Running shoe addiction confession thread ;-p
_nikkiwolf_
Posts: 1,380 Member
I can't believe we don't have a thread for pictures of our running shoe collections yet!
I'm fully aware I own too many running shoes, but maybe talking about it will help?
Here's a picture of my collection:
And now some details what kind of shoes they are & what a think about them:
Clockwise, starting at the top, there's first the tree pairs I bought this spring when I decided I needed trail shoes:
The light-blue shoes at 4 o'clock are the only shoes that I bought for the full price in a shop specialised on running, rather than online&on sale. Sadly, they are also the only purchase I really regret...
Then I retired a few shoes at the end of this summer, i.e. deposited them at work/my parents place, so they aren't on the picture:
After retiring those three, I bought three new pair to replace them. That's the shoes at 6, 8 and 10 o'clock:
And the last item of my collection, the bright yellow shoes on the left:
I'm fully aware I own too many running shoes, but maybe talking about it will help?
Here's a picture of my collection:
And now some details what kind of shoes they are & what a think about them:
Clockwise, starting at the top, there's first the tree pairs I bought this spring when I decided I needed trail shoes:
- ASICS Gel-Fuji Runnegade (80km since April 2016) - 6mm drop, 218g, protection against getting debris inside the shoe, soles with massive lugs that does amazing on mud. Really weird if you try to wear them on a road or dry tracks, but I love them for muddy trails and hope they'll do well on snow too.
- Saucony Xodus 6.0 GTX (115km since May 2016) - 4mm drop, 301g, waterproof gore-tex upper. I'm not too impressed with these shoes for trails - the Asics are better on mud, and my Inov-8s are betting on wet, slippery rock. So despite the waterproof material, I'm mostly using them on dry roads now, but there they are very comfortable, just a bit heavy.
- Inov8 Terrafly 277 (158km since May 2016) - 6mm drop, 240g, good fit, good grip, like them on rocky trails and the road. The only negative point is that they don't have much protection against debris getting in, so every now and then I have to stop a run and shake out a little stone.
The light-blue shoes at 4 o'clock are the only shoes that I bought for the full price in a shop specialised on running, rather than online&on sale. Sadly, they are also the only purchase I really regret...
- On Cloudflyer (102km since April 2016) - 7mm drop, 243g. In the store I was impressed with the fancy cloud pod sole. After running in them a bit however, I realised that while the sole is nice, they seem to be too narrow for me in the arch/midfoot section; I can't run in them for longer distances without my feet beginning to cramp up. And it's super annoying when little rocks get stuck in the "cloud elements". I haven't worn them for the last couple of month - I'm actually looking for a race with a shoe donation box to get rid of them.
Then I retired a few shoes at the end of this summer, i.e. deposited them at work/my parents place, so they aren't on the picture:
- Brooks Pure Flow 3 (585km since July 2014) - 4mm drop, 207g. Nothing special about them, but I liked them a lot.
- Saucony Guide 7 (705km since December 2014) - 8mm drop, 238g. Bought when I decided to increase my distance and thought I should use "stability" shoes. Maybe that's why they were feeling a bit stiff to me, but still nice for long road runs.
- Saucony Cortana 4 (615km since January 2016) - 4mm drop, 176g. Those were my favourite running shoes ever, light, comfortable, great on trails and roads. I am so sad Saucony doesn't make them anymore!
After retiring those three, I bought three new pair to replace them. That's the shoes at 6, 8 and 10 o'clock:
- Saucony Zealot (261km since August 2016) - 4mm drop, 204g. Not as good as the Cortonas, but the closest thing I could find.
- Saucony Kinvara 7 (32 km since November 2016) - 4mm drop, 184g. Bought these as a "reward" for finishing my first marathon, and because they were crazy cheap. There seem very similar to the Zealots, I can't really tell a difference yet.
- Brooks Pure Flow 5 (106km since August 2016) - 4mm drop, 221g. I thought they would be the natural replacement for my retired version 3. Sadly, it turned out Brooks changed the tongue and the upper material. Why did they have to go and make them heavier and less comfortable at the same time? They are still okay, but I don't like them as much as the old ones.
And the last item of my collection, the bright yellow shoes on the left:
- Merrell Road Glove Dash 3 (41km since September 2016) - 0mm drop, 173g. Because I felt like trying out "minimalist" shoes. What's funny is that I have other shoes which are of similar weight, like the Kinvaras, but the Merrels feel a lot lighter. The sole is so thin you can really feel the ground you're running on. I didn't get any soreness in the calfs or anywhere else when I started using them (which I read from other people starting to use minimalist shoes), but I'll still limit using them to short distances.
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Awesome! I'll have to wait until my wife is out of the house before I can take a photo of all my shoes. I don't want to have to explain the reason for having so many to her.
@_nikkiwolf_ nice descriptions of all your shoes! Several of those models I've never heard of. Sorry the On shoes didn't work out for you. I only have 5 miles in mine but I absolutely love them. Can't wait to wear them again Saturday.
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I have the Brooks Pure Flow 5 in pink and that blue/purple shade. Love them except for the tongue. I'll post a pic when I can. I gave away quiet a few shoes once I upped my mileage. They were still good but a local group collected sneakers for kids/teens (I have small feet) who couldn't afford gym shoes, and figured they'd put them to better use than I would.2
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This just reminded me that I need to get some shoes with a drop less than 10mm. I have 1 pair, but those are my trail shoes, and I figure I should have one pair of road shoes with less drop too.0
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My wife leaves Thursday night to pick up my son from college. That will be my chance to break out all my shoes and take some pictures if I can remember to bring home the three pair I have stashed under my desk at work. With the shoes I bought Sunday I'm now up to 6 pair in rotation (2 road/4 trail), 8 pair in reserve (5 road/3 trail) and 5 retired (5 road).3
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@_nikkiwolf_ - There's no such thing as too many running shoes. Running turns us all into Imelda Marcos.
The three pair on top of the boxes are my Saucony Kinvaras in rotation for normal running. The gray pair is Kinvara 6, the other two are Kinvara 5. Inside the boxes are 3 more pair of Kinvara 6 waiting to go into rotation as I retire the ones I'm using now.
The blue shoes in front are Saucony Peregrines, a trail shoe. I use them for running on snowy roads and sometimes even on trails. The red pair are the Saucony Peregrines that I retired from running at 500 miles, but they're still in service for lawn mowing and snow shoveling. Based on how they feel, I may have retired them prematurely.
The gray pair in front are Asics 33-Ms that I use for walking. 4 mm heel drop, just like all the Sauconys, but lots of cushion that's good for the heel strike I have while walking. It's almost time to order another pair of these in anticipation of wearing out the heels on this pair.
Not pictured: I just ordered a pair of Saucony Kilkenny cross country spikes. They won't get here for 10 days or so, but that's okay. I'll have them for the next cross country race I do.
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Shoe question - do you guys find the heel drop makes a difference for your long runs? Helps with fatigue and pain?
When I first got into running I went with the most comfortable and lightest running shoes not knowing anything about heel drop until I started running longer than 5 miles. Anyway, I went back and checked the heel drop on my previous shoes and found the ones that have worked for me without injuries (aside from trails, because well, trails... and worn out shoes) were heel drops 6 mm and less. I've read research on the impact of going from 12 mm and switching to minimalist shoes, but haven't found any research that says anything about going from minimalist to 10 mm+.0 -
@AnnyisOK - Can't address going to a greater heel drop. I went from 13 mm heel drop to 4 mm, phasing it in as suggested. Then I got hurt, and when I came back I just came back in 4 mm. Now, even 8 mm feels odd; but I wasn't running enough in the high drop shoes to have a fair comparison for injury.
The reason I went low wasn't truly for the heel drop, but for the light weight. The idea was that with a lighter shoe, I'd feel the effects of poor form sooner and naturally clean up my form to avoid the hurt instead of running with poor form masked by greater cushion. It seems to have worked, as I also went from pronation support to a neutral shoe after I went light weight.1 -
@AnnyisOK - Can't address going to a greater heel drop. I went from 13 mm heel drop to 4 mm, phasing it in as suggested. Then I got hurt, and when I came back I just came back in 4 mm. Now, even 8 mm feels odd; but I wasn't running enough in the high drop shoes to have a fair comparison for injury.
The reason I went low wasn't truly for the heel drop, but for the light weight. The idea was that with a lighter shoe, I'd feel the effects of poor form sooner and naturally clean up my form to avoid the hurt instead of running with poor form masked by greater cushion. It seems to have worked, as I also went from pronation support to a neutral shoe after I went light weight.
That's what I'm worried about. I like that the lower drop allows me to feel the ground as I run, for the same reason - form. But upping my mileage and searching for something new, all the shoe places kept suggested very cushioned shoes and that's really when all of my injuries started. I just figured it may just be me needing to adjust to the feel. I still hope that's it because running shoes are not cheap.
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My current ones in rotation. The New Balance I got for trail running and my old Saucony is really more for cross training.
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I'm finally getting back to post my shoe collection. Prices posted are what I paid.
First, the entire collection:
Here's my current rotation, with a description below:
On the left, top to bottom:
Brooks Glycerin 12 with 200 miles on them. 10.9oz, 10mm drop. $70. The yellow is duct tape, which I use in the winter from time to time to keep out snow and wind. This is my third pair of this model. Very cushiony, which is what I wanted when I started since I was 50 pounds overweight at the time. I'll likely not buy any more because I'd like to transition to lower drop shoes.
Salomon Speed Cross 4 - 40 miles, 10.9 oz, 10mm drop, FREE. I won these as a door prize at a trail race last summer. They have an awesome tread which grips well in snow, sand and mud, but I find them too narrow. I got a blister on my first run with them. I've since switched to a thinner sock when I wear them, and I liberally apply Trail Toes and no longer have that problem, but they still get too tight after a long run. I'll limit these to 8 miles runs or shorter, unless I need the tread. These have a unique lacing system using a quick-adjust sliding clampy thing which then tucks up into a pock on the outside of the tongue. I haven't decided if I like this or not.
Altra Lone Peak 2.5 - 2.5 miles, 9.7 oz, Zero drop, Free - My first pair of zero drop shoes. This was a free pair in a Buy 2 pair, Get 1pair Free deal on black friday. Normally $120. These have a HUGE toe box and I look forward to getting some more miles in them. Because of the zero drop, I'm limiting them to shorter runs until I know I won't get any calf or achilles pain running in them. I have high hope for these shoes.
On the right, top to bottom:
ASICS Gel Nimbus 17 - 90 miles, 10.8 oz, 10mm drop, $70. My second pair of this model, they are very similar to the Glycerin 12's, but I think these fit me just a bit better. If I do decide to keep a high crop, cushiony shoe in rotation, it will be this one, but I'll probably use up the ones I have and move on.
Merrell All Out Charge - 190 miles, 10oz, 6mm drop, $50. My first trail shoe. These were found online, on clearance, so I took a chance on them. I loved them initially but after trying the pair below, I'll never buy another pair of these again. These have a "burrito tongue", which is attached on one side to help keep out debris. Some love it, some hate it, I like it.
On Running Cloudventure - 30 miles, 10.1oz, 6mm drop, $150. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, they fit like a glove! I discovered these when a local running store had a demo at the trails I run on. They didn't have my size so I ran in a size too small and I still found them to be awesome. They truly feel like running in snug comfortable slippers. The upper has enough stretch so they don't feel tight, but enough support that you're not sliding all over. The laces are a bit thin and I may swap those out. The unique thing about these are the pads at the bottom. I thought they would make the shoe feel mushy but that wasn't the case at all. It gives me good cushion, but let's me really feel the trail. These are what I'll be wearing when I run my 50K in April
My shoes in reserve:
Left side, top to bottom:
Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 31 - 10.1 oz, 10mm drop, $50 - I have one retired pair which I bought on whim since they were so damn cheap. They have more responsiveness than my Gel-Nimbus or Glycerins, but still provide adequate cushioning. This was my model of choice for my marathon last May. Some say the shoe is too narrow but I didn't think so, obviously. My son really likes these so I may not get to wear them.
ASICS Gel Nimbus 17 - Free. These were a free replacement for my original pair which started getting excessive wear around the achilles notch. ASICS replaced them even though they had 250 miles on them, which I told them about.
Brooks Glycerin 12 - $100. My 4th and final pair
Merrell All Out Charge - $60 My 2nd and final pair
Right side, top to bottom:
Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 31 - $50 - Again, my son really likes these so I may not get to wear them. I may try to get a 100 miles on them or so before he takes them.
ASICS Gel Nimbus 17 - $70
Saucony Kinvara TR 2 - 7.8 oz, 4mm drop, $45. I went to the running store to get something for my daughter, and came home with these for me. They were on the clearance shelf and they feel awesome! Because of their lightness, I'm saving these for my shorter summer races.
On Running Cloudventure - $150
And my retired shoes:
Left side, top to bottom
Brooks Glycerin 12 - $75. Second pair
Adidas, Costco version, $35 or so - I bought these as part of a failed attempt to start running several years ago. I actually ran my first 5K in these. I need to donate them soon.
Right side, top to bottom:
Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 31 $50 - These are my marathon shoes. I only got 170 miles out of them before my son decided he like them and started wearing them. Since they were so cheap, and I had so many other shoes, I let him have them.
ASICS Gel Cumulus 16 - 10.6oz, 10mm drop, $52. Billed as similar to the Nimbus but not as much cushion, I tried them out when I found them so cheap. While they worked ok, I was never a fan of them. The outsole at the heal wore through at 250 miles so I used that as an excuse to retire them.
Retired shoes not shown:
ASICS Gel Nimbus 17 - $100 - Returned to ASICS due to wear around the Achilles notch. They sent me a free replacement.
Brooks Glycerin 12 - $150 - My very first *real* running shoe. I now keep these on our sailboat in case I forget to bring mine. We spend the night on the boat and I'll often run in the morning before my wife gets up.
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^ My wife can never see or hear about this post, OK?!?!5
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I just saw this! I need to post a pic. I
shoes! 0 -
After seeing these pics, i realize I need to go shoe shopping.
@7lenny7 You are seriously hilarious!! I fell over laughing after I read your last post. I read it after I told my husband that I wish I knew your wife to show her the pics. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.1 -
Thank you all for making me feel better about myself! It's not just me!!! That being said there's a new pair of brooks Ravenna I've had my eye on!2
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My addiction just kicked into gear... I now need a pair of ~4mm drop road shoes....the hunt has begun!1
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Lol, what the heck is a drop, I had to go look that up. I still have no idea what it does
I have one pair of running shoes. My last pair the shoe literally broke between the treads (Brooks trail). I liked the Brooks. ZombiesRun! sent me my 1000k e-mail. Those miles probably killed shoes ;D
I rarely run on roads, mostly dirt, and steep granite rock hopping trails. Currently I'm sporting the 4mm drop (had to look that up) Saucony Runanywhere Xodus 3.0. They were on SALE for $60, and they are very purple. with shocking electric green, and Vibram soles. Very light weight and the bottoms are sort of stiff. When I break the bottoms of the shoe, I'll go see what else is on sale
I could use something with a thicker sole. Any suggestions?
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So, since I just retired a pair of shoes, that's an excuse top get a new pair, right? I only have 8 pairs in rotation, with 1 pair retired and 1 new pair in stand by to replace a pair that's the same make/model.1
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Pfft! That's the excuse to go on a shopping spree! Usually a first-time-shoe-retirer has a little trouble letting go of that first pair. Unbeknownst to them, part of the problem was that they didn't have enough other shoes to rotate through to allow them to properly see the diminished relative value of the older pair. Luckily, once that first pair is officially retired many runners buy two or three new pair as part of the grieving process to fill the void on their feet. Once a sufficiently sized collection is built up it becomes very obvious which shoes are no longer up to the task and it is easy to dispose of the bad shoes due to possessing a healthy quantity of backups to last until your next splurge, probably a few days later.MNLittleFinn wrote: »So, since I just retired a pair of shoes, that's an excuse top get a new pair, right? I only have 8 pairs in rotation, with 1 pair retired and 1 new pair in stand by to replace a pair that's the same make/model.
You're not even in double-digit territory yet on shoes in rotation. But you are well on your way!2 -
WhatMeRunning wrote: »
Pfft! That's the excuse to go on a shopping spree! Usually a first-time-shoe-retirer has a little trouble letting go of that first pair. Unbeknownst to them, part of the problem was that they didn't have enough other shoes to rotate through to allow them to properly see the diminished relative value of the older pair. Luckily, once that first pair is officially retired many runners buy two or three new pair as part of the grieving process to fill the void on their feet. Once a sufficiently sized collection is built up it becomes very obvious which shoes are no longer up to the task and it is easy to dispose of the bad shoes due to possessing a healthy quantity of backups to last until your next splurge, probably a few days later.MNLittleFinn wrote: »So, since I just retired a pair of shoes, that's an excuse top get a new pair, right? I only have 8 pairs in rotation, with 1 pair retired and 1 new pair in stand by to replace a pair that's the same make/model.
You're not even in double-digit territory yet on shoes in rotation. But you are well on your way!
LOL.... yeah.... These are the pair I'm eyeing: http://www.runningwarehouse.com/adidas_adizero_adios_Boost_3_Mens_Shoes_Red_White/descpage-AADB3M2.html
normally I buy size 7, but 6.5 is actually probably a closer to correct size for runners for me, and they have them in tat size.0
