I am trying to decide which Brooks racing flat to purchase. The ST 5 or T7 Racer. Anyone out there purchase either one? I would be wearing them for tempo runs as well as racing 5k-12k.
I am trying to decide which Brooks racing flat to purchase. The ST 5 or T7 Racer. Anyone out there purchase either one? I would be wearing them for tempo runs as well as racing 5k-12k.
T7. The ST 5 feels like a brick for a racing flat, especially for 5k and 10k races.
Green Silence
I like the T7 for anything below a half marathon, and the ST for training and longer races.
Is there a reason you are sticking to Brooks? The ST and T7 are vastly different shoes. Like someone else mentioned, why not also consider the Green Silence, which is much closer to the T7 than the ST is.
Agreed- T7 should be more than adequate for 5k-12k. If you're heavy footed and beat your feet up, then the Green Silence should be plenty.
The only reasons I see for racing in the ST5 are if you have a big pronation issue, and you need a lot of cushioning.
What type of trainers do you wear? Do you overpronate? If so, then Id reccomend the ST 5 or something similar from another brand. If you don't then the T7 or a comparable model would be better. If you don't know the answer, go to your local running store and get a gait analysis. It's easy and effective. I've been working in running stores for 6 years and can watch someone and instantly determine what type of shoe they should be wearing. If you don't know the answer go and get it done, many injuries are caused by people wearing the wrong type of shoe for their body.
If you're neutral, then T7 all the way. If you have some stability issues, then you can probably get away with the T7 in races, but should probably consider the ST5. This depends in part on how fast you are, I think. If you're running like 15 minutes in the 5k, then I'm not sure the ST5 is a viable option at that point. The T7 is slightly lower to the ground than the ST5.
The T7 has a curved last and should be ordered .5 size up. The ST5 has a pretty straight last and is more or less true to your normal size.
Brooks' ST line is the stability version of the T line. It provides the stability that overpronators need.
I'd also check out the Brooks Launch if you don't need the stability. It weighs only about 9 oz and offers a minimalist feel.