Thread by @eugyppius1

“Eugyppius, what do you think about running shoes?” asked nobody ever. “What advice do you have about running shoes? What shoes do you like to wear?” asked still fewer people. Hence the need for this thread.

First, I think discussion around running shoes is too belaboured. They’re the closest thing the sport has to an equipment requirement (inb4 the barefoot runners: yes I know), so they’ve become a focal point of marketing & running culture, somewhat stupidly.

This means, second, that you probably want shoes that are claiming to do, and actually doing, as little as possible. You want the minimum necessary protection against sharp objects on the ground, and the minimum cushioning to get you through the distance you’re running.

The most important thing a running shoe can be, is not heavy. There is imho not nearly enough emphasis on this point, in the running shoe industry. Cyclists pour out thousands of Euros on bicycle wheels that are just a few grams lighter. Rotational weight matters.

Instead, the running shoe industry is obsessed with stupid things like overpronation and motion control. My advice, is never to wear motion control shoes. If you study what paltry science exists on the subject of pronation, you will find that, yes, some people pronate a lot.

But, it’s not really clear that ‘overpronation’ (defined however) is associated with any specific pattern of injuries, and motion control shoes are heavy, they feel weird, and they seem to do almost nothing about pronation anyway.

Ignore all running store advice, don’t let them put you on a treadmill or film your gait. Just get the shoes that are some mixture of the lightest & most comfortable. There is also no reason to always be getting the latest shoes. Shop for last year’s models on ebay, is cheaper.

Fit is most important, and you’ll probably find that some manufacturers have shoes that just fit your feet better than others. Nike have never worked out for me, for example, but Adidas feel like they are made for my feet.

If you’re running a lot of distance, I think it’s important to be cycling through three or four different kinds of shoes, on a spectrum from superminimalist to moderately cushioned, never wearing the same shoes for more than 2 runs in a row.

Personally, I like vibram five-fingers for runs on paved surfaces or smooth dirt up to about 10k. Adidas Takumi Sen, is one of all time favourite shoes, though the latest iterations are getting too built up. I like them for runs up to half marathon.

For longer distances and trails, I like Adidas Adios. Although people a little taller/heavier than me often find them a little too stripped down for longer runs, I think they’re great everywhere, even in Alpine trails. They’ve been through many iterations and they’re all good.