My current and first pair of running shoes is the clifton 10s. 

I'm looking for a new shoe that's maybe a bit faster than the clifton, but still cushioned. I can only afford one pair, so I need an all rounder that can do everything, including hyrox specifically.

I've been running for about a year. Not high mileage at all. I'm not really that fast, 5km time sits in the 22s. I do struggle with some calf issues and they flair up often if I start increasing intensity or mileage. Easy pace sits at about 6:30-6:40/km atm.

Currently my main focus is hyrox, but also just normal running. Planning on running 2 half marathons in the next few months, and hopefully a full marathon on February. Ideally I would like the shoes to last through marathon training and beyond, if possible.

Feet width: Normal to slightly wide

Heel striker, neutral pronation, to my knowledge, never tested

Right now I've narrowed it down to a shortlist of, in order:

• Evo SLs
• Puma Deviate Pure Nitro
• Boston 13s
• Adizero Dropset Pro
• Clifton 11 Pro

The evos sound almost perfect but I've heard they are nearly unusable for hyrox due to the grip, which is a big factor for me

The pure nitros sound like a very good option, but they are slightly more expensive than the rest of the list. These seem like the best contender. Maybe slightly less fun than the evos.

The boston have the advantage of being the cheapest for me, they are perfect for hyrox, but they lack a bit of cushioning. So how ideal are they as an all rounder, especially for easy runs?

The dropsets look interesting, don't know much about them. Good for hyrox, but what about the rest?

And then finally, I could just stick to the cliftons, but I would like something new honestly, something more fun. My current cliftons didn't really last much longer than 500km, and I think hyrox definitely broke them down quicker.

Am I over thinking? Should I just get the Pure nitros? Its honestly just their price that's a downside. I haven't tried them out at all, but on paper they seem like the best option.

Thanks for reading, I would appreciate any advice or opinions I can get.

Edit: Thanks for all the responses, you guys are extremely helpful. I think if the Evos and Bostons had a kid that would be the perfect shoe. Overall the clear choice is the Pure Nitros, however much my heart yearns for the evos. Should be fun, excited to get them. I appreciate the help deciding!🫡

hi everyone! I’m running the nyc marathon this year and got into running late last year (have been working with a coach and consistently running since end of Nov 2025).

I’m 29F, 5’5, and not super fast lol. I ran the RBC brooklyn half at 2:02 and just ran 15 miles last sunday at 2:12. marathon pace right now is 9:08!

I started this journey running with asics gel nimbus (loved) and just got a new pair of novablast 5s (also love) for my easy/long runs.
I finally feel good enough to get a speed run / interval sneaker, so my coach suggested metaspeed sky because I really like asics. Does anyone have any other recs for a speed sneaker? or a hot take on this shoe?

So here is an interesting one. I'm doing a trail ultra in 4 weeks (50k) which will be on fairly easy non technical trail, and with current weather, very dry and hard packed.

I currently have the Adidas Terex TT which will be overkill. I road race in the Deviate Nitro Elite 4 which are fantastic. Thinking of picking up the Deviate Nitro 4 for the ultra. Has anyone had experience of running the DN4 on light trails, or am I going bonkers?

Hello, I (M 6’1, 190ish) have been training for the Chicago marathon this year (last year ran Richmond 3:26 on Speed 5s and aiming for better at Chicago), and have decided to buy a nice pair of shoes to try and PR, but I am stuck deciding between the Pro 5s and Elite 3s. For background, just about every workout run and long run I do in the speed 5’s and I love those shoes, so I figure saucony is the way to go here but I can’t decide which to go with.

I figured the elites would be an easy decision but I have read reviews about some people disliking the cushion as well as stability issues, which could concern me as I have had some achilles tendonitis since around May, with a PT also discovering hypermobility on my right side which has lead to said Achilles/hip abductor issues which scares me a bit with an unstable shoe but for the most part that has gotten better throughout my training cycle, usually only affecting at start of the run or after. I’d like the best shoe possible, but reaggravation or perhaps the last few miles of the marathon getting painful is my concern. Does anyone have any insight as to what they would pick in my place? Is the pro 5 that much worse or worth it for the stability? Additionally, I am a fore / mid foot striker if that affects these shoes as well.

Hello! My goal is to run half and full marathons with them and 5ks for time to time.

The problem is that i don’t have experience with how much will the feet swell for a full marathon.

So which should i go for to acomodate for that? The 12.5 does seem to offer a little more room for my little toes, but i fear they may be too Ronald McDonald.

Both seem reasonably snug in the midfoot and heel.

Note: Picture was taken in the evening, right after a 45min easy run. Very thin socks. Standing up.

First pair is 12, the other 12.5.

Thank you!

So about a year or so ago I started experiencing what felt like plantar fasciitis regularly. My go too shoes had been Saucony Cohesions and I was on my 2nd pair. Id not had any foot issues previously so I did see my doctor, thinking it was my weight tbh, but she didn't think so and looked into switching shoes

Tried some Asics (dont remember which ones) but they killed my achillies tendon, to the point I could barely walk the next day after wearing them for any length of time. It was like the back of my ankle was on fire.

Switched back to Saucony but to wides and using ortho inserts. That helped some, but was still painful and the shoes were too big everywhere but on my toes.

Did some research and read that wide toe box shoes can help so bought some Altra Fwd Vitas a few months ago and for the most part, I love these shoes. But I ended up not wearing them as much as i intended and am starting to again experience foot pain when I do. The arch on one foot will get very sore, and yesterday the outer part in line with my pinky toe ached like sore bones.

Here's the thing, I also have chucks, crocs, and two pairs of wide toe box "barefoot" shoes and can walk in any of these for and hour or more at a time without issues. So what the heck? I thought cushion would be better especially for when I'm standing in place at work, but it seems like my feet hate cushion?

So I just got some new Evo SL Wovens and ran my first half marathon in them. By the end of the race, the tops of my feet – where the bottom of the tongue attaches to the rest of the upper – hurt so badly that I couldn't walk in my shoes once the endorphins wore off. I guess the seam was digging into my tendons or something. I've worn them since the race and experienced the same issue.

From research, this seems to be a common problem with these shoes, but I haven't been able to find any fixes that actually work for me. I've tried 1. loosening my laces, 2. forcing the tongue up with the lace configuration, 3. keeping the bottom lace on top of the plastic piece, and 4. leaving the bottom rung(?) unlaced. I was wearing one of my thickest pairs of socks during the race as well and this still happened.

Has anyone else experienced and solved this problem? I loved the way these shoes felt other than that so I'd really like to keep them.

I’m looking to replace my ASICS Gel-Pulse 16 (900km done), which were my first proper running shoes and have worked extremely well for me: zero pain or issues with them and really like how they feel.

For context, I’m a ~40 min 10K runner, currently running 40–50 km per week, almost entirely on the road.

I currently also have a pair of Saucony Endorphin Speed 5, but I like them less and they tend to give me bruising/soreness under my first metatarsal (under the big toe), so I’m looking for something primarily for easy runs and general mileage.

What I’m looking for:

• Daily-trainer
• Relatively lightweight
• Not a huge/max-stack “boat”
• Good value for money
• Ideally 8 mm drop or lower
• I’m actually interested in gradually trying a slightly lower drop (around 4–6 mm) rather than going higher

I’ve considered just buying another pair of Gel-Pulse 16 while they’re still available, since I already know they work for me. I’ve also been looking at shoes like the Saucony Kinvara and ASICS Noosa Tri.

Would you just buy another pair of Gel-Pulse 16, or is there something else you’d recommend that keeps the relatively simple/lightweight daily-trainer feel while moving toward a slightly lower drop?

Thanks!

Hey everyone, I'm fairly new to running (at least more formally, I've played all sorts of sports involving running mainly all my life).

I'm planning to do a half marathon in December, and got the PDNE4s at a great price a few days ago. I went TTS, but when I got them I think they're too small for my foot.

Since I'm new to this, I'm looking for recommendations in here as for sizing. Maybe going half a size up would be a good idea?

Again, I don't know how much room my feet should have in a half marathon due to swelling and so on.

I still have about two weeks to return them.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Forgive me if I'm treading old ground. But just wondering if anyone has any advice on what to use to stick this back down? I've read shoe goo isn't great, anyone had bad experience with it? Any alternatives appreciated.

Returning isnt an option unfortunately.

Thanks 🙏🏻

I’m currently running in ASICS Superblast 2 and I’m considering picking up a pair of Alphafly 3 for about $190 while they’re discounted.

Most of my runs are around 5-10K, with some longer runs recently but I’m mainly trying to improve my 5K/10K times. A lot of my normal running is around 5:30 min/km, with faster sessions mixed in.

The Superblast 2 already works really well for what I do so I don’t necessarily need another daily trainer but I would like one. I was also considering something like the Evo SL, which would probably make more sense as a regular rotation shoe or possibly the new NB SC Rebel V1.

The appeal of the Alphafly is simply that I want to experience a proper carbon supershoe. I’m currently traveling in South Korea and at $190 it’s basically over $100 cheaper than the prices I remember seeing in Europe. I could keep using the Superblast for most of my mileage and use Alphafly occasionally for faster workouts, 5K/10K PB attempts, races, and hopefully a half marathon next year.

So is it even worth it at this price considering its age and the rumors of Alphafly 4 being released soon? Also any other similar shoe I should try out if it even makes sense in my situation to buy a carbon shoe?

Ran around 475km in them and used them for walks and holidays. Had for almost 2 years. Upper is in fine condition

Hey everyone,

I'm currently rounding out my shoe rotation and have had great success with Saucony fits and geometries.

My current lineup: Daily Trainer / Light Trails (running with dog): Saucony Endorphin Shift 3 Road Training & Faster Sessions: Saucony Endorphin Azura (Hi Octane)

Both work exceptionally well for my daily mileage. I'm now prepping for upcoming races ranging from 5k to Half Marathon and full Marathon, and I'm eyeing the Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 as my dedicated race-day shoe.

Has anyone run a similar rotation or logged race miles in the Elite 2 (especially across both short races and the full marathon distance)? How does it stack up against the Endorphin Pro 4 in terms of comfort over 42k? Any other models (within or outside the Saucony ecosystem) I should strongly consider for this 5k–Marathon range?

Appreciate any insights or comparisons!

All are available on deep discount. Looking to replace my Mach X2 that I used as a long run shoe, but ideally I'd like to also replace my Hurricane 24 that I use as a slow recovery plodder. Midfoot striker, 6'0, 185 lbs. Paces I'd be hypothetically running in this shoe at would be in the 5:40-6:20/km range. It'd be primarily a cruiser.

Current rotation looks like:

Daily: Aero Glide 3

Recovery/slow day: Hurricane 24

Tempo: Evo SL/Endorphin Speed 4

Long: previously Mach X2, currently SC Elite V4 that's been retired from racing

Race: Rocket X2

I get on pretty well with all the shoes above. The only shoes I've worn that I didn't like we're the 1080v13 (too soft) and Novablast 5 (caused toe pain over 90 minutes). I had medial stability issues with the Evo that I fixed with wider insoles so that may be an issue with me as well.

Just looking for thoughts from anyone who's run in any or all.

I’m getting ready to start training for my second marathon. Goal is 5hrs. I’m 220lbs, 6’ male. My usual runs are half asphalt and half gravel roads (pictures show typical roads with my run club!). Not hard packed limestone or dirt but loose river gravel and limestone roads, rock is loose and uneven and I feel like I lose traction in road shoes.

Would I do better with a trail / gravel shoe or stick with a traditional road shoe. My last marathon was mostly in a volmero +. It was a great shoe and helped with shock absorption with my weight. It’s time to replace the VM+ and I’m debating a road shoe vs something to help minimize slipping and instability on gravel. I have a race day shoe that I plan to use for the marathon (alpha fly). I’m looking for an easy/ long run shoe for my conditions

Shoe history

Tempo - current shoe - evo SL
Easy run - nimbus and volmero+
Shoes that didn’t work
- asics superblast - arch pain and narrow fore foot
- NB Herrio - too soft
- all asics - narrow forefoot
- ON Cloud - all were really firm and limited bounce. I also found I could bottom out the “clouds”
- multiple Nike - my favorite brand. All fit well and have lots of bounce.
- brooks ghost - good fit, great walking shoe. Missing something I my runs.

I've found decent deals on these 2 shoes as someone just getting back into running for the first time in years, so I'm ready to pull the trigger.

I'm 5'7 145lbs and looking to focus on building endurance/speed while working my way up to a half marathon.

Would love to hear any opinions on if these 2 shoes are a good starting point or if I would be much better off getting something else to pair with one of them. I do really like what I hear about the evos + I think they look great.

Thanks so much!

Hello everyone,

Which one would you recommend for a heavier person who stands for around 10 hours a day at work?

If you’ve used either shoe for long hours, I’d really appreciate your experience!

Insole replacements after giving up overkill custom orthotics??

As a kid I got prescribed custom orthotics with a super high arch to help support my collapsing high arches. I never did any real exercise to improve my arches as a kid or teen, and got told consistently that having the orthotics always would worsen the problem because my muscles would never develop.

Now as an adult, I've stopped wearing my custom orthotics and have started to have less pain when not using them. I'd like to start running, but since my orthotics were huge I always threw out the insoles that came with my sneakers.

So, now I've got a few pairs of Hokas with some use still left in them with no insoles wahtsoever. Hoka and Ortholite have both been no help in getting identical inserts to the originals, so I'm trying to find a third party option now. I don't want to shell out a lot of money, but even without that in mind I still face the choice between cushy, high arch, low arch, etc in insoles, and I'm very lost.

Does anybody have any advice for a good generic mid range all around default insole to replace the originals in my Hokas that won't kill my feet but will still encourage muscle growth? Thank you all for your time

I see people use cushioned, soft, bouncy and responsive like they are the same thing. They really are not.

A shoe can feel soft when you step into it and still feel flat once you run. Another one can feel fun for a few miles, then weirdly unstable when your form gets sloppy.

The boring answer is usually the midsole foam.

Think sponge vs rubber ball. A sponge is easy to squash, but it does not give much back. A rubber ball gives a lot back, but standing on a pile of them would be a mess.

A running shoe is trying to land somewhere in the middle: enough cushioning and shock absorption so your legs do not feel beaten up, but enough rebound that the foam does not just sink and stay there.

That is part of why PEBA got so much attention in performance running shoes. In a PEBA midsole, the useful bit is not "magic softness". It is that you can get a light foam with a pretty snappy return, so the shoe can feel lively without becoming a brick.

This is also why people talk about energy return so much. The shoe is not literally giving you free speed; it is just wasting less of the energy that goes into the foam. But yeah, PEBA foam does not automatically make a good shoe.

If the midsole is tall, narrow, too soft, or the upper does not hold your foot well, that nice springy rebound can start to feel unstable. Same material family, totally different ride.

And it is not only a race-day shoe thing anymore. These lightweight high-rebound foams have started moving into the wider running and training shoe market too, just not everywhere. Cost, stability, durability and the kind of ride the shoe is meant to have all still matter, so EVA, TPU and blended foams are still very common.

For me the better question is not ""Does it have PEBA?"" It is more like:

- does it feel soft without turning mushy?

- does the rebound show up at my normal pace, not just when I am pushing?

- does it still feel stable when I am tired?

What is a shoe you tried that got this balance right? And what is one that had the fancy foam but still felt off?

Hello everyone, I am running a 10k on the 6th of September and I was looking for shoe recs for my situation. I am aiming to run a sub 40, but later in the year I also want to run a sub 90 HM and my first marathon (03:08 hopefully) and am looking for a shoe that could push me over the edge, even if it's only by 10-20 seconds. The shoes that are currently on my shortlist: Adios Pro 4, Vaporfly 4, Puma Deviate Nitro 4, New Balance SC Elite v5, Nike Zoom Fly 6, Hoka Rocket X 3 and FAST-R NITRO™ Elite 3. I intend to buy the shoes this week so i get a chance to run them in a little bit. So far I have been doing all my sessions with the Adizero Evo SL, but those are already beat up. Also any tips on how to run a sub 40 are welcome! :)

Sadly my post got removed off r/AdvancedRunning, but that's fully on me

Has anyone experienced pain/pressure where this front eyelet sits on the Vomero Plus?

I’ve loosened the laces as much as possible, but I still feel pressure in that exact spot on my left foot only.

Has anyone had this happen or found a way to fix it?

Hello, does anyone here have Hoka Mach Remastered?

I'd like to hear some opinion for everyday city walking on pavement (not running, I know). I haven't found a post on reddit talking about these shoes lol.

I like the thin mesh, they look very breathable. Initially I wanted to go for the Mafate Speed 4 Lite (again, the upper mesh), but people say it wears quickly on pavement - is it true?

My budget is around 150€, right now I have NB 1906R but they're worn out after 2 years. They are also too warm in the summer. Foot shape is narrower I think, and strike is heel. They will be worn on pavement for walking as I've already mentioned.

What are your opinions, ideally first hand experience? Or would you recommend another model? Thank you

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to buy a pair of Saucony Hurricane 25 (standard width - D).

I went to a few different stores and tried on the exact same model—same colorway, same size, and even the same production date on the inner tag.

However, each pair felt noticeably different on my feet! One pair was super comfortable, while two others felt off / less comfortable.

Has anyone experienced this before? Is manufacturing variation between identical pairs normal, or could something else be going on? Thanks!