Those more minimal shoes (or spikes) might not bother you as much. The foam does wear down quickly, so I don't use them for training very often. Maybe if I had a lot more disposable income.
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