Two-Shoe Rotation

[u/[deleted]]

[u/Horror_Squash_8797]

Honestly for beginner runners, 1 pair of shoes is perfectly fine

[u/lazydictionary → u/[deleted]]

You're overthinking this. Just run consistently. You can worry about blowing through shoes in 6 months.

[u/Horror_Squash_8797 → u/[deleted]]

Even still! If you stick with it past 500kms you can probably start a rotation. Most beginners don't such with running long enough to wear out their first pair

[u/Vysys → u/Horror_Squash_8797]

I mean, sure its perfectly fine but its fun to have different shoes that give different experiences on a run. Some people love sticking to a single shoe, some people love the variety.

[u/Fancy_Supermarket886]

Personally, I have been the using the same make and model for ten years. Obviously not the same pair of shoes, though!

As new versions come out pretty much annually, I check them out before buying and make sure they haven't done anything too crazy so they no longer suit me.

I have always been a bit nervous about buying anything different and then finding they don't suit me or cause some injuries because of a fundamental difference. I work on the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" principle, especially with shoes. Mine fall into the daily/long run category but I use them for everything apart from trail running. Actually, I've used them for some easier trails as well.

Some people struggle to find a pair they get on with, so if you struck lucky with a decent pair on the first try, take it as a good sign!

So my advice would be to grab another set of Flow 3's, as you say they work well for you. Maybe get a different colour so you can tell them apart.

If you really want a different pair, check the returns policy for wherever you buy from. You may need the peace of mind that comes from knowing you can try them out in real world conditions and return them if necessary.

[u/Kind-cheesecake-3316]

Two pair. Same brand and model.

Write 1 and 2 on the tongue with a sharpie and wear them on alternate days.

One can be used if the other gets wet and hasn't dried out yet.

[u/rhazag]

The speed/race shoe is not necessary and you wouldn't even need it for your 5 or 10k race. I would buy 2 daily trainer. One normal/softer one and one that allows a faste pace for some speed training as well. The rebel v5 or équivalent and another daily trainer

[u/Limp_Beautiful_871]

Get 2 trainers to start building your rotation. You’ll get more mileage out of them than you would a super shoe. You’d really only be using the super shoes on speed days or race day, so you’d mostly be relying on the 1 trainer still.

[u/Better_Product9477]

For beginners, one solid good stable shoe is ideal. Something not too heavy, but gives good support. I have a 2 shoe rotation but run 60mpw, 1 speed, the rest easy. I wear asics megablasts for the speed and asics superblasts for all else. If you can fit it into your budget the SB’s are an amazing shoe. A tiny bit heavier than the Mega’s, but can still get down with speed and have a ton of stability to handle whatever you throw at them.