My Shoe Rotation November 2020
Have not really posted in quite a while actually, so just going to post about the shoes I am running in right now.
Currently, as of fall 2020, I am running around 6 times a week, only singles throughout. Usually a slightly longer run on Sunday. I am only hovering around 50 miles a week, since I just want to take it slowly after getting back in good shape from the summer. I am also exercise biking once or twice a day to maintain extra fitness, so I can easily bump up my mileage to 70ish per week in the future, with doubles, when necessary. But for now, it’s just running around 1 hour a day with a longer run on Saturday. Maybe some stronger efforts here and there, but for the most part, everything has been easy.
I mostly use Strava to track the amount of mileage ran in my shoes.
So let’s start with the Nike Infinity React. It’s basically my go to daily trainer, mostly for easier efforts. I have ran in these since June, when I got them on sale. In the beginning, it was not the best fit, as I felt not super locked in (especially the heel counter area). But as I ran more, it felt better and better in them. They are pretty heavy, though when I am running at an easier pace, I don’t really feel it. The large amount of react foam gives good cushion and responsiveness, so it feels really fun to run in as well.
Overall, I think I will run in this till 600ish miles. I think it can last longer, but I do not really want to risk injury or whatnot. It still feels fine, though I can feel it ever so slightly bottoming out right now. It’s sitting near 550 miles right now, and I think this can be a great casual shoe once I retire it, since I feel it is lasting longer than my previous shoes.
Now, the next one would be the Nike Pegasus 36. Since the 37s had come out this year, the 36s were on sale. I picked these up in April, and it is a great all-around shoe that I enjoyed running in. It was responsive and quick when I needed it to pick up the pace, and there was a decent amount of cushioning such that easy runs can be easy. The overall fit was good, true to size, I did not have too many issues with it. I have used the 33s, 34s, and 35 shields before, so it is pretty similar to them. The upper felt solid, and there was nice traction as well.
I used this in the beginning mostly as a daily trainer, since it was nice for easier runs that were not super long. However I also used it for some tempo runs and workouts (fartlek). It worked surprisingly well during those faster paces as well. Although it did not have a plate in it nor it is specifically meant for racing, I still felt like this trainer could do it all. I was able to do workouts that were over 10 miles in them, with my legs still feeling relatively fresh, and was even able to do a 23 mile long run in them. It may not be super cushioned like the ones I will be mentioning later, but I loved this shoe because of how versatile it is.
Now it is at around 520 miles, and I feel like it has lost a lot of its versatility because I feel it bottoming out a bit. Maybe I will try to get it to 550–600 miles, since I think it can still work for easy runs.
The next pair is the Nike Pegasus 35 Turbos. I got this February 2020. This was my fourth Peg 35 Turbo, which was probably the most reliable shoes I ever had. I was able to get those because of its constant sales (since it was getting quite ‘old’ relative to newer models), and the shoe is pretty much like a pegasus for me. It can basically do it all. The upper feels nice; though it does not seem super breathable, it was able to get the job done in almost all situations. The traction may not seem the best (especially the medial side where the rubber wears out at ~300 miles for me), but it still works in most cases.
The cushioning is the best part for me by far. Just like the Pegasuses, it can do it all: easy, fast, long, etc. The zoomX paired with react works really well for my running style and build, and makes running super enjoyable in them. The weight was also pretty light relative to the other shoes I have mentioned above.
Long runs were super fun in them, since the shoe kept my legs feeling good with its awesome cushioning. I was able to go faster easily, mostly thanks to the zoomX. The fit was nice, and I have no complaints for this shoe. I did a half marathon in these and it felt nice. Overall it is at over 600 miles right now (was able to get to this on the other ones as well). I use my older ones casually now, since it still feels good when walking in them. The stack height is a bit higher than other shoes, but overall, these shoes are awesome.
Next up is the Nike Zoom Fly Flyknit that I got in August 2019. I got these shoes on a really good sale at a Nike outlet store. I mostly use this shoe for speed days, or just any day where I have to go faster. This shoe is also pretty solid for racing as well (did a nice 10-mile race in them), though I would say there are better options since this shoe is quite heavy relative to other racers.
The flyknit upper material is very cool and fits very well. I did have a few small issues with my toe bleeding a few times specifically with this shoe (which is weird since other flyknit shoes like the epic react has never given me such problems). The traction with this shoe is OK. I have done a lot of track workouts in them and it held up fine. The carbon plate combined with the react foam does a nice job, and gives me a good responsive push off when I am pushing the pace. Overall, this shoe makes running fast easier. Running in this shoe is also pretty fun as well.
So far I have run around 450 miles in them. Though I feel like it is losing some cushioning prowess (and also the outsole getting worn quite a bit), the carbon plate still provides it with nice responsiveness. I have used this shoe for some ‘easier’ runs as well, and it still held up fine, did not feel super awkward. Walking around in it for the first few times would feel awkward because of the stack height and the carbon plate in it, combined with the flyknit. Though overall, this is a solid shoe in my rotation, especially if I need a bit more speed. I think I will wear this until around 500–550 miles. I do not really want to risk injury by putting too much more miles in them, since it does not feel super fresh anymore.
The next pair of shoes in my rotation is the Adidas Boston 9, which I got recently in July 2020. I would say this shoe is kind of like the Pegasus line as well; just a do-it-all kind of trainer. This is my first non-Nike running shoes in over a year, and my first pair of Adidas running shoes since the Energy Boost in 2016. Overall, so far, my impressions is decent, I guess. I think Adidas shoes are relatively more narrow and a bit long compared to Nike. I usually get size 10.5 for everything, and at first, the Boston 9s felt a bit too big.
But after breaking them in a bit, and tightened the laces to my liking, the fit was fine. The heel counter circumference area as well as the tongue can be a bit more cushioned as well (though I would say the same for the Pegasus 36s) but overall not a big deal, just feels weird when lacing them up. I have used these as a regular trainer, but also for some speedier workouts and longer runs. It worked pretty well for all of them. The upper was overall fine, and I am enjoying the outsole since it seems like it has good traction and can do alright in mild winter conditions.
However, I am not the biggest fan of the midsole. The boost and lightstrike combination makes it pretty responsive, but not the most cushioned. Though I would still comfortably take it for longer runs, I don’t feel the stack height and comfort compared to a Pegasus Turbo, which I was blessed to run in for over a year. Overall, this midsole combination works well, and gives it great responsiveness (and thus it is able to work well in faster workouts as well), but it does not give me the enjoyment I would usually get from other shoes I have used. Don’t get me wrong, there is still a good amount of cushioning, but I guess I am not used to it. That is why during easy runs, this shoe feels a bit flat, even though it still has a lot of life left in it.
Overall, I am pretty sure this shoe can be used until 500–600 miles. The only concern I have is whether or not I can tolerate the cushioning setup, since I am not used to it. The lightstrike and boost is pretty cool, and I enjoy it for more responsive rides. But overall, I guess my body is more used to cushioned runs.
Finally, the Vaporfly Next%. These are my go-to racing shoes I guess, which I got in October 2020, when this pink colourway was released. I have only done 3 runs in them: a track workout (time trial style), one tune up tempo for last year’s December marathon, and that said marathon. Maybe one more if you include me testing the fit of it at Fleet Feet before purchasing it (was comparing this to the CarbonX to see what my marathon racers would be).
This shoe is super good, I was able to break a lot of PRs, and was able to do the marathon nicely, despite shin problems — which ended up destroying my shin after the marathon, but that was already given. What was not given was whether or not I can stay at a good pace for 26.2 miles (uncertain since my shin was feeling off) after training for this for pretty much the past year, and this shoe was able to help me do it relatively smoothly.
The upper was very cool and it fit really well, though it took a short time to get used to the vaporweave combined with the stack height and plate. The ZoomX with carbon plate midsole was goated; very responsive which allows me to go super fast, and super cushioned which let my legs feel so so good no matter what distance I was running. The outsole was nice, nothing to complain about the traction during racing. This shoe, as a whole, was fully worth the $250USD. The innovation and technology is something I have not experienced before.
Although I have only run 40 miles in them (and 0 over the last summer despite putting 90+ miles weeks), hopefully I can do a solid 5k and 1 mile time trial within the next month to end off this year. I will obviously be running in these.
Overall, this is my shoe rotation. As observed, I will probably be switching some out soon, since 3 trainers (infinity react, pegasus 36, pegasus turbos) and a workout shoe (zoom fly flyknit) are nearing its end of life. I will probably still be using the next%s for races and time trials for the next year probably, since it’s still a elite shoe, and I don’t really need another one. I will probably use the Boston 9s for the next while, since that still has a lot of life left in it, probably just for daily training at moderate efforts.
For future shoes to put in the rotation, I already got the Pegasus 36 trail gtx for winter running and maybe trail running which I will do more of. That will probably be my daily trainer during the winter. I am considering getting the endorphin speeds since it seems like very good value, and a superb all around beast. And maybe one more cushioned, easy day, daily trainer type shoe. For that, maybe another pair of infinity reacts, or pegasus 37s. Not too sure yet. Maybe something non-nike, but I am not sure. Since I am very used to Nike shoes already and it had worked pretty well for me over the last few years.