Adizero Adios 8

Adios 8 and Noosa Tri are closest IMO - I have both and I like them. Basically, the Adios 8 is low stack and fast with a good outsole but slightly higher drop, while the Noosa Tri has a lower drop but a few more millimeters of stack. If you can get ahold of an Adios 9, that's low stack and a 6mm drop, so it may be the Goldilocks option. Outsole coverage is better but it is thin. The Hyperion Tempo was actually the first shoe that came to mind, but is basically extinct nowadays (the end is coming on my last pair and I'm not ready to let go). Very similar in spirit, just with a higher drop. The Hyperion 2 is a very light and great speed shoe, but is squishy enough that if you want a Kinvara-like ride you may be disappointed.

Good grip in pretty important to me. A sticky outsole will help you stay in control when you are going downhill or doing hill sprints. My Adios 8 can tackle a hill sprint workout like *no other* shoe. I feel like the ground feel prevents me from overstriding. It's flexible but also snappy because of the plastic shank at the bottom. I would look for the Puma Velocity Nitro 4, Craft Pacer, Nike Pegasus Plus, Hoka Mach **5** (outsole has no rubber though), and the Brooks Hyperion 2 in that order. The VN4 has the best midsole of the bunch. The adios 8 would be great if you can find them and don't need a ton of protection. The Adios 9 might be a bit too unstable in the heel for longer runs. Whatever you choose will certainly feel so much lighter on foot than your Mafate 5.

found out the hard way. I had plantar fasciitis in the past. I wasn't even wearing stability shoes, but neutral shoes from Adidas that time (Adios 7, Adizero SL1). They were neutral shoes, but the arch was high for some reason, they poke my flat feet, causing pain. Recent models including the Evo SL are free from these problems, I am free from PF as well. Are you having any issues currently? are you looking for a race day shoe?

Adios 9. Even Adios 8. I bought a pair for $40. I love running in them for all kinds of runs except anything more than 10-12k

Half size up. To be fair, I have also dealt with AP3 issues where one pair is slightly shorter than another leading to toe bashing. Had to ditch one pair of em because they were too small and buy a replacement (which fit great in my typical adizero sz8)

It sounds like you're wanting something with a lower stack height as the NB fresh foam 860 is about 37mm I did a quick search on Run Repeat between 25-30mm and Adidas Adizero Adio and Saucony Kinvara stands out. I'm a Kinvara stan and I love them. But they both seem to be a bit of a speed shoe and less of a daily trainer. But fast just means light weight, and I honestly prefer it that way. So on your next trip to a running store just ask for low stack options and see what they recommend for you.

Not sure this is dictated by weight. Anecdotal: Nimbus and 1080 work well for slow runs for me. Daily trainers, pegasus, ride, velocity etc, i don't think they're that different. Just in the way they fit, and nike generally fits best. Adios are probably too barebones for me in hindsight. And vongo are too hard. And novablast are too loose/unstable, idk how to describe it.