I was talking to a shoe salesman, and he told me the racers would be no good before too long. "They are just not meant to last for a long time. The material is softer."
How many miles do you get out of the racers? What about non Asics racing flats? Do they last long?
I've been running in lightweight trainers for sometime, but would like to move to still lighter shoes. However, if they don't last that long, then financing the shoes might be a challenge. What do you think?
Thanks!
I'm at 128miles on my racers so far. I'll probably get 300-350miles on them before getting another pair.
I can only tell you about my experiences with the DS Racer V's -- the ones with the little nubs on the bottom that come in yellow/black or orange/blue. I'm at about 250-300 miles on two separate pairs and the nubs are almost gone on a spot in each forefoot that's about the size of a quarter coin. I plan to keep running in them for another 250-300 miles, however, because they're fine otherwise. (Weight: 145 lbs.)
Given that the Racer V's are only $49 at online stores, the bang for the buck is decent. I tried the Trainers, but didn't like the way they felt.
That's BS about their lifespan -- they're both made from the same SpEVA foam. The only difference is that there's less of it in the Racer. I know big guys that racked up 1,000+ miles on 6oz. flats.
Ive put mabey 300 miles on a pair of streak spectrum plusses that I rotate with a few other flats, and theyre showing no signs at all of falling apart. All miles on the rod also.
I have to agree. I'm running b/w 6-8 miles a day on a pair of the newest DS racers, currently with about 200 miles on them, and they are showing absolutely no signs of midsole wear. Actually, the outsole is also holding up well. If you consider that I am 6'3" and 235 lbs., I think you'll agree that this "racing shoe" makes for a terrific training shoe for someone who is a midfoot/forefoot striker. I wholehearedly recommend them.
trackhead wrote:
That's BS about their lifespan -- they're both made from the same SpEVA foam. The only difference is that there's less of it in the Racer. I know big guys that racked up 1,000+ miles on 6oz. flats.
I get dirty looks from salesmen all the time because I train in such skimpy shoes. They're just parroting the runner's world line most of the time -- motion control is great! Don't worry too much about shoe durability as long as you're staying healthy.
I'm currently in the DS trainers and love them; I switched from the 20X0 line and feel much better since the switch. I probably wouldn't want anything lighter: when I race, I want to feel super-light when I put on my shoes.
It is quite scary how they want to serve every customer like they serve the fat walkers. The challenge is that I have not tried running in racers yet so I cannot prove them wrong. Have to do a little testing so I can educate the local shoe people.
But the Runner's World guys just bullshit. You think they're going to sacrifice advertising dollars and say that a particular shoe is crap?
If they were interested in giving accurate reviews, they'd notice that the more distance between the foot and the ground, the more control and additional weight is in the midsole. If a shoe like the NB 900 (the best shoe I've ever seen sold as a "trainer") was the maximum in heel height, there'd be many fewer injuries around and everyone would be faster.
Japan has it down -- a full line of shoes for racers, and all the "training shoes" are for fun runners. That's the extact truth.
BTW -- I just picked up a pair of the NB 500s and am looking forward to turning into a road shoe.
That was poorly stated; I don't buy the runner's world line, actually. But I can see how you might think that from my post.