Why is it so hard to find a running shoe that actually works.

find a shoe that fits. the other stuff will fall in place (within some limits) if the shoe fits.

free coffee coupon wrote:

find a shoe that fits. the other stuff will fall in place (within some limits) if the shoe fits.

"How one runs probably is more important than what is on one’s feet, but what is on one’s feet may affect how one runs." ~Dr. Daniel Lieberman"

I've tested shoes before and find this true. That's why I'm interested in a minimal racing flat but all brands keep adding "features" which are actually gimmicks. Just make a shoe that is flexible, weighs less than 200g, 4-8mm of rubber sole, decent toebox to allow toes to splay, durable. That's it. The Merrel Vapour Glove 2 would be perfect only the toebox blows open after a week.

How long would the Saucony Type6 actually last? Would it get me to March on 120mpw?

???

You run 120 mpw barefoot or in sandals?

It's obviously the shoe companies conspiring against you. Start a change.org petition.

As Tupac once said "It's a setup and even if your fed up, you gotta keep your head up"

Yes, not every week but I always try and hit over 100 with 5-10 doubles and a 15-18 long run. I've built up to that barefoot/sandals so it's okay for me I've not had injury. Last winter I got away with it because it was mild and my runs were shorter. I've got the opposite problem of someone trying to transition to minimal shoes, I'm gonna need to transition to a shoe for the rest of the winter which is why I need a simple shoe.

MeHereYouWhere?! wrote:

It's obviously the shoe companies conspiring against you. Start a change.org petition.

As Tupac once said "It's a setup and even if your fed up, you gotta keep your head up"

lol I wouldn't mind paying for them if they were a bit cheaper. How do you guys do it? Do I have to end up like this?

The light weight crazy killed many of the best running shoes. There used to be many great 12 oz shoes then all the shoe companies tried to make them 8 oz and now they suck.

Mizuno Wave Universe might be light and flat enough for you. They are my primary shoe. When I want something heavier I run in a Brooks T7 racer.

I used to run in Puma H Streets and could get 1000+ miles on them. Running mid/fore foot strike in light shoes they can last a while, even at 120/week.

You might want to try the saucony bullet.

It has practically no forefoot cushioning, though the heel is a little bit soft.

Only costs $55.

On amazon you can find the old vegan models if that is your preference.

I'm with the OP on this one. I can't find a good light weight flat under 5oz for the life of me. The Wave Universe was the best but now they've stopped making them. All the rest of the minimalist shoes are too heavy.

lulz

The barefoot movement is so yesteryear lest a few diehards.

Lems shoes have the wide toe box and light weight, but they aren't intended to be running shoes. But neither are sandals so maybe it'll be an improvement. They're 195g with 9mm of rubber.

The Topo ST-2 probably has more cushion and a higher stack height than you seem to want, but it has a wide toe box and is zero drop. But it should be very durable. 11m of rubber and 6.9 grams.

http://shop.topoathletic.com/mens/run.html?colorid=2842&model=ST-2

If I were you I'd check out Skora shoes. Their "Phase" model is 205g with an 11mm stack height (doesn't specify rubber vs. footbed) I think that might be as close as you're going to get. The toe boxes look more narrow than Topos or Altras, but still better than a lot of shoes. Can't speak for durability as I've never owned a pair.

https://skorarunning.com/mens-phase.html

Nuke Dukem wrote:

Yes, not every week but I always try and hit over 100 with 5-10 doubles and a 15-18 long run. I've built up to that barefoot/sandals so it's okay for me I've not had injury. Last winter I got away with it because it was mild and my runs were shorter. I've got the opposite problem of someone trying to transition to minimal shoes, I'm gonna need to transition to a shoe for the rest of the winter which is why I need a simple shoe.

go back to doing shorter runs.

Pegasus 33 flash shield. The best Pegasus ever. Great for everything below tempo run.

Not a Hipster wrote:

You might want to try the saucony bullet.

It has practically no forefoot cushioning, though the heel is a little bit soft.

Only costs $55.

On amazon you can find the old vegan models if that is your preference.

I second this. Zappos had them too last time I checked. I'd also suggest that if the OP likes the Kilkenny but finds it too narrow he could cut some slits into the front of the shoe assuming the forefoot is where it's too narrow. Someone mentioned the Mizuno Wave Universe and I think that would work too but I think they're off the market now. The Eikiden Racer might be a good choice as well. But both models are really overpriced.

Nuke Dukem wrote:Some of the Nike shoes the whole sole doesn't even touch the ground, only the heel and forefoot, that's like saying "I don't want to use my whole foot that was designed to be used".

Your whole sole including arch touches the ground when you run barefoot? No wonder you can't find shoes that work for you.

You don't need a pair of shoes. You need a pair of SOCKS.

free coffee coupon wrote:

find a shoe that fits. the other stuff will fall in place (within some limits) if the shoe fits.

I agree with you, in such case you jaut need to find that shoes whic are the best for you :) I don't see such a big problem in that, there are so many brands who make good running trainers :) In my case I like the most of all Puma, Nike and Brooks brands, their shoes are really good and comfortable for long running!

For example, I adore these Nike models

, I have two pairs of them and they're good even in case with my flat feet :)

I think it's because shoe companies insist on making changes to models that are already optimized so they can have something new to sell. That means the quality goes something like this: 1st gen (good), 2-3 gen (perfected), 4th gen (dramatic changes ruin the shoe). So at any given time, there are a lot of shoe models that are garbage but used to be good, and you have to sort through reviews to figure it out.

Case in point, Nike had a great shoe with the Streak XC, kept it pretty much unchanged but ominously renamed it Streak LT, then ruined it with the LT2.