New running shoes - Sustainable and something between Nike Free and "barefoot"?

On the off chance you are not a reddit spam copier (this thread reads like someone posting on reddit), you missed out. Until about 3 years ago there were marathon racing flats on the market that fit exactly what you are asking for. These are no longer sold and have been replaced with high stack bounce shoes which make the shoe companies more money. Your choices are something with a 28mm or higher stack height or barefoot style shoes with like 14 mm or lower stack height. The few shoes inbetween are basically junk or have like 0 drops or crap like that.

I wish I had a recommendation but I don't - other than buy old shoes like the nike streak 6 and 7 and new balance 1400 on ebay and hope they don't fall apart.

Look, another snowflake

Thanks for the reply. It doesn't look very promising then... Why is that they are no longer sold?

Regarding the post, I'm not hanging out in forums that often so not sure how ppl usually write. But as I need suggestions I figured the more info the better.

Thanks, great input

They sell less than the high stack bounce shoes. Regular runners - average joes will buy these for 250. But to average joe, ground feel is weird, unnatural, even painful. They won't buy flats or anything with a low stack height.

Even on letsrun you see people expressing they don't like low stack road shoes anymore.

Yep, this is the weirdest thing to come out the whole supershoe fad. Redditors flinch at the thought of feeling anything other than marshmallows when running. It's pathetic.

I've got to second what Kvothe said. I've always run in the kinds of shoes you're asking about. They're gone. I had a spell where I was pretty compulsive about shoe buying and now between my age and the size of my stockpile I probably have enough of these sorts of shoes to last the rest of my life, an idea which is both cheering and depressing.

I can make a few suggestions. One is to see if you can use cross country flats. There aren't loads of those on the market anymore but Saucony has two and New Balance and Nike each have one. If you find them too hard you might try putting an insole, something like a Spenco, into them. But if you're wanting to go almost but not quite barefoot these shoes should work pretty well. Another seling point for these sorts of shoes is they're about as cheap a shoe as you can find and they last forever.

The Asics Skysensor is along the lines of what you're asking about and there are still a few of them for sale on the internet. You could search for them and maybe get a pair but if you aren't familiar with them you'll be buying blind and who knows if you'll be able to return them?

There are still some companies that specialize in minimal like shoes, Altra, Xero, Merrill, come to mind. I've never had any shoes from any of them so I can't tell you anything more. There is a running shop in Shepherstown, W.Va. which specializes in the sort of shoes you want. It's called something like Two Rivers Treads. As far as I know they're still in business and you should be able to find them if you do a search for "Running shops in Shepherdstown." You could call them and ask what you're asking here and maybe order something but I have no idea what their return policy is and for all I know they may have closed because there really are so few of their sorts of shoes around now that they've run out of inventory.

I think your safest option is to go to one or more of the big online sellers, Holabird, Running Warehouse, Roadrunner Sports, maybe even Zappos, and look for shoes from those companies I mentioned and maybe order a pair or three. If none of them work for you there'll be no problem returning them. Good luck.

two rivers is a good concept but they just sell what is on the market - altra, topo, and the super minimal shoes. If you need a low stack AND small drop they are not a good solution. If you are ok with zero drop, they have you covered. For my feet, its not chose one or the either - I need a low but not super low (like 20-25mm stack) and a drop of 3-6mm. This is the shoe that doesn't exist anymore. Its probably heaven on earth right now if you run in 16mm or lower stack height shoes. Plenty of super low stack and super high stack options, but normal stack height running shoes are no longer made (other than the ultra minimal sinister which I use).

I am not familiar with that type of shoes. Do I just search for "cross country flats"?

Its not a road shoe but the NNormal Kjerag might be worth looking into. Low stack, flexible, lots of ground feel, 6mm drop, modern midsole foam and durable upper. A great do anything go anywhere shoe.

Brooks Hyperion.

You're welcome.

why do you guys hate the bouncy shoes so much? they are clearly faster. and if we are just talking about training, they take less out of your legs, so recovery times are much faster for the next day's running. it seems like a win win.

"I don't like X; where can I find Y?"

"Why don't you try X?"

Brilliant.

i'm not answering the thread, I'm asking a separate question.

I don't hate them. I hate running in them. They are slower, not faster for me, take more out of my legs (usually give me calf and ankle problems), and ultimately the calf and ankle pains lead to calf and ankle injuries - pulled calves or tendonitis.

I think most won't experience such extremes running in the bouncy shoes but that many are just parroting these claims never having run in low stack (not super minimal, 20-25mm stack) flats.

For me, its an issue of being able to run at all. I have to buy discontinued flats on ebay and use the sinisters, the only racing flat on the market that kind of works for me.

i can't believe that. where is the science that a better cushioned shoe will take more out of your legs?

i run barefoot often. 10k barefoot: the next day, sore. run 42k in supershoes, the next day, no problem.

Ill race in the high stack supershoes cos they are faster.

But id rather train in low drop/minimal trainers. I prefer the ground feel, planted and i have a theory theyre better for conditioning feet and ankle etc. i suspect the bouncy shoes take something away from training

yes that's the same reason i run barefoot occasionally. but running in flat shoes regularly, i worry about achilles and maybe calf injuries.

I would never train in supershoes either. Too expensive and not durable at all. I cant understand guys who regularly knock sessions out in them. 1. The cost of em and 2. How do you know youre gettin the full benefit of the session, if its quicker to recover that surely means its not pushed the needle as far!?