My son is a sophomore in high school and has been running for about 6 years. Do high school runners now a days have different shoes for speed days compared to their normal base days? Back when I ran a long time ago, everyone had one pair of running shoes and then spikes for races. He runs in Brooks Ghosts right now that he really likes and I was not sure if we should be getting him a different shoe like the Hyperion Tempo for faster days. Thanks
There are still shoes on the market that have that versatility to be used on easy and quality days. The do-it-all trainer is a very popular style of shoe, espcially in the advent of ultra-cushioned, ultra-lightweight shoes. The cushioning used to be a tradeoff, but not anymore and this makes it easier for anyone to get by on just 1 pair of trainers.
But it just depends how much you want to spend. You can make do with 2 pairs (training, racing). If you get a 3rd pair then you can get a nice little rotation going, but its not necessary. If your son can appreciate what youre doing for him in buying him something thats not necessary, I say go for it. Even if not, if you wanna pamper go ahead.
Thank you.
There are a few nice perks to having two pairs of running shoes. One is that it changes how your foot lands from one day to the next which can actually slightly reduce the risk of overuse injuries. The best way to go about this is to have shoes with differing heel-to-toe drops. The second is that it gives the midsole foam more time to decompress in between runs (48 hours vs. only 24 for example) which can improve the lifespan a bit (which in a sense makes them a slightly better deal). Working out in a shoe like the Hyperion Tempo instead of a track or XC spike can also protect the legs more to keep them fresh for the next day.
At my HS, most of the varsity runners use different shoes for workouts than their typical runs.
OozmaKappa's point about do-it-all trainers is also a great one. For example, a HS runner could use the Hyperion Tempo for all of their running. I know a couple HSers who use them for everything.
Hyperion Tempo is a flawless shoe. Most durable trainer I've ever worn, mine have at least 500 miles on them and are still just fine. Keep in mind I'm the type that often replaces shoes after 200 miles. Can be used for track work-long runs. I've seen leaks of the 2, and brooks screwed the pooch, so stock up on the original.
Thanks everyone.