I will be running a half marathon soon, and am debating between using my regular training shoes, the Hoka Arahi 6, or a pair of Nike AlphaFly Next%.
I bought the Nikes with intent of racing in them, but I was informed that the Arahis might be better suited for a half marathon. My Hokas have around 50 miles on them and I have never ran in my Nikes before due to the fact that I know they’re low mileage shoes. I am anticipating finishing the race right around sub-2 hours, so roughly a 9:00 min/mile pace.
Is this too long of a distance/too slow of a pace for running 13.1 miles in a pair of AlphaFly Next% shoes? If that’s the case, I’ll save them strictly for my sprint and Olympic triathlons. Thank you.
I am no expert in this area and I don’t have any experience with the Hoka shoes so I can’t opine on that part of the comparison. However, I do have the Alphaflys and I run at a similar speed to you in 70.3s (1:53 in my last one).
I find the Alphaflys to be very helpful for the 70.3 run. I have also used Next%’s and 4%’s for this distance and I found the Alphaflys to be the best of the lot. I think that I am unusual in that many people seem to find the Next%’s better at that sort of pace but for me the order from best to worst is Alphaflys then 4% then Next%. I should probably add that I haven’t tried the Next% 2.
Using the Alphaflys has kept my legs fresher for longer and significantly improved my speed in the second half of the run.
I think the whole ‘these shoes are only good for XX distance/speed’ is kind of BS.
Kind of like how some people believe aero wheels are only good over a certain speed…
If the alphas work for you…meaning, they don’t injure you, then you will probably be faster in them at any distance speed. Maybe its because they are actually faster due to the foam, maybe its because they delay muscle soreness/tiredness. In either case, you’ll be faster whether you are running 1km or 42km.
I’d wear the AFs over the Arahi for sure. The Arahi as far as I know are nice cushioned training shoes with little to no pop. The AFs are nicely cushioned racing shoes with pop from the plate/foam… and it’s a race.
Before you can make a decision you need to run in the AlphaFlys.
They definitely have a different feel and there is no guarantee that they will suit you.
Try them on some shorter runs, you won’t break them, then decide.
Alphaflys are going to be a lot faster than any stability shoe, which the Arahi is.
It’s true that at 9:00/mile, you probably won’t be getting the biggest benefits, which most users say come at faster paces, often sub 7:00/mile (or even sub 6:00/mile). I feel similarly - at leisure speeds, the Alphafly just feels a bit weird and unstable due to the shape and bounce, but the moment you get it up to speed and pounding, it all comes together and it’s a real ‘wow’ feeling as all that strangeness goes away.
That said, I’d still choose the AF over any stability shoe for race day, absolutely. even if the AF ‘feels’ weirder at slow speeds, I’m sure the foam and carbon plate are still working, and you’ll also find you’ll just get used to the weird feel in a matter of 10 minutes.
In my experience as well, the AF ‘feels’ unstable, but hasn’t been functionally unstable for me at all. I have literally no ankle ligaments (tore them all playing basketball, MRI confirmed), so I’m literally the worst person to use unstable shoes, and I was really afraid I’d sprain an ankle at some point, but turns out running isn’t a cutting sport, so even with a little bit of care, the so-called instability isn’t an issue at all, even if it ‘feels’ like it might be.
I’ve been running for 30+ yrs now, all of it racing the entire time, and the AF is a really special shoe. It’s the real deal. Doesn’t work for everyone (some get blisters, etc.) but for those that it does work for, it’s literally akin to putting aerobars on your shoes and racing against road bikes without them.