Thursday, January 10, 2008

Running and racing shoes

After running for years in Walmart Dr. Scholl's brand gel soles... (which I do recommend as the best brand of running shoes under $27), I got some real shoes for training and running 5K races.

Training Shoes:

Saucony ProGrid Triumph 4
$120

This shoe really cushions the impact. It has a real soft heel and has made a difference in my knee fatigue.

They weigh 12.8 ounces each and have a super breathable net-like upper that really keeps the feet from getting hot. I like the aggressive tread pattern, great traction without being too wide. For a 'neutral' stride runner.



Racing Shoes:

Adidas Adizero PR
$90

I ran my first three mile trial with these today and I was amazed. I took 40 seconds of my previous days time, and the shoes undoubtedly contributed. These are the lightest running flats available. At an incredible 3.8 ounces, they weigh less than one third of my already light Saucony training shoes.

These shoes were amazingly comfortable. Like slippers, they are ready to race right out of the box. I can't help but believe that lifting a half-pound less on each foot over the course of a 5K would most definitely help race time.... and I need all the help I can get. These shoes are what you'd expect from Adidas. High tech, super comfortable light weight competition shoes but they are a bit delicate, certainly not meant for anything but track or pavement. Not suitable for trails, grass, gravel, etc... I was surprised at how good my feet felt in these shoes. After running my first time trial, I felt these shoes were not lacking in padding or comfort in any way.

I bought these shoes on line without even trying a pair on my feet. I am 100% happy and satisfied and look forward to using them in many races. These are the kind of shoes that can just make you feel fast. Fire engine red and silver!


If I get nuts enough to start sprinting again, I'll be looking to get some of these.

1 comment:

Lisa said...

Well, it worries me that you didn't get "fitted" by these at a local running store but IF you truly are a "neutral" foot striker, you should be fine...until you get the bug to run anything longer than a 5k. :P

Like I said, you needed new running shoes and you'd improve!

Happy Running!