I run for fun and for simple exercise without any desire to do races. I bought a pair of Brooks Glycerin 22 shoes and I have a few problems with them. Although this site recommends them for any kind of strike pattern, I struggle with them on a hard-paved sufaces (concrete, asphalt, compacted gravel, etc.).

First, the forefoot cushioning seems to be insufficient as my feet get sore for days even after a fairly short run (~8 km).

Secondly, I have to put sillicone gel heel pads in them not because of heel pain, but rather pain along the little finger edge. I seem to have bump on both feet directed towards the ground. With soft-sole shoes (mainly the Glycerins) it seems that the sole compresses such that the bump is pressed by the the shoe resulting in significant pain even after something like 200 meters. I have not had much problems with simple walking (harder-sole) shoes. The pads in the Glycerins move my feet such that the little finger edge does not come into (such hard) contact with the sole of the shoe. The resulting drop is insane - approx 10 mm from the shoes themselves plus approx 8 mm from the pads.

It seems like I have counteracting requirements - harder heel sole but softer forefoot cushioning.

I have searched for recommended shoes for forefoot strikers and ASICS Novablast 6 often come near the top. Are these a good pick or would you recommend others? What should I look for in new shoes? Any insights are greatly appreciated.

In order to get a secure fit I used runners loop lacing, added a felt tonguepad, and a 4mm heel lift. Over a few days the areas marked in blue felt uncomfortable while being in my feet immediately taking off the shoes.

A few hours after taking the off on day 4 the pain became intense on both feet specially the left foot with hurt too much to put any weight on it , almost looks like the lateral metatarsals are simply laying flat, dropping down.

The pain points line up with the shoes eyelets. The pain on the top of my foot happens when my full weight is on the one foot

Felt so bad i got xray taken, but no bone damage.

Its been 6 days i can walk again. But if I i dont leave a ton of slack between each eyelet (wear them like slippers)the pain cones back and persists for hours after taking them off. Ive been walking in oversized crocs with an brook insole in it.

I used to do a regular extra X with thise extra eyelets till I tried the heel lock lacing.

Has anyone heard of this happe from over tightening / heel lock loop lacing? Or is my theory nonsense?

I have a pair of NB Rebel v5 at 500km that are pretty much done. While I wait for Topo Specter 3 stock to replace them I picked up some cheap used Adios Pro 3 as a "super trainer", the guy said they had done 175km. One of the rods at the toe of one shoe seems to be cracked but does not impact the ride or make a noise during running.

Out of curiosity over the last few weeks I have done back to back identical sessions in both shoes outside and on the treadmill, fixed at a certain pace and tracking HR (polar h9) and power (stryd). Across all the sessions, I see no difference at all, which is super surprising to me. I'm pretty confident in the data and did my best to match things as much as possible

Obviously this is not a lab test and there are variables but I have done a similar thing in the past with a new pair of rebel v5 and new SC Elite v4 and seen \~3bpm hr reduction across the board with the Elites.

Interestingly I have been on the force treadmill at the Adidas lab with AP4 vs Rebel and their report said I was more efficient in the Rebel (Rebel colour is orange on that report, in the second pic). I have a pretty flat mid foot/forefoot strike.

I am interested to hear other peoples experiences or variances in shoes how much drop do you see in a super super at that kind of use? Any discussion about best practices for real world testing is appreciated.

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to buy a new pair of running shoes, and I'm kind of stuck and kind of overwhelmed by all the options. Therefore, I'm hoping that you guys can help me out.

This is what I'm looking for:
- Very wide shoe: As you can probably tell from the image, I have very wide feet, especially in the midfoot area. The shoes don't need to be an actual wide version, but it's probably advantageous. If relevant, my feet measure 30 cm in length (heel to toe) and 12 cm at the widest point (midfoot / base of toes)
- Moderate shock absorption: I have tried some of the more recent running shoes with very high stack height and very squishy soles, and I really dislike that feeling - it's like running on pillows with no connection to the ground. I obviously want some kind of cushioning and shock absorption, but I still want to feel the surface that I'm running on, at least to some degree
- Somewhat breathable and thin upper material: My feet get warm very easily, and I sweat a lot
- Heel drop no more than 8 mm: Just preference
- Not too rockered design: I just dislike that "aided feeling"

Brands and shoes that I have tried previously:
- Current shoe: Nike Flex Experience Run 11. They have too little shock absorption for my liking
- Altra: I have tried a lot of Altra models. I REALLY like the foot shape. They are a little too narrow in the midfoot, though. Wide versions are difficult to find in Europe. Lone Peaks are super wide in their wide version, but they are not very breathable, plus I solely run on roads
- Topo: Same as Altra. The foot shape is nice, but they are too narrow in the midfoot. I have not tried their wide versions
- Asics: I used to always run in Kayano and GT-2000 when I was younger. The fit has always been snug, but somewhat okay. Asics shoes have gotten increasingly narrower throughout the years in my experience, PLUS they have that very squishy feeling that I dislike, at least those two models do
- New Balance (wide versions): The width is great. However, in size 47.5, my big toe gets cut off. One size up is 49, and that fixes the big toe problem, but the shoes get way too long overall
- Saucony Echelon (wide version): Fit is actually decent overall, but they are so warm and thick

The perfect shoe would probably be the Altra Escalante 5 with a New Balance 2E width, a little more cushioning and the Nike Flex Experience Run 11 breathability. I have read that Altra will release wide versions of some of their models in January 2027, but I can't wait until January 😂

Thank you all so much in advance!

TLDR:
Looking for new running shoes, probably dedicated wide version, moderate shock absorption (not squishy, but not no absorption at all), somewhat breathable, heel drop no more than 8 mm, not too rockered design

Does anyone have any insight as to when these will be available on Taobao, ive been looking for a couple months now and no one has any in stock

Typically someone who needs a 2E shoe but have been trying standard width shoes out after my successes in fitting into the MTC R1/C1 and Mizuno Neo Zen and Neo Vista.

Love everything about this shoe from Brooks. The knit kinda booty upper, the stiffer foam, the plate, the rocker geometry, it all feels great except for the toe box. I’m a larger and very powerful runner so this setup is perfect.

Unfortunately these absolutely crush my pinky toe and really cause too much discomfort to wear for much time. I don’t suspext these would stretch out at all either.

Are there any shoes that would be comparable to these that might come in 2E or have a wider or higher volume upper in the ball/toe area?

I have my first marathon coming up in ten days with a goal of under 4:30. I've been using Brooks Glycerin, which I like, but also bought a pair of Superblast 3s, which I used for my final 20 mile run, as well as a few short runs before that. After that run I had a lot of knee and joint pain. I think it's probably at least 90 percent overtraining (42F, really should have done strength training--now I know!). But I also wonder if it's 10 percent switching shoes. I've been switching between both and can't tell if the shoes are actually a factor. Wondering if I should play it safe and stick with the Glycerins for the marathon? All advice welcome, thank you. My priority is finishing without getting injured.

Hey everyone. I want to buy my first running shoes so here to ask for advices. I started running around 1.5 months ago. I run 5km in ~26 min and 10km in ~1h 4min but this 10k was my first attempt so I believe it can get better. So my goals are running a half marathon with 6.30 pace and 10k sub 1h. I don’t know if those details are necessary but putting just in case. I weigh 75kg and am around 1.83m. My budget is around 100 euros but I’d love it if it’s little bit less. Looking forward for your suggestions thank you 🙏. (These runs were with my daily shoes -Nike air max 90- fyi)

Hi! A few years ago I fell victim to the dreaded ‘you need stability shoes’ moment with a running store sales associate. Luckily, I think he was right and my NB Fresh Foam 860s alleviated my foot and back pain compared to the Hoka Bondi 8s. I ended up picking up a pair of Brooks Glycerin GTSs as well, which served me very well for a year or so.

Lately, I’ve been experiencing two types of foot pain pretty regularly. Specifically, I get a chunky painful sensation (almost like the feeling of cracking a knuckle or finding a knot during a massage) in the outer arch, generally on my right foot but sometimes on the left. This happens almost exclusively while I am working out on the stairmaster or incline walking on the treadmill. There is also a general soreness/fatigue that reminds me of what you normally feel the day after a very long hike. It’s not super localized but I’d say it’s generally around the ankles and the part of the top of my foot that connects to the leg. This pain has manifested more regularly, showing up within 5-10 minutes of any sustained walk.

Originally I thought it might be an overuse injury, but I took two weeks off from the gym and it came back almost immediately when I did some light cardio to test it out. Then I thought my shoes may be worn out, so I replaced both pairs (NB 860 & Brooks Glycerin GTS) and am still having the same issues after a few days of trying both pairs casually and at the gym. Is it possible that I’ve graduated from stability trainers? Since I started the stairmaster over the last 6 months or so, I’ve been more focused on my alignment and posture. Is it possible that by working on my pelvic alignment, hamstring tightness, etc. that I no longer need the extra support? That’s the best conclusion I can make based on the location of the pain.

TLDR: stability shoes used to feel great, now I’m experiencing various types of foot pain and wondering if I should switch to neutral shoes.

I’m running a half in 4 weeks and am trying to decide what shoes to race in. A little about me/what I’m looking for:

• PR is 1:54 + goal for this race is 1:49 (8:19/mile, 5:10/km)
• Midfoot striker
• Generally prefer “stable neutral” shoes (mildly overpronate on one side)
• Can't do shoes with a narrow forefoot
• Don’t need a carbon plate but would like something that feels race-y, fast, and fun

Current rotation:

• Asics Superblast 3 (easy, long)
• Puma Deviate Nitro 4 (speed)
• Hoka Cielo X1 1.0 (race)

Shoes that I haven’t gotten along with:

• Saucony Endorphin Azura - the plastic on the upper made the outside of my foot go numb
• Saucony Endorphin Speed 5 - loved the 4s (had two pairs), but the plate on the 5s didn’t line up with my foot
• Asics Superblast 2 - bad heel slippage gave me blisters (runner's knot didn't help)
• Adidas Boston 11 - carved up my achilles really bad

Race day shoes that I’m considering from my rotation:

• Hoka Cielo X1 1.0 - what I ran my 1:54 PR in, but current pair has 60 miles + wish they were lighter
• Puma Deviate Nitro 4 - worried they’re not cushioned enough for a half
• Asics Superblast 3 - would get a fresh pair but worried they’re too soft to race in

Race day shoes that I’ve got my eye on:

• Saucony Endorphin Pro
• Puma Deviate Nitro Elite
• Asics Megablast
• Hoka Rocket X 3
• New Balance SuperComp Elite
• Asics Sonicblast 2

TLDR: looking for a fast but stable racer for a 1:49 half. Thoughts? What else should I have on my short list? Thank you all in advance!

Been down a massive rabbit hole trying to run with flat feet and keep having issues with PTT. I’ve been doing physical therapy on and off and have a pair of custom orthotics from a podiatrist on the way, but I’ve been back and forth on whether I need them in a stability shoe or if they do the job better in a neutral shoe. That question goes for the over the counter orthotics I’ve tried as well. I have both the Adrenaline GTS and the Ghost from Brooks but was running with primarily Nike structures with orthotic the past few months. I have a fresh pain on my left side now that came about a month ago after a hike even with OTC orthotics from a podiatrist. I’ve been dealing with the PTT for about a year. I also have used the Tread Labs Run and Powerstep Pinnacle and Pulse Maxx orthotics.

Found a pair of AF3 in the colorway i want for the low, it’s my first pair of carbons

The thing is i’m typically a US8 (in evo SL and vomero plus) but the shoes are a US9.

Am I still able to pull them off or will they be too large? Will be using them for upcoming half and full maras next year.

Cheers