I am finding my current nike running shoes to be really uncomfortable and I have a hard time getting the lace tightness where I like it. I used to run in nike frees because I liked the sock-like feel and lightweight design. I don’t require a lot of support or cushioning, but I would like to find something that is good for under-protonation (my back outside edge of my shoes wears first).
Probably a little bulkier than you like them, but I’m an underpronator with hyperflexible ankles, (and wide toe box/narrow heel in terms of foot shape) and I’ve had good luck with both the Ascis Cumulus and New Balance 883.
Are you sure you under-pronate? Almost everyone will wear the outside of the heal first, that’s the natural point of contact. Pronation is about the roll of the foot after contact, primarily on push off. I like the Asics Nimbus and Speedstar.
Oh gosh, the Nimbus has stealth correction in it, and that was killing my knees and hips within 50 miles of coming out of the box. The Speedstar is better for underpronators, (underronating husband liked them; they just wore out fast for his 6’2" self) and IIRC, lighter than the Cumulus.
You didn’t mention what model of Nike you’re currently using. I do the bulk of my running in the Air Pegasus. If you’re looking for something more like the Free, try the Saucony Kinvara, New Balance Minimus Road, Mizuno Wave Ronin, or even the very minimal Merrell Trail Glove.
When you say “under pronate” do you mean neutral or supinate? A little pronation is natural and desired, that rolling from the outside to the inside of your foot is a way for the body to dissipate landing forces. As mentioned above, the wear pattern you have is common, it’s what your foot is doing under load and where you are landing (fore/aft) that would be of more interest. That being said, some options might be K Swiss UltraNatural, Saucony Kinvara, and Newtons for shits and giggles.
The Speedstar is better for underpronators, (underronating husband liked them; they just wore out fast for his 6’2" self) and IIRC, lighter than the Cumulus.
Ack! No! If you truly are an underpronator, going with a flimsy shoe like the Speedstar is bad mojo! They wear out fast for my 145lb self too, not good for people who don’t pronate enough. There are much worse shoes out there, but there are much better as well.
I’m digging the Brooks Glycerin currently, Adidas Glide is a great shoe with a sporty fit, and the Saucony Triumph has a really smooth ride to it. Check those out. But first, get your feet looked at. Even heavy overpronators will wear off the outer portion of the heel often.
I’m also an underpronator (and as a result need a lot of cushioning and pretty much zero motion control). I’m using the original Nike Lunar Trainers, and will probably switch to the LunarFly when these wear out.
Definitely a true underpronator here, and have zero problems with flimsy. My all time favorite shoes were lightweight and like one step away from racing flats. (One of those Nike deals that never got wide distribution and I picked up for like $20 at the outlet mall) I did a marathon on those shoes with only a five mile jog beforehand in them, and at the end of the race, my feet still felt good. Dang, i wish they’d turned into a regular production run because they were like the greatest shoes ever for my feet-knees-hips.
Ack! No! If you truly are an underpronator, going with a flimsy shoe like the Speedstar is bad mojo! They wear out fast for my 145lb self too, not good for people who don’t pronate enough. There are much worse shoes out there, but there are much better as well.
have you even run in the speedstar? theres nothing flimsy about it. uses the same full length solyte 45 found in the cumulus and nimbus with a gel insert in the heel. it has the torsional movement teeth (looks like a N) and very smooth heel to toe transition. built on a level platform (cumulus has a few degrees of tilt to the lateral portion of the foot) the speedstar is one of the best shoes for an underpronator. for the cushioning:weight ratio you simply cant beat the speedstar as it destroys everything in the same class of shoe(if it fits your foot): mizuno precision, brooks launch, saucony mirage ect.
as for durability, who gives a shit if it last 40-50 miles less than some other shoes? just buy new ones.
have you even run in the speedstar? theres nothing flimsy about it. uses the same full length solyte 45 found in the cumulus and nimbus with a gel insert in the heel. it has the torsional movement teeth (looks like a N) and very smooth heel to toe transition. built on a level platform (cumulus has a few degrees of tilt to the lateral portion of the foot) the speedstar is one of the best shoes for an underpronator. for the cushioning:weight ratio you simply cant beat the speedstar as it destroys everything in the same class of shoe(if it fits your foot): mizuno precision, brooks launch, saucony mirage ect.
as for durability, who gives a shit if it last 40-50 miles less than some other shoes? just buy new ones.
I have run in them, and I blew them the F up. It wasn’t 40-50 miles less, it was closer to 150 less. Maybe I got a bad pair, but they really didn’t hold up for me.
I would recommend the glycerin, nimbus, or vomero if you truly supinate.
Otherwise, I would go to a running specialty store that does a video analysis of your foot to know whether you really do supinate.
Kinvaras. Seriously.
What you are describing for the “back outside edge” suggests that this is the principal point of contact of your foot. This is a very natural occurrence, as we will not land centered on the heel (if you are, indeed, heel striking). The outside edge wear is indicative of the “swing” through our hips, as there is rotation involved, rather than a simple lever forward. In general, women will have further lateral wear than men, due to having wider hips (which is why, on some women’s models, there is a different heel tooling on the shoe compared to men’s models.)
Without having seen your gait, and your success with the Nike Free, I would suggest something moreso along the lines of a performance trainer. This will give you the weight that you desire, an ample amount of cushioning without negating feedback you’ll receive from the road, and varying degrees of flexibility. We’ll also want to keep a relatively high ramp angle/delta/heel-toe offset/heel-toe drop, as it appears you had success with it in the Free.
Therefore, based on that, I’d recommend:
Brooks Launch
Asics Speedstar
Mizuno Wave Precision
New Balance 890
Nike LunarFly
I’d probably avoid the Racer, as in my opinion, they do not offer a good value in terms of how long they last as compared to price. I know some others here will disagree with that, but again, my experience with them from both my own ownership, and my customers.
Now, if you wanted to experiment with effective zero drop (trying to put you in as close to a position as barefoot, but still offer enough cushioning for training on a consistent basis), this would be where the Saucony Kinvara, and perhaps, as a good transition shoe between the two styles, the Brooks Green Silence. The Minimus would probably be a bit firm, especially as compared to a pair of Frees, which are still relatively well-cushioned for a “minimal” shoe.
PM me if you’d like more feedback.
Ryan, if I can pick your brain a little more…what do you suggest for a supinator? I run completely on the outside edges of my feet, a little bow legged, and turn just a tad pigeon towed if I let my form get sloppy. (I know, sounds sexy). I’m 47, no history of knee or foot issues, race wt 170-175lbs, max training weeks 40 miles. I’ve been training for a couple of years in Asics Nimbus and racing in Speedstars, with no issues. Not remotely fast, 1:50 half marathoner. I’m inclined to continue what I’ve been doing, just wondering if it’s optimal for my gait.
QRNub–
I’ll shoot you a PM tonight. The short answer is…if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. However, I’ve got some ideas if you wanted to change things up a bit.
Sorry in advance for the hyjack.
I wore Asics Nimbus for @ 10 yrs with no problems at all. They changed the shoe and now it is too wide for me. I have narrow feet and it seems hard to find shoes that fit well.
I tore my ACL and like to run in cushioned shoes despite the “minimalist” movement going on these days.
I wore a New Balance 1063 recently but I think they changed to a different number.
Question is: What shoe do you think I should be in. I don’t over or underpronate.
Thanks
This guy (+4W/Kg) is about the only one explaining this correctly, yet no one is listening. Sorry, Ryan you appear to be on the level as well.
There is no “under-pronating”! There is pronating (probably 80% of the population), neutral (18%), and supinating (2%). Those are your three choices.
Heel wear, and shoe wear in general, are a poor way to figure out run mechanics and get shoe recommendations. Soliciting advice on a message board is also not really the way to go. Everyone has different feet, bodies, and foot strikes. GO TO A LEGIT RUNNING STORE!!! Try some things out, ask for their advice, get them to fit you with the right shoes, and then try them out. If they don’t work most places will let you exchange them for free.
Easy enough to say if you’ve in a nice big city. My nearest options are a perfectly nice running store about an hour round trip that doesn’t carry my size in anything, but will gladly special order it for full metal retail price. (I’ll still buy shorts & socks there though to support local business) or the place that’s two hours round trip, only has about four hours a week that they’re open while I’m not at work, and which will occasionally have things in my size but may or may not be right for my stride. (They’re the ones who sold me the Nimbuses which killed my knees) In their defense, I’m a pretty extreme supinator and they don’t get people like me in there very often.
Fair enough. But for the over 90% of the US population who does live near a major city, a running store is the answer.