Yes, throw "Born to Run" in the trash. Seems the aging population has spawned the new shoes, and from an old timer who always loved the feeling the ground shoes gave, I am totally a convert. Being skeptical, our store got the new Saucony Endorphin Pros in and one run showed me what I was missing! The new tech is surely one that will increase your speed, your longevity and your enjoyment. The entire move to cushioned yet very firm (unlike Hoka Bondi) shoes is pretty damn exciting and one that will be easy on your joints, but not your wallet.

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Kiwami Racing Team

Basically, aging runners like myself found that their joints weren't cooperating with minimalist running shoes anymore. And that the marshmellow supercushion shoes really do help you put on the miles without game-ending joint pain afterwards. Hoka led the charge, and we all know that triathlon tends to attract an older crowd - from there on, all the other brands started getting in on the action and it's now well known even amongst young heathy runners that a big (slow) cushy shoe like the Hoka Bondi6 can be an ideal shoe for a recovery or slow easy day even if you race minimalist.

I was forced to transition to maximalist shoes due to my progressing ankle arthritis (I'm not even 50 - darn basketball injuries!). I'm hoping I can race in the lighter shoes but I'm not even sure that's a good idea anymore as it's a bad 'I'm doing damage' feeling when your joints get that sore after a hard fast effort.

My n=1 as someone who was fully adapted and trained to minimalist/barefoot style running for about 2 years and raced in them, I really miss it, and I do think for anyone who can run with less shoe, it's the way to go. First off, it's was a LOT faster for me. I ran my fastest triathlon runs barefoot, by a good margin. And as you might guess, maxi Hoka Bondi6s are friggin' slow, literally like running on mattresses. You can get them up to fast speed by working hard, but it aint' easy. Additionally, better run form (definitely more agile/graceful), more forced gradual load increases (no 20 milers out of the blue), nearly impossible to sprain your ankles even on gnarly trails, and at least for me, was a lot more FUN.

If I could switch back to minimalist right now I'd do it in a heartbeat. That said, as I'm aging into my 45+ years, I'm coming to really appreciate how sneaker tech can keep us arthritic folks chugging along.

I was out of running for 35 years! Back in HS/College we ran in the black Adidas with barely a sole or we ran barefoot even on the track.

Another advantage of the larger soles is the technology they are putting into them. Several now have carbon (and I think other types?) plates and/or air cushions that provide spring back momentum. One could argue (and many do) that these should be illegal, but then really all shoes would be illegal as they all provide something helpful (support, protection, etc.) beyond running barefoot.

If you think the shoes are different, wait until you see the bikes, computers, heart rate monitors, power meters, indoor trainers, Form goggles, etc., etc., etc. Technology has changed the whole world of sports and provided major advances in training and racing.

Oh, and be prepared to spend some money - or lots (and lots) of money.

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Not a coach. Not a FOP Tri/swimmer/biker/runner. Barely a MOP AGer.
But I'm learning and making progress.

LOL this reminds me of the Geico living under a rock commercial.

Yes, science has changed a lot in 3 years.

I'm going to say what really made it take off were the Nike 4% and Next% being a really proveable significant advantage over the traditional thin-soled shoes. Yes they have a carbon plate but the real secret sauce was the thick bouncy foam. If a manufacturer didn't have a shoe to compete with that, then they would lose all athletes to nike.

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
Instagram • Facebook

I switched to Hoka 6 years ago and thought I was late to the party.

Never got into the minimalist Born to Run thing, but I do have a pair of NB Minimus I wear for some things. 40 years ago I was a college jumper at 200 lbs and would run on the streets in Nike waffle racers and then do bounding drills on the track with spikes. Had shin splints all the time.

Worn just about everything over the past 30+ years. Mostly big honkin motion control shoes because that's the only shoes that held up to my (>>200 lbs) weight and came in my size 16s. Never had any injuries and the college shin splints never came back. Not sure why, but feet seem to have shrunk and I can now wear size 15 or even 14, which opens up a lot more options.

Like I said, these days I like Hoka. Had some max cushion Bondi and Stinson and liked them okay, but prefer the not quite as thick ones. Not all Hokas are created equal. btw, the midsoles seem to last forever, but the uppers usually fall apart pretty early.

I like the low drop of the Hokas compared to what I wore previously. Had some zero drop Altras, but didn't care for them, probably not because of the drop.

Good time for running shoes, imo, a lot of different choices out there.

The Hoka uppers are very thin/light compared to 'older-gen' shoes - I recall distinctly when I got my first pair of Hokas that I had to double sock it in early morning 35-40F runs because my feet would get too cold. This would never happen with my prior Brooks shoes.

Now though, that seems to be the norm. Sufficiently so that when I first tried my Saucony triumph (a well-reviewed maxi shoe) I was afraid it would be too hot since the upper was so much more substantial (it wasn't.)

"It's possible to disagree in science..." Jerry Smith

It's not even science, it's preference.

The science of the proven 'fastest' 4% Nike shoe (which I think is legit) doesn't have anything to do with the maximalist craze that's taken over the running shoe biz.

There is still zero science proving that these maxi shoes are better than less maxi shoes. In fact, most of the actual science seems to support that they are definitely slower (Hoka Bondi6 tested the slowest in the NYT and other widespread result analyses, no surprise there.)

Nothing wrong however with preferring cushy shoes that let older folks like myself keep on running. If I were younger with good cartilage though, I'd definitely choose something as minimalist as possible for all the reasons I mentioned before.

The argument anymore isn't even against maximalism versus minimalism. It's just basically a matter of: find a stable platform (not a stability shoe, unless you *really* need one), find your cushioning preference, find your preferred amount of offset, go run.

In general, though: the more cushioning you have, likely the less offset that shoe needs (and more material under the mid foot) to make the platform stable.

That all said, I have absolutely no reason to buy a pair of the carbon-plated shoes, but damn if I don't want to run in a pair of Endorphins. I wanted to hate the Vaporfly...and I can't. It's great. But given my normal affinity for Saucony, feel like I'm really going to like those...

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Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

The entire Endorphin line is the real deal! Try a pair and you'll be hooked. The new colors coming in spring are also very cool. As I was a skeptic at first, I now have all 3 models and love each one.

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Kiwami Racing Team

Born to Run and minimalist footwear taught us all the joys of zero-drop/low-drop shoes and midfoot/forefoot striking.
Maximalist footwear showed us the benefits of cushion.
Carbon fiber increased energy return and propulsion.

Add them all together, you get a pretty great shoe.

Actually we were close to not carrying them anymore until the latest Endorphin line came out. It's like a different company as the lasts are better, the materials far superior to the past and the foam is pretty incredible. The rep said it's the same foam on the Endorphin Pro as the Nike, but Saucony "palletized" it into columns so it gives a longer lasting more predictable energy return. That has been my experience as well as other reviewers I've read. The price points are far better and in addition to the durability we actually can't get enough in our store and order pretty much every week, especially the Shift. Race season didn't happen but if it did we'd see the same crazy high demand for the Pro and Speed I'm sure. Even without races we do pretty well with all 3. Even the Kinvara is far improved in a more responsive foam and better upper. The Pro has a life expectancy of 400 miles which is much better than most and we're hearing the same high durability from other purchasers. I'm sure if you gave them a try you'd be impressed as I was. 3 strides on the treadmill and I got each one for different type runs.

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Kiwami Racing Team

I just bought the Endorphin Shift yesterday. I ran in them last night and was surprised by my pace, since i really haven't been running this year. I was in the Saucony Guide before this shoe. Really, the colors of the Endorphin line had me interested, and feeling the transfer off the toe had me hooked.

Same here. Next season's colors are really wild. We pretty much take whichever color becomes available when we order as supply has been really tough. The Shift has been such a fantastic shoe that it seems to work for fast runners to walkers. We get a lot of people with Plantar Fascitis referred from PT's and due to the stiffness it a real help for them. I never thought I'd like a stiffer shoe, but that entire line just blew me away. We've had a number of runners come back in and say their pace is much faster also. One friend who used them for IMFL said her first test runs were like taking the dog for a walk and your feet can't move fast enough to keep up. She bought a second pair. All 3 are great. Glad you like yours.

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Kiwami Racing Team

Turns out the Tarahumara all ran in hand-made sandals cause they were dirt poor. If they had the opportunity to run in regular running shoes, they would have. And they've' said it. The whole "Born To Run" philosophy was a fraud and a cash grab, and they totally exploited this tribe. There's a moving coming out about it. Yes, I'm serious! 'Born To Run' is a perfect example of an author taking a piece of culture and a'la PT Barnum sensationalizing it into "super athletes" and the "greatest race the world never knew".

https://www.outsideonline.com/...film-tarahumara-myth

same thing that happened to coffee. someone realized you could just charge people 4 times more and they'd pay it.

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https://lshtm.academia.edu/MikeCallaghan

http://howtobeswiss.blogspot.ch/

I got into minimalist running shoes big time and tried a lot of different shoes and guess what? I was never fast and my feet and legs were getting hurt all the time. Tried Hoka Clifton 2 which I used to laugh at and they changed everything. What I needed was maximalist shoes. Everyone is different so forget about the trend see what’s best for you. That’s what I did and I’m happy with what I’ve found.

A 30 for 30, huh? That's big-time

****

I get whichever's on sale at Famous Footwear/Payless/DSW/etc. Although the asics I'm in now were a sweet deal at the outlet

I'm fortunate not to have any sort of bio mechanical issues serious enough to warrant spending more than $60 for a pair of hi-tech bobos that could last me 800 miles or so

YMMV - literally

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

@slowman Dan predicted this in 2011. If I could find the article I would post it here but his prediction is scarily accurate.
John

Is that the one that noted increased performance with over-sized rackets in tennis and over-sized drivers in golf and said over-sized running shoes were likely on the way?

Or am I thinking of someone else and somewhere else?

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

This one?

https://www.slowtwitch.com/...Hoka_Means_3376.html

I would like add props for New Balance Fuel Cell line as well. Particularly the TC and RC. I adore training in my TC's. Have not had a chance to race in the RC's but the cushion and carbon plate have made long runs something to look forward to. Saying that I just bought the Endorphin Speed and run regularly in the Clifton 6. Will also mention that the foam that is in the Asics Novablast is like running on a trampoline. Heard today from a running store owner that Hoka is launching a carbon plated Bondi! So another "trainer" with a carbon plate to add to New Balance Fuel Cell TC and the Nike one has (hate Nike so never pay attention to any of there shoes). Planning on doing all of the IM's next year in the Endorphin Pro's or the NB Fuel Cell RC. The more mileage I accumulate the more I appreciate the cushion. If I had to drop a shoe or brand from my rotation it would be the Hokas. Between the stellar products from New Balance, Saucony, and Asics the only reason to look at Hoka is that there last year models are always on sale. The same thing cannot be said about the other brands. Will mention that getting your hands on the the New Balance TC is really difficult. Last I checked was only able to order directly from NB for the TC's.