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Marathon Shoe Rotations | We pick our top shoes for 26.2 miles
3.1k Plays1 month ago
This month on the podcast, the team is talking about their top picks for upcoming marathons in 2025. From easy day shoes and daily trainers, all the way up to our favourite options for the big day, we chat through what we'll be wearing over the next few months.
We'll also be talking about loads of other stuff, from our current training plans to the latest products we've been testing.
Perfect for that Sunday long run.
Big thanks to Fear of Tigers for the killer intro music. You can listen to more of his stuff over at https://www.patreon.com/fearoftigers
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Transcript
Introduction and Marathon Shoe Rotations
00:00:04
Speaker
Hey, Tommy from the Runetesters and welcome back to the Runetesters podcast. In this episode, we're going to be talking about marathon shoe rotations. So we're going to be picking our top shoe choices for upcoming marathons, including easy days, daily trainers and the shoes that we're going to be picking for race day.
January Banter and Running World
00:00:21
Speaker
Right. Let's dive in and see what we all picked.
00:00:30
Speaker
Hello, gentlemen. Hello, welcome to the end of the almost the end of the first month of January. The first month of January. Yeah. Welcome to the first month of January. Good start, innit? Classic, classic phrase. Welcome to the end. Nearly the end of the first month of January. It's not even the end of January. No. It is the end of the first month of January. Yeah. Well done. Well done. Right.
Personal Running Updates and Future Plans
00:00:55
Speaker
So, how are things in the running world with you guys? What's happening? Races?
00:01:02
Speaker
Training. I might as well talk about this hoodie first. This is a pretty good hoodie, Mike. What is this? Little Steph Curry number here. Oh, it's a nice colour. Maybe I can start. Well, January has been interesting. I am currently not doing Spring Mountain as things stands, but I am doing some halves.
00:01:25
Speaker
um And I'm plotting my awesome marathon at the moment. So um potentially maybe Lisbon. So we'll see that around October time. So um so I've got some halfs to do. um And yeah, just kind of kicking off training with that, which was slightly interrupted by a little trip to Dubai, which I got a little bit ill from, but always the case.
Running in Dubai: Experiences and Culture
00:01:50
Speaker
So January has been interesting. I've just been focusing on getting my mileage back up. And I've got to be able to be running over Christmas period as well. And actually going back to some shoes, before there's a big influx of new shoes, it's been quite nice to go back to some shoes that I actually really liked running in last year. So it's been
00:02:10
Speaker
Quite nice. How was the running in Dubai? It was interesting given how bloody freezing it is here at the moment. so and We ran every day. we did i mean Interesting call to do a midday run in a desert on a bike track. 12k I think we did. It was not fun. um ah But it was good express on the hmo was quite glad to be out and out in the heat. So I was out for the Infinite infinite Elite 2 launch, but they were also talking about the new faster shoe range that will be coming later in the year. So learning a little bit more about the Velocity Elite. There's going to be the speed and a shoe that will sit in between those as well. so Pretty much standard in terms of what we're seeing from other brands. So so yeah, it's been it's been nice to kind of see what's coming coming up and be interesting whether
00:03:01
Speaker
competing stuff but yeah so it's been nice to come as well I was out there after you Tom I didn't quite make it out to yeah just missed you by about half a day didn't I yeah yeah yeah boy yeah well I went over there ah rich well I went over there for a holiday but at the same time the Dubai marathon was on and I had that stupid idea ah site of doing it a month after Valencia straight after Christmas which was I didn't end up doing because by the time I got around to going out there I hadn't really done a month of training for a marathon and it is not an easy marathon that is I did the 10k
00:03:39
Speaker
and it's just a road, just 10k on one road. I think the marathon is not far off as a similar run, so I think if if you're going to do that, you really need to be prepared for getting your head down and just cock your aisles. It's not going to be an enjoyable one if you if you're not very fit. But yeah, i did
Motivation Challenges and Holiday Impact
00:03:58
Speaker
i did it was interesting to buy. i didn't I did went to a run club there as well on the beach. Interesting running scene over in Dubai.
00:04:05
Speaker
Yeah, definitely. I mean, I think it's starting to grow a little bit more. I mean, the last time I went, there wasn't a lot of places for you to run or walk, basically. So the fact there is scope to actually run around. Yeah, he it let's saying yeah it's it's a long way to travel around Dubai to get to to other places. So you have to basically drive quite far to go and yeah do a run club. So it's quite a big investment. and But I did see there's a lot of Dubai is obviously quite big with like influences and stuff like that. So there's a lot of those sort of run clubs that are designed to you know, 5k photos and stuff like that. But there is I think there's quite a big growing scene with track running and stuff out there as well. Now I've seen quite a few of those clubs while I was while I was over there. It's quite interesting. But yeah, I'll just talk about my my training.
00:04:50
Speaker
You're training time, I won't. Absolutely awful. Shambles of them there. Yeah, this is this is a mistake of ah doing Valencia marathon and then losing it all my motivation over Christmas because I was enjoying drinking too much. Back on it now, back on the saddle. With a ricky hat and a running, you go up and down. Yeah well I'm not, I've got Manchester in there April I'm not overly bothered about that so I don't think i this is your swan song marathon right before you knock them on the head for a bit. This isn't a swan song this is a this is a lad trip so like and I went out today to do a run and it was only I only had like 45 minutes to go for a run and it was just rain windy
00:05:31
Speaker
he has grim today it was awful so that is my to try and get myself motivated myself to get back on on it it's a not good day to do that loving your race blitz lately tom it's always the first game maybe maybe and it's like oh god no but i've shown some pretty bad races as well your 10k was longer the weekend how have they got 10k long in Brighton there are so many meters long That's ridiculous. There are so many good races there. That's the first time they've done it, but that company that organizes it, they normally do trail races. And with trail races, you can get away with it, can't you? The distance isn't that important. and that They've gone from trail to doing a and very simple road race that's basically just forward and back, and they've got the distance wrong on that. They've misjudged that.
00:06:18
Speaker
Yeah, i don't admit i just the audience I don't think many people did it as a race. I don't think they even really marked it as a race. I mean, you got a bit of a chip times and everything like that, and it was quite pricey. So you'd assume it would was a race. But yeah, it seemed to be a bit more of a relaxed crowd. But will you be lodging a complaint?
00:06:35
Speaker
You can go as relaxed as you want, but don't want I don't want to run 400 metres long in a 10K. I think you would have won it by, if you'd done the 10K, you'd have won it by about four minutes. So yeah, but I'm back on it now. I've got a heavy diet going down, lots of strength training. got like The grumpy one for Tom goes big diet. Yeah, I'm going to be pretty annoying for the next few weeks. i've Got my body body ah measurements getting done tomorrow from my PT. Oh, and I failed.
00:07:05
Speaker
No, your god i I don't go gym in the field. All right, fair enough. Shooned. How about you Nick? I've not been anywhere hot, I swear to say. I've just been chugging away. I'm doing Seville marathon and then London. So I've got two spring marathons. Seville is kind of a big goal now. It's only five weeks away now, I think. and Yeah, I've
In-depth Running Shoe Discussion
00:07:27
Speaker
been going through the grind, obviously. I'm not normally kind of this fit at this time of year. Normally I do Valencia or I'm quite relaxed over winter. So having missed Valencia but being very fit for it and then got back into training, I mean, I'm in good shape, but it's just, yeah, it's like I say, isn't it? So I'm doing really long track sessions and really hard doubles on when it's cold and stuff like that. Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 3 has become basically an essential shoe because it's got the best grip of any fast shoe and I've had just loads of fast sessions and it's the only one that grips reliably on the greasy track and stuff like that.
00:07:55
Speaker
Yeah, just loads and loads of miles, hard sessions, also just a massive sleep regression from my youngest child. So that's the main thing off your car in my mind at the moment. Just a combination of factors to make things quite tiring. You did a ridiculous double the other day, didn't you? You did like 30k in a day. More than that. The last two doubles I've done have been like 35, 36k and include warm up and cool down. I, after that second one, which the pace wasn't that bad on each of the eight milers, but I had to get up pretty early to do the first one. Second one I was doing was getting dark. It was very cold. Came back and it was basically like feverish. And I was going, oh, am I ill? Or have I just basically done too much running? And I have a few chronic, so I've been trying to do a full day of work as well. And then pick up the kids. See, I've got back for the second one. And I was just going, I'm absolutely wrecked. I thought I could run a marathon here. I have a quick, my biscuit. I've got to go and get the kid from nursery. But on the way back from nursery, I had to stop and buy myself a cream egg. So I was worried I wasn't going to make it home. I got back in just like going, yeah, my temperature is about 39 degrees. I think it's just a pure reaction to running. Does your coach know that you got a job? Does he seem to think you're like a Kenyan runner that gets you in the morning, goes to a run and then goes to bed? I don't think anybody was listening, but I did have a little nap on work time that day. which is not very professional, it's fair to say. But no, I was just, I just had misjudged fueling and timing and stuff like that. It's no, it's no one's fault with my own and I've done harder. I've done harder doubles than that and been fine. I just need to, you know, plan things. But I can't, each one of those ones, you get back in and your mind already switched back on to the things you need to do and you kind of forget to then refuel and stuff like that. So.
00:09:24
Speaker
What time's the early one, Nick, that you do? What time do you do the early one? Well, I have to get the kids to nursery and then go from there. So it's normally like dropping them to nursery just before eight and then start. And that one was hard again. So that just made that run a bit harder, even though the pace wasn't crazy. It was like it was slightly slower than the marathon pace for eight miles. But it was just, you know, by the time I got back from that, I was like already like two minutes late for work. So I had to get straight in to start work. And then again, just didn't. Yeah. So I'm just going to plan things a bit better. Normally it's fine.
00:09:52
Speaker
doing many fast doubles at the moment, Mike? Absolutely not. I don't know any double days. I can't remember the last, I don't think I've ever done a double day on purpose. I think I've probably done a part run or something and then had to run over. You've probably done a double, you've done your real run for the day, then gone to an event and done like... Yeah, basically that. Those event runs don't really count as a double, do they? While we had the Brooks one, Kieran and I were at the Brooks event, and I'd had a run over the day, because I knew it was going to be a silly little 5K that took an hour or something. But Kieran and I seemed genuinely surprised. I've never done a run today. I said, well, what do you mean? You've done 4.8K in 56 minutes. You're fine, mate. He's like, oh, I forgot. I need to do my actual run before I turn up. I've got so many photos, though.
00:10:38
Speaker
I got a photo, actually I'm going to use that photo, I've got a nice one. um It's me i and Andy Ambadas chatting away. yeah and that In the middle of it we just stopped for some reason and we had to start like, you know that thing in football warm-ups or sports warm-ups where you both crouch, you have to try and tap the other person's knee. Yeah. We're doing that and I was like, I'm not doing that. Just middle of like, but we're about 3.3 K into it at this point. So, you know, we're half, we're 40 minutes in. and Yeah. Well, we all just started to cool down because it took so many photos. And then we got back and then, yeah, it was was quite nice. And then we, yeah, then the event was very good. Obviously we saw some good shoes and then we're not supposed to lose to Arsenal. So good night all round. All right. Don't you talk about some, some kit? Go on then. Yeah. Yeah.
00:11:32
Speaker
So January, well, that's just before Christmas. um I think Nick, you were the only one that was had a few shoes in, but it's a bit quiet for everyone else. But now it's it's gone. Carnage now. Carnage now. Shoes left, right and centre. And some pretty exciting. I know there's a few that people have been waiting for quite a while trying to work out which ones... I don't think there's anything we can't talk about. Are you talking about the Bondi?
00:11:54
Speaker
The Bondi. That's all Mike's been talking about. What have Mike's been talking about? Yeah, do you want to talk about the Bondi? Let's not talk about the Bondi. Let's talk about the Adios Adizero Evo SL. Early content of the show. Oh, yes. Let's talk about that because I paid a lot of money for that. You paid more than you'd have paid for. I mean, you were there in Dubai with the best colour Superblast I've ever seen. I didn't pick it up. It's madness. Yeah, but that would have been about 260 quid or something. I'm not even sure that colour's coming. I've got a style on that one as well.
00:12:25
Speaker
I said it in the reviews, if I was going to design myself a daddy trainer, I'd do this. I'd have a pretty minimal upper but of enough padding that it's not uncomfortable. A bit of outsole rubber, a bit of continental that's pretty solid grip and a big old stack of a really good foam with a rocker and ideally I'd price it at $120, $130 and they'd just done that and it's great. It's like,
00:12:45
Speaker
brands should just do that. Yeah, it's great. scott Yeah. I mean, they they could have gone easy gone the the other way with this and they could have, you know, priced it up at 280 or 290, something like that and crossed it. like Well, yeah. like Even if they, cause you know, yeah I think it is a competitor for the Super Blast. There's also 70 quid more. Like the Nike Pegasus Plus is a similar idea. so Simple shoe with Zumex foam. That's 160 and it's not as good as the Adidas Evo itself. That's kind of the price I'd have expected this going out. And yes, it's brilliant. I've just done so much like fast running in it and like kind of runs where,
00:13:14
Speaker
normally I'll be reaching for a plated shoe and even I wouldn't really reach the super blast it's just a little bit too big sometimes for really fast reps and the so the SL is just really light really fast just great fun to run in so um yeah that's kind of smashed it out the park with that and it's hopefully just yeah like nice little blueprint for other brands like because other brands do it with like the Hoka Maxxix and the Evans Rebel but they don't put their absolute best foam in and that's kind of what has made it special I think.
00:13:39
Speaker
Yeah, I was surprised. It definitely makes it easier to suggest shoes to people if you can pick up, what is it, 130 in the UK. 130, yeah. It's not out just yet. A lot of complaints about it's not available yet, but it wasn't ever really launched before. It wasn't like Adidas have run out of stock. They used to do a very minimal launch in October. I think it's February and then March in the US for the full launch. And there won't be a shortage because I think it's similar to things like the Boston and that. There's always loads of them available. It's not a pipe performance shoe that they're not going to sell loads of, isn't it? They need to... I must be there, probably there. You'd expect their biggest selling shoe this year. It won't be. It'll just be the ultra boost. It's always just the ultra boost. Okay, biggest selling running shoe.
00:14:19
Speaker
All these brands, it's never the one you think. I was talking to Brooks about this. yeah yeah like The Hyperion Range is just like a slither, you know kind of, compared to how big the market is for glycerins and ghosts. All right. Well, about the talking into the Elite 2. That's very exciting. And you've already been out in it today.
00:14:38
Speaker
I went at it yesterday. Yeah, um I was on the way back from a launch and I was on the tube. The tube's got internet now. I didn't know this. It's pretty exciting. Which one? Northern Line. I know the Elizabeth Line's always had it, but the Northern Line had it. I was like, oh, I checked my emails just in case, for example, that a super shoe was coming in and on the way home, I might be able to pick it up. I did go and pick it up. I used the endorphin leak to get straight to the track where it did not grip well. That was the only hoodie downside to it. um That's a soft shoe. How soft are we talking?
00:15:05
Speaker
We're talking, i'm talking um what was the, uh, uh, SRC elite two? That was one of the, so yeah, like, yeah, like almost neo vista. Like it's, um, I know people, I know some people who've had it just don't like it because it's almost feels in unstable. We're like on the track. It's, but it comes back. It does bounce back. It's not like, you know, you're sitting into it, but it's.
00:15:24
Speaker
but When you pick it and prod it, I've never you know felt such so such a soft foam. You know when people do those squishy videos on ah Instagram and they're always really squished and I can't do them. I think it's just because I'm weak, but with this issue, like I can do it. um and ah yeah so i did a really like Speaking of monster sessions, I didn't have a double yesterday. It's because Annie just did it all in one session where I did 10 times 1K, then 10 times 400 meters.
00:15:46
Speaker
Did it all in the shoe and apart from the fact that I've got I am Tried to go half size down because it's not gonna often I can get away with an 8.5 And it's quite nice fit and it's fine in the endorphin trainer which also came in and it's fine in the endorphin speed But in the endorphin elite, it's too small. So that was a bit. Yeah, I was one problem It was a slightly small but mostly it was just greasy track You know, I don't think he's got bad grip issue But the only shoe that grips well on that track in that situation is the puma So I've like for an hour and a half I was just a little bit kind of squeaky and s slipping slightly but other than the ride Yeah, it's great. I think it's really fun. I mean, if I'd done that run in the first version, my feet would have been completely wrecked. It was a very far shoe, the first one, but it was not accommodating and soft. And this is much softer. You still feel that plate more than with some other shoes, but um yeah, really, I mean, just to see what you think of it, Tom, cause obviously you like the softy shoes, but um yeah, it does bounce back, but it's it's very different. so Well, I didn't get on with the RC Elite V2. That was too soft for me.
00:16:41
Speaker
Yeah. I'm interested to see how this is. like Because I've seen some reviews like talking about, oh, it's so accommodating. It will suit loads of runners at slower speeds as well. But I don't know. I almost feel like it felt better, actually, when I went from those 1k reps at around 10k pace to the 400 meters at 5k pace. The faster I went, it felt like I was getting off the phone quicker. Warrior, actually, if I slowed down a bit, it might be too soft. you sink in a bit but yeah b it's I think you guys will probably get them tomorrow and we'll get a first run up.
00:17:05
Speaker
Sure. Yes. Looking forward to that. That might be ah my park run shoe for Saturday. And then meanwhile, the Endorphin trainer came in and that's the new Canvara Pro shoe that we were not huge fans of. Very likely, didn't he? No. It's interesting though. I spoke to a lot of people that ended up choosing that for marathons last year, which is strange given you know how um we were very much in agreement it wasn't fantastic. so yeah I ran in it today. you know It was fine for an easy... but if It feels just like, you know,
00:17:34
Speaker
an easy run shoe, like a cushion shoe. It's like, okay, well, I won't pay a hundred and eight quid for that, whatever it is. But it's all right. It's got this new phone. So this incredible phone, I think is not also incredible. It's not a pun, is it? It's just, you just wear it. It's, I think it's not P, but I think it's some kind of TPU based phone, but it's Super soft. It doesn't feel obviously as soft on the Kivira Pro. You've got a massive stack of, not Kivira Pro. What's it called? Endorphin Trainer. It makes more sense as an endorphin shoe. I will say that. It's filling in for basically what the endorphin shift used to be. In which case, I don't even really want a half plate in there. I don't think it's doing a lot. It felt fine today just mooching around. It's one of those shoes I still don't believe as a category necessarily needs to. Oh, we've made a super shoe or a super trainer for slightly slower people. It's like, Well, actually, they can either use the supertrains to exist or just use a non-super-shoe and save themselves a load of money. I think it's a... So, I'm still in between on the idea of this shoe, but it didn't feel bad today. Okay, anything else to cover for the Brooks Hyperion Elite?
00:18:33
Speaker
What's it? Four b PB? four p yeah It is exactly the same shoe as the four but with the different photos. I was looking at them today because I was doing some cutaways. It is the same shoe but with the better foam and it does feel a lot better. It's already even lighter because the other thing, the other day they flash be whatever it was, it was pretty light as well. but yeah i I'm going to go straight into a 22 miler in that shoe on Saturday which could prove a terrible idea but I think I've got to go for it. so and Is that an easy 22 miler? Oh, no. of It's 11 miles at 6.30 a mile and then 11 at 6 a mile.
00:19:03
Speaker
Yeah, you've got a very different training front from me and Mike at the moment. I'm looking forward to that one. I'm having zero bottles of Baileys as well, which is really awesome. I actually did miss out on Baileys over Christmas because we finished our first bottle quite early, and and then just we were going away. So we won't get another one. We regretted it. We should have got another one. sure Surely you're celebrating Burns' night, the weekend. but Well, my wife's at Acalia right now, actually. But she's ah we we're going... It's our anniversary tomorrow, actually. So we're going out for 10 years. ah Congratulations. So we'll probably have a bit of a celebration with Baileys tomorrow, maybe. Nice, nice.
00:19:37
Speaker
Okay, nothing else, let's jump into the main section.
Marathon Training Shoe Selection
00:19:48
Speaker
All right, guys, it is coming at the end of January. A lot of people are preparing for marathons coming up in March and April. So this is probably a good time to start talking about what shoes we would pick up for that marathon training box. So we're not just talking about the the the ratios that you're going to pick for for the big day, but shoes that you're going to use over the next three months. We've done this a few times. We've talked about rotations, but we've had a lot of new shoes in since the last time we've done that. so Let's start with, Mike, do you want to start? If you were to pick your rotation, what at the moment, what would be your easy day shoe for marathon training? I know you're not training for a marathon, but if you were. Well, still I still am working to rotation as i would if I would be doing a marathon, so I'd still be kind of utilizing my shoes in that way. so In terms of the easy shoes that I'm using, or I would go to, at the moment is the Skywood X, Hox Skywood X, and
00:20:47
Speaker
I am actually using the Balance 1080 V13, not the V14. I much prefer the comfort side of things with those shoes. Gives me enough in terms of protection. I know that you know there's going to be very stable, for me, shoes personally. um And I know comfort is going to be the priority for me. So those are the shoes that I would kind of be grabbing. And actually, super-blasty would be in there as well. I think you know in terms of me yeah know particularly picking up my mileage and ah having a shoe very that's very easy to do that with. That's the shoe that I found you know that I've been grabbing the most for those types of runs and like getting more time on my feet. um so Those are the kind of ones that I've been turning to yeah with a view you know that if I was doing a mask, those are the shoes i I'd still be using anyway. Okay, you got one pick. What's your easy day shoe?
00:21:35
Speaker
ah so At the moment, a 1080p 13 is the one I still grab for. I know it's not the it's not the newest version, but it's just the one that I love the weight of it. I love the way it feels. I love the comfort side of things. I think the 1080p 14 is a good shoe. i just you know It's just worked a little bit better for me. and I don't know what I'm going to get from that shoe when I go out on it. What sort of distance would you go up to in the 1080p 13?
00:22:00
Speaker
i mean to guys where um you know I wouldn't go kind of you know my longest, longest runs, I think like 10, 11, 12 miles. I feel absolutely fine running in that shoe. And that's kind of where I'm at at the moment. So for me, it's perfectly fine. you know I think the the biggest difference for me, the 1080p 14, is I probably feel more comfortable going further than that in that shoe. But I think for me, in terms of where I'm at and where my of long runs are at the moment, I mean, it's absolutely fine. so okay Nick, easy day shoe, what you get one pick.
00:22:29
Speaker
can You can talk through some of this, but what's your one pick for people doing a marathon in this year for easy day shoes at the moment? People or for me? Well, what would you what what are you going to pick well that's it based on your running?
00:22:43
Speaker
ah Basically, just I think I already have a dedicated Easy Day shoe anymore. I just think they've got so good, diverse tall shoes that I'd probably be using those for easy runs and then other runs as well. so like I think if I was going to recommend going get one Easy Day shoe for people, I really rate the Saucony Hurricane 24. I think it's in a very impressive shoe all round. But I think probably my Easy Day runs, that kind of thing, I wouldn't use a shoe as big as that. I just don't tend to use those kind of shoes that much when it comes to my the picking my new shoes. I'd probably be looking at something like Super Blast or the Hoka Maxxix kind of thing. Those are shoes that I just really like using a lot for that kind of run. Just, yeah, the easy runs here and there. And then if I'm doing anything like, if I was doing lots of long, easy runs, I would get something like that. But none of my long runs are ever just always easy. It's always as a progression element to them. So I do prefer picking up a picking up something that's got a bit more versatility myself.
00:23:32
Speaker
Glycerin Max would be another one very much up there. I was just looking at kind of an actual general Easy Day shoe for marathon training. I think it's one of the best marathon training shoes out there with that nice rocker, nice stiff ride. But yeah, it's hard to say what I'd pick. I don't want to pick the Super Blast, but if I actually talk about the rotation I'd have for marathon training, a dream rotation Super Blast would be the shoe I'd be picking out for all those kind of runs.
00:23:55
Speaker
Well, I'm the opposite to you. Most of my runs are easy runs. I'm training for marathons at the moment. So I would. We've had quite a few new shoes in that ah ah that you would probably put into that category of easy day, long run shoes, things like the Gel Nimbus 27.
00:24:13
Speaker
the Brooks Christian 22, but that neither of those has really sparked my interest. I've not really enjoyed those very much. Definitely not for long runs. So I think I would, I mean, I'm still, I'm obviously going to say the more V5 because I love that shoe. Comfort at a nice comfortable pace. That's, that's, that's what I get out of the more V5. But I would say, so I mean, sort of like the Mizuno Neo Vista, which is you know and all around a shoe you can use for other stuff, I would use it for easy runs as well. Yeah, there are lots of plated shoes I would. I probably just wouldn't pick a plated shoe for easy runs. Like, again, if it was, you know Nike Zoomfly 6 is an incredibly comfortable shoe. You just relax easy runs. And again, it does that job really well, but probably I'd like to have a not a plated free shoe when it comes to just pure easy stuff. Yeah. They're okay. It's a very good choice because you can, you tick off a lot of different people for that and you've got no concerns about stability or anything. It just, uh, It's just one of those shoes that it is just a big block of comfort that actually has a bit more in it than most shoes in that category I found anyway.
00:25:22
Speaker
Okay, training shoes.
Favorite Marathon Training Shoes
00:25:24
Speaker
Mike, you got one shoe. professor What are you going for? What are you suggesting is is the shoe that would be used for all of your faster sessions if you're training for a marathon?
00:25:35
Speaker
I think, you know, I think for me and what I've, you know, why I've kind of eaten, I think will probably work for a lot of people. And it's one that I kind of picked out and in my kind of, you know, favorites from last year is ah the Rebel V4, the new batch Rebel V4 for me. That's the one that I've been back out in when I've wanted to do some slightly more up-tempo sessions, you know.
00:25:53
Speaker
I think it just works very well. I think ah like the fact it has the elements of the upper, of the SC elite there. So from ah and a fit point of view, it feels really gay you know great for me. And you know I think for me, that is a shoe that I think will work for a lot of people, first and foremost. And I think the experience of using that for more at-tempo sessions, um I think you know that that's a great shoe. And I think that'll work for a lot of different people. Any others that people might want to look at?
00:26:19
Speaker
I mean, you've got you've got to put the Mac in there as well. I think the Mac X2 as well. those you know Those are still very solid um shoes in that category. Price-wise, value-wise, I think you're getting you know a lot out of those shoes as well. The Superplasti would be in there as well because it could do a lot of that as well. So you know it's more expensive, very hard to get hold of. But if you could get it, that would be a shoe that could work for that. Maybe not your very fastest stuff. But I think you know if you were looking for an all-in-one shoe to do that, some of that, then that would be another shoe to look at, I think.
00:26:49
Speaker
Yeah, go on then, Nick. and This is going to be quite different for you again, I imagine. So this is, again, yeah, I'm going to push, I'm going to annoy people here, but I'll have my pick again. what I've got access to loads of shoes here, so I'm going to be honest and say the one that I do use the most marathon training, but then I'll give some probably more sensible picks. But I do think the Hoka CLO-X1 is the best marathon training shoe ever made, probably. wow I've done my last year, you know, marathons every time I've got a really big, hard, long run.
00:27:17
Speaker
that's the shoe I pull on. It's fast, really fast. It's a racing shoe. It's very, very fast, but it is, ah I think, a bit more stable and comfortable and protective than some of the ah you know the racing shoes. You always bounce back really well the next day, and the ride's just unbelievable. It's just so nice to run at that shoe a lot. and So I have done, I've done, I think, about 360 kilometers in that shoe now. just um all in marathon training. You know, the odd race here and there, but it's just the dream marathon training shoe. You know, that session, I'll talk about it separately to this in the audio part of the podcast, but he says, I did a long session at track yesterday, 10 times 1K, 10 times 400. I did that in the CLO at the back end of last year. And yeah, it was it was dream in that. So I do think that's amazing, but it's obviously very expensive. It's a complex racing shoe. People don't want to train in that all the time. There are some amazing, obviously played to super trainers out there. I think for marathon training in particular,
00:28:01
Speaker
I think Nike Zoomfly 6 might just edge out the Mac X2 and the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4, which I think are slightly faster shoes, but Zoomfly is so comfortable, so good for those marathon training sessions where you're really doing flat-out reps, you're doing maybe a lot of reps with shorter recovery, and that's the kind of you know the thing that really comes into its own. And then plate-free, the shoe I've been using a lot recently is the Adidas Adizero Evo SL, which is an incredible shoe, great value.
00:28:24
Speaker
and The opposite to the Hoka Cielo is an unplated, low-stack, simple shoe that's less than half the price. and you know Pretty much as good as an amazing shoe, you just maybe not hasn't quite got that i think the protection you get for long runs from the Cielo, but yeah, that's an amazing shoe as well. But yeah, honestly, i'd like I say, the proof's in the mileage. I've got access to every shoe here, but I've done more miles than the Cielo than I've done in any shoe probably ever except for the original Socky Endorphin Speed 4.
00:28:45
Speaker
Yeah. But I suppose the trade that you're doing, you're, you're, you're doing long runs that have quite a lot of fast sections in it. Like the whole long run might be a fast run for you. Yeah. And then, you know, I'm doing a lot of doubles. So you want to do that for the first, you know, the doubles, you know, the threshold doubles usually. So the pace isn't crazy, but you got to recover for the next one. So I'll put on the CELO because I know that I rebound better in that shoe, you know, and then I'm good again for the next, and then I might use the ADS Evo SL for the afternoon run where, you know, it's less about,
00:29:13
Speaker
you know quick recovery, more about enjoying the run at at that time. Anyway, they're both really enjoyable shoes, just at very different ends of the spectrum. I think those are two standout options for sure, with something like the Zoomfly splitting the difference in the middle as you a slightly more realistic plated shoe maybe than the CLA. Although, you might be able to find it. ah I mean, the new one's coming out soon, and you know there might be a better racing shoe, but it's hard to imagine a better fast training shoe than the CLA-X1, even though that's not what it's designed to be.
00:29:35
Speaker
Well, I was destroyed by the C9x1 after 40k. It's incredible. I just don't know how you do these things. so so I was so upset. i i Like you, I love that shoe and I wish I'd have used it for Valencia marathon. I think for me, it is more of a marathon shoe than and that a training shoe.
00:29:55
Speaker
But yeah, I think, uh, yeah, I definitely would put it in a training shoe, but I do. I do love that shoe, but gotta stick some shoe gear on it in a bit and see if I can. so I'm excited building this rotation. I have to say, I think at the moment I've got a couple of shoes, well over 200 quid. So if i can my racing shoe might not be my cheapest shoe.
00:30:11
Speaker
All right, well, I'm going to go. Trend choose is a tricky one. um Most of my training is, when I do math and training, I'm not doing ridiculously long, fast runs. Most of my long runs are relatively slow. They will have some faster sections in, but I'm less bothered about them being really fast. What I'm bothered about is consistent pace and and still a bit of comfort. So that's where the Super Blast 2 comes in for that. um But still shoes like the Mizuno Nio Vista, that's the sort of shoe that I think that would work really well for for me because it gives you the energy to go out and maintain a pretty good pace. I'm not going you know full pelt in when I'm going to do those marathon training sessions, but I still want a shoe that's going to help me go a bit faster. So I definitely go for some Nio Vista. Even the Balos, which I haven't picked up for a while actually,
00:31:00
Speaker
that's a good one for me for those sorts of runs as well. yeah But I suppose the tricky thing, if you're talking about your training shoe for a marathon, some people do, I probably, most of my speed speed stuff in a marathon training block it tends to be the interval type stuff, the shorter stuff, whereas the the longer runs are actually not really that fast. um So I need a shoe that's going to be and i'm pretty good at those as well if I'm picking one training shoe. And I think Choose like the neo vista probably a little bit better for me Then the ballos and the super last two for those shorter faster sections. so Yeah, I think I think I'll go if I've got one pic Sadly, I'm still gonna go for two plus two all right just because Just because it just does a lot a lot of stuff
00:31:54
Speaker
But yeah, okay, let's go into the big one then, the race shoes, Mike.
Best Shoes for Marathon Racing
00:31:59
Speaker
and We spent a lot of time talking about the Cielo X1 and this is probably where I would be turning to for it. I think of all the shoes that I've used at my kind of marathon pace ah in my long runs last year, this is the shoe that I enjoyed the most. it It's fun, it's lively, but it's still very stable. I think a bit like Nick has said it, i mean I don't feel like my legs are wrecked after using this shoe and I feel like it's it's the idle marathon shoe. The laces are terrible, we know that. you know kind of I didn't know this. I didn't know this is a race for the weekend. Three times I had to stop and do my laces up. ah Tom, took they fixed it in later versions. you know The ones that they sell now don't come with those laces. laces yeah yeah yeah Yeah, so for me, that would probably be, you know when I turn to the new one comes out, hopefully if I can get hold of that, that's probably the one that I'd be going for. and But you know I think
00:32:49
Speaker
there's some other really strong ones that I've really enjoyed. I've actually been back out and doing some running back at the SCLE V4. I think for a lot of people, that will be a shoe that would work very well for people. I think it's a very accessible shoe, very stable shoe, still has enough about it, I think, to be a good shoe over that amount of distance. And I feel that could work for a lot of people. And then the dvi night shoot the Puma DV8 Nitro Elite 3 is a fantastic shoe, cost less than you know most of those marathon shoes that we're probably going to talk about. And it's fantastic. you know I love that shoe. you know It's an added bonus that's cheaper than the competition and you know from a mid-cell point of view, outsole, the fit of it, it's a fantastic shoe and I think that's going to serve a lot of people who want a really nice, fast and massive shoe. Yeah, I reckon that. The Puma
00:33:31
Speaker
That's actually another shoe I've used a load lately. I think it's basically a winter training essential at this point that having a shoe with Puma Grip for me, and that shoe in particular has just been so important. It was about one or sub-zero for about a week and a half here, wasn't it? So I had to do two or three hard workouts on the track, double days on greasy, on icy roads and stuff like that. And just everything was in the Puma because I did a progression 30K in it just because it was the only shoe I knew would be gripping reliably the whole way while still being super quick. So yeah, that's another one. I stick in my trainer section as well, as well as racing.
00:34:01
Speaker
d Okay, so Nick, you're actually doing a marathon pretty soon. So um what what what are you going to go, what what out of the picks at the moment are you going to go for? Well, I mean, my favorite race of the year last year was the Essex Met Speed Sky Paris. I have to use that shoe anyway in Seville because Essex sort of been the place very kindly when I, you know, I'm paying my way, but I couldn't get a spot so they say because they're a sponsor. So I am using the Essex, but I think given what happened last year, I used it for my PBs over marathon and half marathon. It's the shoe I'd be using anyway until something new comes and knocks off his purchase, something does. like I do think a reckon at this point, it is with splitting hairs actually between most of these complex shoes. It's the one that feels the best shoe. I know some people who just much prefer the feel of something like an Alfa Fly, which is a lot squiggier than the Met at Speed Sky Paris and would go for that. and I think that's probably the other one I think is right up there in terms of performance. and then
00:34:49
Speaker
The Puma is incredibly good as well. The On the Cloud Vroom Striker S is very, very good. But the Asics, again, that's another shoe I've got almost 300k on, one but one of them. I've got a fresher one for the marathon. And yeah, I think you can't beat it, the combination of lightness and bounce and speed and everything. I know you're not such a big fan of Tom after Valencia, but um yeah that's that's my marathon shoe for sure.
00:35:10
Speaker
yeah is ah It's just tricky with some of those like Valencia. If I was a bit fitter, I might i might have liked it. But no, I think I definitely feel a big difference between something like the Celo X1 and the Metaspeed Sky Paris. And I much prefer the ride of the Celo X1. I like the bigger but bit bigger base on it and is just a bit more to that foam for me. I need a little bit more softness. But I think for me,
00:35:37
Speaker
Well, I can keep banging about the Hocuscetux 1. Obviously, there's a new version coming out soon, which I hopefully can get hold of because so ah might if that if that's good, I think it's probably going to toss up between that, the Puma Diviata Nitro Elite 3, and maybe the Soccer Knee Endorphin Elite 2, once we've had a chance to to test them. But I can't think of it. Yeah, apart from the Hocuscetux 1, and I haven't had many good complex shoes over the past 12 months that I've really been impressed with apart from the Puma and the CX1. At London, I've got quite a few. I'd love to do the marathon. I've been going hard at London. It's two months after Seville. I've got a chance to bounce back. I want to use something not the Essex because I've used them for two hard marathons then.
00:36:19
Speaker
This yellow X, it's the stupidest name though, this yellow X1 2.0 is right up the music stick basically because it is I think it is a lot lighter and it seems a bit more aggressive and racy and it's whether they still retain that kind of magical bounce whilst doing all those things would be very interesting but that's the one that's probably top of my mind that I want to use at London at the moment. I would love to use the funeral but my um I just cut this a bit long for me, and it's fine for training, but on a race day, I wouldn't want to have a shoe that I think I had a bit too much room in. It just, yeah, it gets get into my head. So I think, yeah, at the moment, if the Cialo X1 2.0 is up to that, but I'd also just like to go and do a marathon in the Outfly 3, because I do think it's my second favorite kind of marathon racing shoe. I just haven't run a marathon in it yet, and I've run marathons in all the Outflies and every Vapefly to date, so I'd like to keep that track record going. You're not going to take it alone and get the Pro Evos. so
00:37:04
Speaker
I'm not going to get the Pro Evo's. I have problems with a shoe that's ah so inaccessible. So although you know at some point they'll all be like that, I fear, and I don't think that's the way to go. There were there were many times in Dubai, because Dubai, they have every every shoe available. um They have every size of the Pro Evo's. I think it's because even though there are There's quite a lot of runners around there. It's not the same as the US and the UK. There's there' not loads of people buying the latest running shoes. So they just massively stock up and then they've got loads of them and they're not getting sold out. But yeah, I was so close to buying them. But then I'm quite glad I didn't because after what happened with the PocoCino X1, I ripped it back off of that. And they've they've got an even lighter peppering of rubber on the outsole, so I definitely shed a tear. You can get them here if you want. They're on sports shoes, I think. They're sitting there now. Yeah. i thought We should say, actually all of us, none of us have mentioned the Adios Pro 4, none of us have tested it. oh yeah Yes. It's very tricky to get samples out of here. So, we haven't managed. Kieran's tested it, and I think he likes it apart from the fact it ripped his toes off, but his toe nose off. But it does sound like a very good shoe by all accounts. but
00:38:15
Speaker
It's very hard for me as someone who takes this very seriously too seriously and is fast enough to want the faster shoe to buy a second tier shoe from a brand or use a second tier shoe from a brand as well. I don't like that idea, but I think probably within a few years, that will be the case with every brand potentially. They'll all have some kind of elite-owned issue. Hopefully not.
00:38:43
Speaker
Lastly, let's just ah if there are only listeners planning to do a marathon coming up and they only want to buy one shoe and they're not planning on building a rotation, maybe that's the first time they did a marathon, they didn't want to go crazy, what shoe would you pick, Mike?
Final Marathon Shoe Recommendations
00:38:59
Speaker
I don't want to say Super Blast because it's just so difficult to get a hold of. I mean, that's probably the one that I would say, but it you know it's not accessible for a lot of people. so I think you know for something to get you comfortably through that distance, the Glycerin Max, I think Brooks' shoes in general were in that range from a comfort point of view, ah you know tick a lot of boxes. I think maybe that would be a good one. There'd be enough in the ride, I think, for a lot of people. so If you were doing your first, then that would be a very kind of safe bet, I think. so That's probably one that I would probably consider. I think of the ones that I think are going to work for a lot of people.
00:39:32
Speaker
What about if it's somebody who did want ah had been training for marathons in the past that does like running but only wants to buy one parachute for the whole training block? I mean, I think that but if you could afford the Puma, I think the Puma could handle some training. I think there's enough there to handle some training and also give you enough on race day and to you know to make sure you have it a good day in that shoe. So I think that would probably be one. And it yeah is still expensive, but it is cheaper than the alternatives. And I think it's not a less issue because of that. Go on then, Nick. One shoe.
00:40:05
Speaker
for everything, for beginners, and then maybe intermediates. Beginners, a Brookstrom Glycerin Max is definitely one that came to mind for me. It's expensive. I basically would go and try on the Glycerin Max, the Glycerin 22 from Brooks, or the A6D1 Imbus, and just basically see if you like the lower drop rocker of the Max, or if you prefer the higher drop of something like the Imbus or the Glycerin 22, and then pick between them based on that. that's The Glycerin Max is definitely a good shout.
00:40:28
Speaker
And then if you're someone who is going to do a bit more speed work and wants to run fast on the day, but needs one shoe for everything, I'd get the Nike Zoom Fly 6, I think, because it's really comfortable, but pretty fast. Okay. I'm going to surprise you here. I'm going to say Evo SL. Evo SL is good. I just don't think it was one I'd pick for a fairly new runner.
00:40:46
Speaker
Well, I did think that. I think it's probably a little bit lack of stability if you used to running in a more stable shoe, but I've been enjoying that shoe for easy runs and I'm mainly doing easy runs at the moment. You're a similar weight to me though, so that's my thing. I think maybe if you're slightly heavier runner, you might want something with a bit more bit more stack and kind of width and support. That is an amazing shoe. That's one shoe I consider for myself. I'd pick one shoe for everything, for the whole marathon block, but I'd probably position that more against the Zoomfly than against something if it's your first marathon. Yeah, yeah. I i would go for something like the C++2, but I don't think... I think the C++2 tends to be a the shoe that a rotation buyer would buy. It's not the shoe, you just buy one, ah like that's your only shoe, because
00:41:34
Speaker
If you're only gonna buy one shoe, you're not gonna buy 200-pound shoe, you might as well, you know. That's probably the glycerin as well, glycerin max as well, isn't it? You're only gonna buy one shoe, but I think that is proving, well, it's 180, isn't it? Here. Yeah. It's tricky. There's a lot of good options. The EVO sale is definitely a good option.
00:41:48
Speaker
Okay, well, I think I'll do it for marathon shoes. Let's see if we actually end up using all of these over the next year. Well, we've got our full round up coming out and we will pick our picker. So obviously this, I'm not telling, don't do what I did. Don't go and get, don't go super blast. Hocus Yellow X1. That's an insane rotation. That is what I'm kind of using, but I would not say that people go and do that. And in the video coming up, we will, you know, we'll actually have the slightly more journalistic picks where we actually, you know, think about, This is just pure insight into the lunacy of the lies we have as you feel. Yours? Me and Mike's are pretty comfortable. We're still whacking the superlashing constantly. We may have to ban that from somebody. Actually dropping the superlast. Yeah, dropping a superlast. Why not? We've got a video where we'll take into account the ideas of a slightly more normal approach. Although you can be sure we'll be recommending a superlast in that video.
00:42:42
Speaker
Loads in Dubai. Loads in Dubai. Loads of them all in teal. In teal as well. Meet that teal super blast. Right. Catch you guys later. Yeah. Good luck. Right.
00:42:54
Speaker
This episode of the podcast was presented by Tom Wheatley, Nick Karishbri and Mike Sore. It was produced by Tom Wheatley. The music was by Fear of Tigers.