Looking to change to a bit less structured shoe than Nike triax, but not a neutral shoe. Any suggestions that may be a nice transition from the triax?
I presume you’re running in the structure triax. Good alternatives with less support are the zoom elite (a little less supportive) or the pegasus (a little less support than the zoom elite). The Lunar glide or lunar fly could be good alternatives, though they feel a bit firmer than the pegasus, and have less ramp than either the elite or pegasus.
My first three pairs of shoes in 2011 were Nike Zoom Triax’s (models 12, 13, and 14). They were fine, but in the search for something better…
I went to another running shoe store and got a pair of Saucony Pro Grid Mirage shoes. They were lighter with less ramp, but still provided some stability. They worked and are working very well for me.
The next pair of shoes that I got, to alternate with the Mirages, was a set of Brooks Racer ST 5’s. They are also fairly light, but with a much steeper ramp. They too provide some stability.
I am very happy with the Saucony and Brooks offerings, both provide the stability I need, but with lighter shoes than the Nikes.
I went from the Triax to Brooks Ravenna and have been very happy. Feels like they toe off better and are slightly lighter. Shoe doesn’t seem to last too long would be only complaint. Look at running warehouse - they do a good job of comparing shoes and you can filter on the support level to a slightly less supportive shoe. I ran in Brooks Guide for a while but wasn’t sold on them.
Nike Lunar Glide…very similar shoe, but scaled way down quite a bit…
Zoom Elite suggestion was right-on. Spike like fit, nice contour around heel and arch.