I think bike hardware is an easier topic of conversation since nobody has to "biomechanically adapt" to a wheel. Shoes are so personal as to almost make discussion moot.

That said, I'm a big Mizuno fan. I like them because they feel really close to the ground. In most other shoes, I feel as if I'm running "up on" the shoe, not "down in" the shoe. I wear the Precision for short easy runs and the racing flats (I forget the name) for longer or faster runs.

I picked up a pair of Asics Gel Magic Racers for half price at RoadRunner. I have really liked those so far also. Did a half marathon in them and felt great.

I have a pretty neutral gait and a natural mid-foot strike, and I have migrated to lighter and lighter shoes over the past two years since I started running. I'm still slow, but I like my shoes.

I've had pretty good luck with Adidas. That being said I'm thinking giving the Saucony GRID Trigon cushioned trainers a try. Interesting marketing ploy, with different shoes for different weight runners.

I second the vote for Adidas, they seem to fit my long narrow feet well. But this bring me to my problem. The Taper RC which I used for racing seems to have been discontinued, does anyone know which in the new Adidas line-up is closest to the Taper? Or is there a shoe from another brand which is comparable as far as fit and function (lightweight/moderate stability)?



Richard

Richard,

Did you try the Addidas A3? I personally loved this shoe but of course it was discontinued. I supposedly the replacement shoe was the new Atlanta. I tried the Atlantas but felt like i was running in flippers...much too stiff and flat.

Daniel

I had always run in Sauconys until recently. I suddenly found the entire Saucony line to be quite unappealing to me. A few years ago, I sort of fell into the old GRID Hammers, which weren't a particularly nice looking shoe but were quite functional. I logged many, many miles in the four pairs I owned (the last of which was purchased in a Saucony clearance outlet). After finding myself in footwear limbo recently, I bought a pair of Nike Air Max Motos, and now they are my shoe of choice for as long as Nike leaves them on the shelves. Wonderful pair of shoes -- and I'm not necessarily a big Nike fan. But I do love the Motos. Reasonably priced as well.

RP

I love my Saucony Azura shoes. I hope Saucony doesn't decide to stop producing them or to change them. You can find them on Amazon.com for $50. They're light enough but cushion well enough that lighter runners can train mid to high mileage on them. They are durable and have high arch support, but you need to be a fairly neutral runner for them to be enough support for you. The standard lace locks and pull loop make them a good triathlon choice to consider.

Regards,

Daniel.

I'm a big guy 6'1" 214 and I have a very high arch and size 12 feet and I need a cushioned shoe. I tried the Asics Gel- Nimbus but the heel kept slipping
and the New Balance cusion model but it felt too stiff.

I ended up with the Mizuno Wave Creation and if fits me like a glove, cushioned, no hot spots, light enough, no heal lift. I bought 4 more pairs

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"on your Left"

I have always been tempted to try saucony but haven't. Do they handle pretty narrow feet? I always see so many triathletes wearing them.

Anyone else in here a lost New Balance customer? I used to be faithful until they abandoned ever good thing they had. Anyone remember or try the original 1000's? greatest shoe.

Daniel, thanks for the change of pace (pun intended?). I have been running in Etonic Stable Air Pro shoes for years and years. A very old shoe, in fact RoadRunner calls it a "classic". They went out of business for a while and I panicked. The thought of having to buy another shoe and risk blisters or injuries while trying to figure out a different shoe to buy scared the s%*t out of me. Thank God the Etonic brand got purchased and they are continuing to make the shoe. I'm pretty big for a runner, 6'0 tall and 187 lbs. I wear a 14 2E which until recently has been a hard size to find in other manufacturers. That's why I've stuck with the Etonics.

Saucony tends to fit wider feet. I have a narrow foot and find them to fit sloppy. I used to be a shoe slut and have run in just about every brand.

For the past year or two I've stuck with Adidas--and I've been pleased.

"I love my Saucony Azura shoes. I hope Saucony doesn't decide to stop producing them or to change them."

I hate to tell you , but I saw the new Azura, called the Grid Azura I, in RoadRunner's catalog:



Myself, I've been running in the Mizuno Precision IIIs and I love them. HOWEVER, and that's a big however, the two pair that I've had haven't made it past 200 miles. I'm only 5'8, 150, so I don't usually go through shoes that fast. I just ordered a pair of the Brooks Burn 'cause I heard they wear better (the review I read said they use a sturdier midsole in the forefoot, which is where I strike). We'll see...

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Dave in WI
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"What you once were isn't what you want to be anymore" - Wilco

MTS,

Did you like the A3's?

We don't talk about running shoes 'cause they're boring!! Now if they came with carbon fiber...

I know it's not sexy, but I'm a huge Asics Gel Kayano fan. That's all I use for training and racing. I know their pretty big shoes, but they are the best shoes I've found for my feet. Oh yea, gotta have Superfeet insoles in them as well.

I wear ASICS only (except for one model of Nike - the Syklon). I've been wearing ASICS since the late 80's as a matter of fact. I've been partial to the 2000 series and the DS trainers also. I liked the Gel lytes as well.

I'm a neutral runner that has progressed from heel toe to midfoot as I've got faster over the years, that said, I'm looking to try a pair of the ASICS that are supposed to be better for the midfoot striker (I think the new one is the Creed or something).

I don't wear socks (eliminates heel slip without having to tighten the strings to the point of creating ligature marks across the top of my foot), even below 0* and the ASICS are always perfect for my feet. I'm luck to have found them as I have size 13 and most other shoes don't accommodate my skinny heels like the ASICS do. I only race in flats, however, I have gravitated away from racing on the roads in Nike waffle racers towards the shoes that almost blur the line between racer and trainers (i.e. the ASICS ds racer for example). Oh, did I mention that I like ASICS ??

Occasionally I try another brand but I always keep coming back to Asics. I have had many pairs of the Kayano, 2040,50, 60,and 70 and Gel-Lites.

Lately I have been running in a cushoned, neutral shoe, the Gel Cumulus and like it quite a bit. After a few runs in most of my shoes, I often remove the origional arch support and add a Sorbothane one for more shock absorbtion. My old knees like the extra cushon. I'm also not above taking a razor knife to any of my shoes to improve the fit.

Richard

-Yes, I saw that too after posting my reply, that they've "redone" the Azura. But it doesn't look anything at all like the great orange/white/blue ones I have now. They look worse, and I'm sure don't fit the same!

-To answer an earlier question, the orange/white/blue ones with striped pattern on them DO fit narrow feet. I used to wear Nike's for the narrow fit. They are said by reviewers to be more narrow than the rest of Saucony's line. Of course, I have the laces pulling the sides pretty close together, but it works fine.

-I'm 5'11", 145, size 11 shoes, with a 15:00 5k, so I can't stand the weight of a Mizuno/New Balance/Adidas shoe unless it was a racing flat or something close to that. And I don't need the extra cushion or stability/motion control since I'm a mid- to forefoot neutral striker.

-How long do shoes last in the box, without losing anything (Air/cushioning, I don't know)? I might just buy 10 pairs @ $50/each before the orange/white/blue (w/stripes and lace locks) model disappears.

-Anyone know of another similar shoe, super-lightweight without being a pure racing flat, for neutral mid to forefoot strikers?

Regards,

Daniel.

I have a pair of the new Azura i (the i is for injection molded midsole just like the Reebok, ultralights and Nike Skylons) and love them. I also have a pair of the New Nike Skylons and they seem really similar to me. The Nikes have a nicer overall upper, way light and snugs down great but the Sauconys have almost no internal seaming, perfect for running wo socks. Ride is really similar, maybe a bit softer on the Saucony's. The Saucony's ride and fit seems better than the last model, although lots of people liked the last model, this one just seems like more shoe for the same weight.

Yeah, Saucony's run pretty wide up front, except for the trigon, spy and azura. Adidas, sorry but most of the 03 models just got waaay wider. But last years were perfect for narrow feet.

My favorites right now, Brooks Adrenaline GTS 4, Nike Skylon, Nike Shox Z (amazing ride as long as you're nuetral)

i love the saucony grid hurricane 2001. fits my foot perfectly and has just the right amount of stability. unfortunately, saucony did what shoe companies do best and mess with a good thing. i tried the update, hurricane 5, and liked the toebox and feel but i quickly developed pain in one of my ankles. got a pair of new balance 764's (since the 2001 model was hard to find immediately) and was never quite comfortable. managed to find my favs at roadrunner and bought them out. now i find myself in need of shoes again and am searching for them. i don't want to try something again!

geoff

Over the years I have alternated between Saucony and Asics. At 6'3", size 14 and 178-182 lbs for IM's, my wear pattern is pretty neutral. Saucony shoes I have noticed has gotten narrower in some of their lightweight trainers. I really liked the Grid 3D, because of the spacious toebox. This season I am going with Asics Gel - Verdict DS.



-Joe

I love my sucony grid trigon... I think that is what it is called... it is the yellow version with the greatest cushioning....



I think the difference with bikes and shoes is an order of magnitude... 100 vs 1000



also shoes are thought of as disposible having a finite life... so not as big of decision

bikes are thought of as lasting a life time... much bigger decision

I can't seem to get away from the Nike Pegasus for training. I have been using them for 10+ years. The only time I tried something else (Asiics Gel 101 - I believe) I started very quickly to get a pain in the knee that disappeared as soon as I went back to the Pegasus. Now I am afraid to try anything else. For racing, I use the NB 920. They have been great until now, but I still have to try them on anything longer than 10K.

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The A3s are a decent shoe, however, I've battled Achilles problems in the past and I look for something with a bit more heel rise (i.e. Adidas or Nike). The A3s don't have as much.

Matt

The Taper was "replaced" by the Response Comp. It has been in and out of the line up season by season, but they are current for Fall '02 and will be back for Fall '03 and Spring '04.

I just started running the A3 (a cubed) Control. It took a few runs to get used to the feel of the footbed (maybe because I replaced the stock liner with a non-custom footbed). The ride is smooth and straight. With all the snow in Toronto, I haven't had a chance to do any fast running in them but their traction seems ok!