Hi all,
I’ve yet to find a store that stocks very many racing flats to try out or at least not in midget girly size, anyway so I’m hoping that I could get some recommendations on what might be good to try ordering.
I’m looking for light and responsive shoes that will not fall apart in ten minutes and that have good grip on pavement. Cheap is a bonus too
I have some Saucony Kilkenneys. I LOVE those shoes. They fit perfectly, they are light, you can bounce along in them. Awesome. Unfortunately, they are also really slippery on wet pavement which one tends to encounter a fair bit in most triathlons.
I tried a set of Type A2’s which were really good for grip on pavement and very nice in many other ways. Unfortunately, they had kind of a lump under the back of the big toe which really didn’t work for me.
I have really narrow heels so generally have a hard time with “unisex” sizing. Generally, I’ve found that most Asics, New Balance, Mizuno and Saucony shoes fit me really well. I haven’t had good luck with Nike or Zoot.
If you want to try shoes, sign up (and pay) for Roadrunnersports.com VIP program. You get the shoes shipped to you free in a couple days and I think you can exchange them anytime for 4 weeks…even after wearing.
bare essentials with mostly mesh upper. they shed water pretty quick. it only took about two weeks to get the feet used to the hot/rough spots going sockless. i wouldn’t call them indestructable but pretty darned close. still wish Mizuno had left the old Supersonics alone. those were the bomb. these are right behind though.
Try FootRx. Send them an email similar to what you stated above and they’ll respond with recommendations that are typically spot-on.
You didn’t mention the distance you race, but I really like the Mizuno Wave Elixir 3 (there’s a 4 out now). They’re what I would cal a ‘very light weight trainer’ and have very good traction. I use them on anything over 10k up to marathon distance. Under 10k, I go to a true racing flat. And the 3’s are last year’s model, so they meet the inexpensive bonus.
Try the ASICS Banditos they’re very light weight and have pretty good support for a racing flat. They’re pretty similiar to the ASICS DS Trainers except that their lighter. Plus they look really cool with that gold design they have.
If you like NB give the RC750’s a try. I have been racing in them for a few seasons and really like them. Not the lightest flats but they are pretty light, have good wet/dry traction and have good control. I have used them for everything up to Ironman.
When you find a few you want to try, I’d get them through Running Warehouse. Here is a link to their flats section. They have free return shipping, a great selection, and really good prices. I’ve bought 4 pairs from them and shipped back 3 before and they were fine with that. I think they really just don’t want any visible wear or outside running on the returned shoes.
I’ve been using Spira racing flats. They make running easier and probably a little faster. The jury is still out on whether this is true or just marketing, also some questions regarding their legality…
That aside, I love mine, I train in the Del Sol and wear the Stinger Elite for races. Worth a try I figure, they have a pretty “normal” fit.
If you decide to buy them, their website is www.SpiraFootwear.com and can get a 15% discount for putting in my name while checking out. Hope this helps, cheers, Lewis
I’ve been using Brooks T5 racer - awesome shoe for the short stuff. All my speed work and 5,000 TTs have been in these. I could see doing a 10k road race in them, but not sure about anything beyond that.
Another shoe I’ve been using is the adidas adizero Ace - I’ve only used it for warmups at the track and a few medium distance easy runs, but this could be my marathon shoe for the fall. It has good padding in the forefoot, and they feel fast. I need some faster longer runs in them to be sure.
The last shoe used during easy runs is the mizuno revolver. This shoe fits a bit funny, but I’ve only used it for short easy runs - need more time in them. They are also the heaviest of the 3.
I’m slowly trying to transition out of ‘trainers’, and exclusively use flats (been transitioning for about 6 months without any issues). Right now out of 7 runs per week, 3 runs are on my trainers (saucony sinisters), the other 4 days are on flats. I figure by the end of the year I should be all flats.
Thanks, everyone!
Really appreciated the running warehouse link - pretty good prices and GREAT shipping policy. A big deal for trying stuff out in the middle of nowhere!
I’m gonna give the T6’s a go. Would have gone for the slightly cheaper T5’s but didn’t see them available in my size.
RW also had a better price than I’ve seen anywhere else on SpeedStars which is awesome given that I finally wore a hole in one of mine on last night’s run
