Supershoes are for everyone now?

Do you still use an abacus for math? Get with the times you luddite.

Yes, hobby jogger is correct this time.

I thought the absurdly large foam shoes were for elites who really needed the 1%, but I guess even hobby joggers want the 1% if a couple hundred bucks will give it to them. It seems crazy to me.

You're seeing more of them because more brands produced them and Nike was able to get more product out as well. There was a time when I would discourage some from buying super shoes but now there aren't any shortages so no one is getting screwed bc some slow old lady wants a VF. Still hate it when people buy them just to walk around but that's just me.

1. It depends on the level, in your pace group i would expect a decent amount to have supershoes. At the local events in my state (DE) i have to actively look around to find someone with a supershoe. At at one 5K the best shoe i could find was an Escalante Racer and the guy didn't even really know what he had.

2. The time you left on the table could be picked up by simply utilizing a lighter shoe. There are a few similarly cushioned shoes to your Altras that are 3 ounces LIGHTER including the NB Rebel2 & Hoka Rincon. Try one of them in your training rotation and i guarantee you will not reach for the Altras next race.

Nice pace BTW!

Not sure why it’d be too surprising to see people racing in racing shoes? They’re now widely available, cheaper and easy to get unlike in 2019.

"Super shoes" are just becoming the norm for racing. I even see people doing their regular runs in them now. It's a fact that they make you run faster, so if you are serious about improving your times why wouldn't you buy some? The cost may seem outrageous to some runners, but look how much cyclists & triathletes regularly spend on their hobby. Spending $200 per year on racing shoes really isn't that much in contrast.

THOUGHTSLEADER wrote:

Not sure why it’d be too surprising to see people racing in racing shoes? They’re now widely available, cheaper and easy to get unlike in 2019.

I agree I hate all this marketing bs of supershoe. All lightweight shoes are super shoes, the only difference is you don’t have to chose been lightweight and cushioned.

I do not see those complaining about “supershoe” running in a pair of bulky heavy shoes, they always ran in the fastest.

THOUGHTSLEADER wrote:

Not sure why it’d be too surprising to see people racing in racing shoes? They’re now widely available, cheaper and easy to get unlike in 2019.

Yup, they're just racing flats now, everyone has them. You'd expect people at a track race to have spikes so people at road races have socialist race shoes. Price was never an issue really, scarcity was the problem but now there's so many, you can always find a pair.

I mean, the carbon plated running shoes are sold in mass at places such as Dick's Sporting Goods now.

In the last 2 weeks I’ve picked up last years version of both the Endorphin Pro and RC Elite for $100 so cost doesn’t always have to be prohibitive. And a gain in running economy is probably more important to the average runner than the elite.

Thanks for all the responses. I'll find some lighter shoes before my Turkey Trot 5K. Then I'll try a supershoe in the Spring if they do the Philadelphia Broad Street Run again in May.