Saucony Tangents gone??? Best substitute?

I also train in Guides and raced in Tangents. They're a great shoe if you're looking for a little more cushion than your typical light weight trainer or racer. I haven't exactly found an equivalent shoe. I started racing in the Fastwitch which is a little thinner and lighter. I also just picked up the Kinvaras last week. I'd been doing some hard stuff in these and they feel pretty close to the Tangents.(still not as much heal structure though, but close). I will be following this thread closely to see what other say.

Have you googled the tangents? I often find some old models still for sale online. I just bought the Saucony Ride 2's online last week also. I loved this shoe about 5 years ago and was happy to find it still for sale.

Try the New Balance 905 (currently on closeout at runningwarehouse) or the Asics DS-Trainer.

Hey BostonBound, You know me from the Marathon Training thread....I'm actually the OP here, changed my name for the thread.....

It's interesting that we both had the habit of training in Guides and racing in Tangents. I'm a person of habits, and so with the Tangents gone i am worried about messing things up.

I actually do own a pair of Fastwitches but i have not used them yet. They seem a bit too light for a marathon. I may use them for track workouts. I currently use Tangents for all track work, nothing ever lighter than them.

I've been with Saucony for 5 years and have not tried another brand. Why mess with a good thing? My concern is sizing. I buy everything online so i want to be sure saucony sizes are consistent with other brands (i know Nike is different).

Note that i also stick orthotics in my guides and tangents. I'm not sure if i even need to but ever since i cured my PF with orthotics, i wear them for all running even races. Why mess with something that works.

The ProGrid Mirage seems more like the replacement for the Tangent than the Kinvara. There is no dual density foam, but more foam on the medial side than the Tangent with a plastic "support bridge" adding the structure the Kinvara lacks.

CTA: It's difficult to make a brand switch because there is always a risk that the fit will be wrong. I can remember trying some adidas shoes once and they hacked up my achillies. I feel that Nike's are OK at first, but wear out really fast. I'm also afraid to run a marathon in the Fastwitch.

I have done quite a bit of wear testing for Saucony which has worked out well. The last time I ran a marathon (Boston, 09), I wore a pair of the Kinvara's testers. My Tangents were beat up so I bought the Fastwitch for the race, but a couple days before the race I bailed on them because I was afraid they lacked the cushion for Boston. I had been running a couple weeks in the Kinvara's and they felt good so I just ran the marathon in them. I just purchased my own pair last week and ran my 1/2marathon in them last Sunday. They definitely felt softer than the Fastwitch, but still lacked the structure of the Tangents. Chinese Chicken sounds like he/she is onto something. I squeeze into 9s for the wear testing and they're OK for trainers, but I usually wear 9 1/2. Bought the Kinvaras in 9 1/2. I definitely would not go down to 9s in them. They're snug. If you're in the market, Zappos has some good prices.

I think i am going to buy a pair of Mirages and test them out. They seem to weight the same as the tangents (9.4oz), i definitely do not want something lighter so it seems that it may be a decent option. Thanks Chinese Chicken. I'd like to hear from others if they have had experience with the mirages.

lucKY2b wrote:

Try the New Balance 905 (currently on closeout at runningwarehouse) or the Asics DS-Trainer.

+1 on the NB 905

Trained in the Tangent and raced in the Fastwitch. The Mirage’s plastic insert is too pronounced (felt a stabbing pain in my medial heel) for me and the new fastwitch is too narrow. Tried the Kinvara’s but need the small amount of support in the arch that the Tangent and Fastwitch had. Interested in the New Balance 1190 (replacement for the NB 905’s).