I have a shoe addiction. See below....

Saucony Grid Type A4: love these shoes, by far my favorite. Light enough for short distance, nicely finished interior for sockless. Some don't like the drainage holes for sucking up pebbles but never had an issue with them. Worn with Xtenex laces.

Asics Piranha SP3: nice shoe. Plenty of toebox room. Firm in a good way, nice ground feel and push-off. Not totally finished inside but passable enough to consider sockless. Contemplating using these for sprints/5Ks.

Mizuno Wave Universe 3: also pretty nice, even less shoe than the Piranha. More flexible than the Piranha, more contoured to the foot. The upper is a pretty gnarly on the inside so not sure about going sockless in these.

Saucony Kinvara: these have served me well but the EVA is pretty shot and the outsole is heavily worn. Nice upper, the Kinvara 2 looks even nicer. These do seem to wear more quickly than other similar shoes. Relative to the A4s and other lightweights, these honestly feel like Vomeros, even with the current wear.

Nike Free 3.0: great shoe that seems to last forever. So so comfy, great upper design. Not much run training in them these days, nice gym/kickaround shoes.

Vibram Five Fingers KSO: every so often for 5K or less at a relatively slow pace - form shoes. I did a 10K in them last year and got four black toes for the trouble.

New Balance Minimus Road: just got these as a potential replacement for the Kinvaras. Much more shoe than is implied by the moniker, pretty substantial upper. They are far less pillowy than the Kinvara. Also am not yet sold on the shape of the toebox - technically plenty of room, more wide than narrow, but the front slope from big to pinky toe is pronounced and I am leery of toe rub on third and fourth toes (flipper feet).

New Balance Minimus Trail: also picked these up recently as a trail option for some upcoming races. Need to go up a size as the same issue exists as the Road but is much more pronounced as the shoe feels slightly shorter/more contoured. Otherwise they are very low, actually minimal and feel quite nice. Clearly intended for sockless wear. There's a nice feeling of agility with the pod-like outsole design that I feel will be pretty nice for trails.


Also looking at/looking forward to:

Saucony Hattori: tried these on this weekend. Super comfy, very low. How the upper design handles race pace remains to be seen, but if nothing else they should serve nicely as a VFF-esque form/technique shoe. Or just a great casual shoe.

Inov-8 F-Lite 195: heard many good things. These seem like they could handle the same terrain as the Minimus Trail but be more race-oriented.

Inov-8 Road-Lite 155: light weight, low to the ground, looks like a contender as a racing option.

Altra Instinct: the look is a bit meh but the fit and toebox are supposedly great. Would be a mid-distance trainer.

Pearl Izumi isoTransition: looks well thought out overall, maybe Oly to Half. Would love a lower rise.

Zoot 2012: Lower rise? No heel tab? Yes please! (Ovwa is nice, tried it on, but a bit more shoe than I'd necessarily want)

Oh my! I run/race in 1 shoe. New balance 905. What am I missing?

Kinvara- blue

Kinvara- blue

Kinvara- red

Kinvara- red

Kinvara.- green

Unfortunately, 3 of them are shot. Just waiting on the Kinvara 2 now!

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speedySTATES

Saucony Fastwitch5
Newton Momentus

i will be getting second one of each in a couple of months. also looking at getting Newton Sir Isaac S as the Momentus are a bit hot due to the thickness(?) of the upper(i.e. less breatheable)

kicked-to-the-side:
Adidas Sequence 2

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"...I try not to ever ride as slow as 20mph. ;) ... And even more than that, I don't race with a speedometer. My computer is set up to show Power // Cadence // Time. I don't actually ever know how fast I'm going. I only know that if I'm in 53/11, and it takes more than 100rpm to hit my target watts, it's time to coast." - Jordan Rapp on '09 IMC

Last count? Something like 30 pairs - mostly Zoots (pretty much every neutral model they make), some Asics, some K-Swiss, some Nike. Yeah, I have a shoe thing, for sure...

-John

I also have a shoe (or lack of shoe) problem...

Vibram Five Fingers KSO: Awesome shoe all around - comfortable and great road feel. I've done everday training, half marathons, trail 12 milers and some sprints in them. They tend to give me blisters where the forefoot bends until I get 30-50 miles underfoot, but after that no problems. The soles wear through fairly quickly but can be patched with duct tape. They do smell awful after a while. Pretty comfortable up to about the 11 mile mark.

Vibram Five Fingers KSO Trek: Another awesome VFF. Love these for the trails and for running in the winter time. The kangaroo leather upper does everything they say it will - fits great, doesn't smell and is quite breathable. The extra cushioning over the KSO is noticeable and a big help on trails. Care must still be taken to prevent rock bruising though. They run a hair bigger than the KSO.

Vibram Five Fingers KSO TrekSport: Very similar to the KSO Trek, but without the kangaroo leather upper. Like the KSO, they gave me blisters for about the first 30-50 miles. Overall very disappointed as the upper tore during a non-technical (though hilly) 5k trail race with less than 150 total miles on the shoe.

Vibram Five Fingers Bikila: It took a while for these to like me. At first they felt like they had too much padding and they rubbed my feed where the strap was stitched on the upper. After about 70 miles, the problem seems to have resolved itself. I'm not a huge fan of the heel cup (I much prefer that on the KSO Treksport if I have to have one), but it's fine after getting used to it. Surprisingly, so far they're not much more comfortable over 12-13 miles than the KSO but the extra padding does help a little and the thicker rubber on the sole should make them last longer.

Merrell Trail Gloves: I LOVE these shoes! Super comfortable sockless, light and I can't imagine needing any more protection on trails. The 0mm heel-to-toe drop (actually -1mm) works well for me. PR'd (and won) my last 8k trail race in these. They're not the best in deep mud, but they'll get you though. The cushioning is stiff and they feel fairly rigid on the road, but they make you feel like there's no energy lost with each stride.

Saucony Fastwitch 5: So far I am a big fan of these shoes. They're the first "real" shoe I've run in since over 2 years ago. The 4mm heel-to-toe drop doesn't seem to interfere with my stride and provides a bit more cushioning for longer runs. They took a little getting used to coming from the VFFs, but they're just about as light and so far no issues. They run a little on the narrow side, but the upper is flexibile enough to allow some give. The medial posting is noticeable but supportive and gave me some blisters for the first 30 miles or so. So far I've done all my runs sockless and haven't had an issue after the first few miles. With quick laces, they're easy to get on and don't slide around.

Mizuno Wave Ronin 3: A little too much heel-to-toe drop for me, but pretty comfortable on short runs. They run a bit wider in the forefoot but don't really stay put. Don't even think about going sockless with the cheese-grater interior on these shoes. On the plus side, they look pretty darn cool.

Barefoot: Loved running barefoot, but foot durability couldn't keep up with mileage or pace. Never had any fit issues though!

On Order:

Saucony Hattori: Psyched to give these a try! No heel-to-toe drop and more than a few millimeters of cushioning? Sure!

Saucony Grid A4: I've heard good things and decided to give them a try. I hope they're as fast as they look in high-vis green.

Nike Zoom Triax Structure+ trail shoes (w/Get-a-Grip pull-on spikes for the icy outside runs in WI winter)

Brooks Ravennas as basic rotation meat

2 sets Asics DS Trainer 11, orange nearly done in general rotation & red was my long course race shoe with lots of life left

2 sets of KSwiss KOnas, one a half size oversize for thick winter sox

3 sets of Asics Banditos in various stages of rotation & race mileage (one still NIB)

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Carl Matson

Saucony Kinvara - my go to shoe for most workouts, will definitely keep a pair around

Merrell Trail Glove - great shoe that I just picked up, looking forward to putting some more miles on them.

Brooks Mach 12 - like the fit, but their largest size is still kinda small - so I really only do short track workouts in them

I wear a size 15 - so there isnt much available. I will probably order the Nike Free 3.0s soon. Anyone have any insight for a low(ish) heel-toe drop, higher mileage neutral trainer that is available in a size 15?

Nike Lunarglide 1 and 2's- Had around 5 pairs of these, don't seem to be doing it for me anymore though.
Adidas Tempo- pretty good shoe, no complaints.
Brooks ST racers 4- used as a training shoe, thought it was definitely a good training shoe.
Brooks T5- first pair of road racing flats, been shot for a long time now, but wear them every once in a while.
Nike Streak XC 2- Some of my fastest races were in these shoes.
Pearl Izumi Streak 2- Just got them, haven't gone on a run in them yet though. When i ran on the treadmill with them they felt really good.
Brooks Adrenaline- got them for free, wasn't my favorite but hey it was free.
Nike Lunareclipse- got them free as well, done a few runs in them but wasn't a fan of them, so I retired them.
Saucony Type A4- my new racing flat/tri shoe, used in two sprint tri's so far. Love them.
New Balance 890- on their way, got them free as well, but when I tried them on they felt pretty good.
Track spikes: Brooks nerve several years ago, brooks mach, then I started getting the good spikes because I started to care about running more. Nike matumbo, nike victories, nike forever xc 2.

There were also some Asics ds trainers, adidas, and new balance from several years ago but they have been in the trash for a bit now.

Brooks T6
Brooks T7 War on ALS Edition
Brooks ST4 (3rd pair)
Brooks ST5
Brooks Ghost 3 (Hated the 2, went through 4pairs of the original Ghost, not a fan of the 3)
Brooks Cascadia 5
Brooks Trailblade (On the way)

K-Swiss K-ona USA (bought in Kona at launch)
K-Swiss K-ona (It is red, not sure what edition)
K-Swiss Blade Light
K-Swiss Keahou (have not ran in them)

I love the ST line from Brooks and I was a huge fan of my USA Kona until I was introduced to the Blade Light. I will probably order another pair of the ST5, Blade Light shortly and try out the Kwicky Blade as well.

I have run in plenty of other shoes, but I use all of the shoes above.
T6/T7 Race only.
Cascadia/Trailblade are trail only.

I mainly rotate though my ST, Blade Light and K-Ona Red. The Ghost 3 are all but retired because I am not a fan. Just sitting there.

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-- Aaron Davidson

Current Sable:

Nike original Lunaracer+: Maybe my all time favorites (close call with my old Nike American Eagles)! These are going on three seasons but still have plenty of life.

Nike LunarGlide+ 2: Not a huge fan, I put about 350 miles on them and they were ok but nothing special. Going to be my yard shoes soon.

Nike Structure Triax 14: Great product from Nike. I actually prefer the Structure Triax 14 over the Lunar Glide 2. Better pronation support, better arch support, better forefoot cushioning, and about the same weight. The only thing I like better on the Glide 2 is the seamless upper. This shoe is a home run for Nike as a great daily trainer!

Nike original LunarFly: I really like these – I actually screwed in some ¼ inch hex bolts and now use them for icy conditions (worked perfectly this winter during the DC ice storm).

Inov-8 Roclite 295: Great fit right out of the box, roomy forefoot, great for soft terrain, not the best of hard rock.

Salomon S-Lab3 XT Wings: I just got these and wore them once, I was really impressed. They are advertised as a hardcore trail shoe but the outsole is not very aggressive and the short lugs don’t look all that different from traditional road shoes. The cushioning is outstanding and the upper fit is great.

Asics Gel DS Trainer 16: Wore them at Boston last week. Bottom line…great lightweight trainer with fantastic cushioning.

Saucony ProGrid Kinvara: I’m not 100% sold on these. I got them last year and my foot feels a bit “sloppy” around turns. Also, the outsole wears incredibly fast.

Adidas Kanadia Trail 3: These shoes surprised me. I got them for 30 bucks at the adidas outlet and had low expectations. But guess what, on the trails the cushioning is fairly good and the outsole traction is excellent. Best for soft surfaces like dirt, grass, and mulch.

Puma Complete SLX Fuujin RC: Just got these – jury is still out.

Puma Haraka XCS: Just got these – jury is still out.

Dave in VA

2 pairs of Avia Avi Lite IIIs
2 pairs of Avia Avi Bolt IIIs
1 pair Avia Avi Stoltz
1 pair Avia Avi Bolt IIs

Thanks Avia and Forward Motion :) Can't wait to get my hands on the XZR Bolt

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Fit Endurance Coaching - Head Coach|Facebook
USAT L1 Coach | BikeFit Certified Fitter | Contributing Writer - Triathlete Magazine | ROKA

I am enjoying this thread. So many people have shoes from multiple manufacturers, and there are some great reviews that seem to lack massive fanboy leanings. There are some fanboy posts too, but that's cool.

My shoes:
- Saucony Guide 2's - recently retired from duty after 1.5years (lots of miles) as my only training shoe. These turned things around for my knees. I'll probably grab some Guide 3's in the near future.

- Brooks ST4 - I use these for racing only (and a very infrequent training runs). The toe box in these (and my other Brooks) is more roomy then what I've used in the past. This lead to some wierd hot spots on my forefoot/toes until I got used to them. It's all good now.

- Brooks Ravena - My current workhorse trainer. I like these a bunch. They aren't overly cushy or intrusive. They just exist on my foot while running.

Up next:
- Addidas Oregon 10 - I ran in the original Oregon's when I was in high school. I loved those, so I figure I'll give these a shot. Though, I'm nervous that going from all shoes with some medial posting to something this neutral might not pan out.

Those orange DS Trainers were my all time favorite shoe. In the past few years I've been in:

Brooks Adrenaline-Great stability trainer, a little heavy but really liked them. They changed the shoe in the most recent version and it doesn't fit me like it used to.

Saucony Tangent-Great lightweight trainer, reminded me a lot of those old DS Trainers. But they've been discontinued.

Saucony Fastwitch 4-Great racing shoe for up to half-marathon. Felt like a lightweight, stripped down Tangent, the two complemented each other well.

With the Tangent being discontinued I am mixing things up a bit. The Fastwitchs always felt a touch heavy for 5ks and sprints and not enough shoe for the marathon. So I think I am becoming a 3 shoe rotation person.

Asics Piranha-Super lightweight, but suprisingly supportive and very responsive. I will wear these for 5ks, sprints and maybe races up to 10k as well as speed work.

Brooks ST Racer 5-Comfortable lightweight trainer with plenty of toebox room. Seems like it may fit a touch small, I need to put some mileage in them. Lighter than the Tangents, but still with a touch of support. I'll wear these for fast training and half and full marathons.

Adidas Tempo-Just ordered these. Want something to go with the ST Racer 5s as I don't think those will be enough shoe for 60+ mpw. Hoping these will work for long and easy runs. Tried the K-Swiss Kwicky Blade Light, Asics 2160 and a handful of others that I didn't like. The Kwicky Blade Light was pretty unimpressive for $130.

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Portside Athletics Blog

Currently own the following:


KS K-ona S: shot to hell, loved them, plan to purchase another pair
Saucony Kinvara: shot to hell, liked them, plan to purchase another pair. Main qualm is that they didnt really last for so long. Maybe b/c I run with a lot of "force".
Nike Free+: shot to hell but use them almost everyday for work/school. Will definitely buy another pair.
Nike LunarTrainer: found these on sale at outlet in Texas. Not a bad ride but they just look so weird on my feet. So far have enjoyed them for LSD runs.
Nike Hayward (x3): all three shot to hell. My most favorite shoe ever. Unfortunately discontinued.
Puma NightFox: workhorse trail shoes. Bulky and stiff, certainly much much different from anything else i own but i need the extra meat on them for the craggy trails i run.
Vibram Classics: the originals. won them. would never actually spend coin on these things.

As my Hayward's were my go to race shoe, i need to explore some other race day options. So I am considering the following:


Brooks Launch: I tried them on and loved the way they feel. Could use them as a daily training shoe. They seem very versatile.
KS Blade Light: I've heard mixed reviews on them. Durability issues, yet very comfy and clean on the inside.
Brooks ST 4/5 or T7 or Green Silence: I liked the St4's have tried them on. No luck w/ first generation Green Silence. T7 yet to even see in person.
Puma Faas Series: I got to say that I have been impressed with Puma - look, fit, etc.

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"Triathlon?!? I play a real sport, I don't want to be the best at exercising." ~Kenny Powers

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coming soon...

Asics 1150: Yeah, they don't make em anymore but i stocked up with 3 extra pairs for dirt cheap. Amazing shoe...some cushioning but not too heavy and have a good feel for the ground. I run these everywhere...dirt grass pavement you name it. Love them.

Asics Hyperspeed 3: Amazing flat...feel so nice I've even done a track meet in 'em. These are my shoes for tri racing too...work great w/ speed laces.

Asics DS Trainer 14: Tempo run shoe...nothing special really but they have that great Asics feel.

Nike Waffle 8 XC: My only XC spikes I've ever had so I cant really compare, but I love the feel and how they seem to stick to your feet once you start sweating a bit.

NB 908 Trail Shoe: I borrow these once in a while...feel pretty good for a trail shoe but Im not a big fan - I'll just use my 1150s instead.

NB MT101: Never worn em, but I cant wait!

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Team RF 2011
http://www.teamrunningfree.com

all damn day

I'm with ya. Asics GT2110,2120,2130,2140,2150,2150. Just trying the Nike Zoom Structure Triax, blisters so far. DS Trainers for race day. Just got a pair of Triax Structure Trails, need to get out in them still.

I only run in 3 shoes now, Brooks Green Silence, T6 and T7 Racer (Chrissie Kona edition). I have tons (about 70 others I work in and Just wear around.

 
Mizuno Wave Rider 13 - comfort training shoe for long mileage/long slow runs and offroad running. Replaced a pair or Nike Air Pegasus trainers which wore out. Both are great neutral cushion shoes but the Mizuno feels a little more plush. Probably replace these with the next Wave Rider incarnation when these wear out (currently #14)

Mizuno Wave Idaten - I use this for speed work and races 5k to 10k. Nice light weight neutral racing flat with good road feel and just a touch of cushioning.

New Balance RC769 - I have been using this as an everyday trainer for all distances. Am waiting for these to wear out as I recently bought a pair of Adidas Adizero Mana's which I prefer over these.

Adidas Adizero Mana - my new everyday trainer for all distances. Feels very similar to the Adios below but with a little bit of stability (good for me for higher mileage) and more tread for longer life and a touch more cushioning.

Adidas Adizero Adios - I use this for speed work and road racing 10k to marathon. Feels like a light weight racing flat with good cushioning I am very impressed with these shoes.

K-Swiss Blade Light race - I use this for all my triathlons/duathlons/aquathons up to HIM distance. For me there is no faster transition shoe and the lack of laces (it uses a wide velcro strap) and the dedicated one-piece liner means no pressure points (which I seem to get with the elastic laces) or rubbing when running barefoot. Also drains extremely well and does not get heavy when drenched in water. There are better stand-alone road racing shoes but I haven't found an overall better or faster shoe for running barefoot in triathlons yet.

I have also just started to get into some barefoot running to work on my form and encourage more of a forefoot strike (am currently mid strike to heel when I get tired) so will probably look to get some Vibram Five Fingers or very minimal flats with little to no heel drop for short distance form work.

I couldn't believe someone actually posted a thread like this AND called it his "shoe stable" but hey it was SneakySpeed so I fugured he was taking the piss out of everyone...but then you all replied.

Holy fuck Slowtwitchers if you aren't a shoe salesman...GET A LIFE!!!!!!!!!!

(and I mean that in the nicest possible way)..;-)

......

I'm on my 16th pair of Newton's in 4 years. I also 2 pair of Kswiss Kona's, 2 pair of Kinvara's, a pair of Adidas Trail shoes, and 3 pair of Nike Katana's.

Damnit...now I can't talk about my bike stable because I don't sell bikes or my preferred wetsuit because I'm not a wetsuit dealer. I'd love to see your same post on Rappstars thread...on that note have a lovely day NUTSACK!!!! aghhh I can use all CAPS to signal that i am YELLING!!!!!

I for one have enjoyed this thread and have googled quite a few of the shoes that ST'ers discussed...maybe I'll try em' out and honestly this thread is more valueable than a gol' dang bike thread that no one can afford. I'm pretty sure all of us can actually try out and buy a reviewed shoe as opposed to a reviewed bike. Enjoy your day Ultra-tri-guy...

I'm glad i'm not the only guy out there with a shoe fetish. My girlfriend tells me I have a shoe problem. it's hard to hear that coming from a girl.

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-Jason
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Is that all you've got? Are you sure?