The Shoes I Run In
This page will stay updated as I go through shoe rotations. You can read about historical shoes on Github through the version control.
Last Updated 23 October 2021
1. Nike ZoomX Invicible Run - Easy and Long Runs
Size 12, 333g
These shoes make a squishy noise as I walk down the apartment hallway in them, and I love it. The Pegasus 36 was one of my all time favorite daily trainers. These shoes are nothing like that, yet share a comfort and familiarity I have not gotten out of other shoes I’ve tried in this category. They look weird and feel like you are walking on a platform, yet on a run they feel like an actual pillow. What’s odd to me is that they are categorised as easy long run shoes. I’ve taken them down to pretty fast paces (4:40/km or 7:30/mi) and they have an incredible energy to them that doesn’t hold you back. There’s only one true complaint here; I generally wear a 12.5 and when I got these in the store the salesperson insisted I size down to a 12. After one long run it was clear this was a mistake (both in width and length), so if I ever get another pair, they will likely be 12.5s. I’m excited to see what Nike does with a round two, though Nike has a tendency to take their best shoes and never bring them back (cries in Pegasus Turbos).
2. Nike Pegasus 37 - Easy Runs
Size 12.5, 329g
With about 400km (250 miles) in these shoes, I’ll call it: they are terrible shoes. It’s not clear how Nike messed up a classic so much. I’ve heard similar complaints in my running circle about the Peg 38, so here’s hoping they stick to the 2-year midsole rotation and pull the React midsole out in the 39s to replace it with ZoomX instead (or hell, go back to EVA foam).
They are great for walking in.
3. Saucony Endorphin Speed - Speed Work
Size 12.5, 269g
It’s fair to call these “the” shoe of 2020: the bounce and lightness (19% lighter than the Pegasus) prove these shoes were made to go fast! They took a couple runs to break in, not something common with current day running shoes. The stiffness eventually went away and that’s when the PEBA foam really shined. They make great interval-based workouts, from 400 repeats to 1600s. One mild concern is the longevity of the foam; after about 160km (100 miles), the exposed midsole is chipping away. I am personally hoping to get at least 3x their current life right now, so we’ll see.
4. Nike Vaporfly - 5k to Marathon Race
Size 13, 240g
Despite being a race day shoe that I bought for Tokyo 2020 (womp womp), I have only worn them once for a race (Chicago 2021, race day read out soon!), twice for timed half marathon workouts, and once or twice otherwise for a long run workout.
Although they are a fantastic shoe, I am not absolutely in love with them. For Chicago, the foam completely gave out around mile 20 (most shoes would!), and they made for a very awkward shoe to run slow in after. They also run very narrow and tight in the toebox. It was an unusual case to have to size up. I am confident that these would be great road shoes for any race, short or long, and expect to hit up some 5ks in the next few months in them to see how much I can actually push (my last “fast” 5k was, funny enough, in the ZoomX Invincible Run). These are also my favorite colorway, the original Ekiden colorway did a green/orange mix where one shoe is mostly green with orange highlights and the other the opposite. Great way to stand out at the race!
5. Reebok Floatride Run Fast Pro - 1 mile, track
Size 12, 130g
I bought these shoes on a whim; Sierra had a stock of them selling for about $60, or 25% of their retail value. The idea was to get something new and interesting for the 5th Avenue Mile, which historically I’ve run in much heavier flats (New Balance 1500s and Adidas Adios). As most non-specialty shoe stores would, they did not carry a 12.5, but I figured the 12 would be fine for a short distance shoe.
What I really like about these is how they disappear on your feet. They weigh almost half of the Nike Vaporfly, which makes sense–it’s a fairly minimal design with not much of a stack height (is the stack height on the Vapoyfly taller than the entire Reebok? Maybe!). What I quickly learned is the amount of leg strength required for a shoe like this. I am not fast (the elusive sub-6 mile still evades me!). Wearing these for their intended purpose (a one-mile race) was great. On longer runs, like one 10x400 workout I took them on to the street with a warmup and cooldown, the run ended feeling the concrete on every step. I originally thought I’d wear them again for a 5k in December, but now think the Vaporfly will be a better shoe. These will come with me to the track, and will someday play a role in hitting sub 6 miles.