Adizero Boston 12

Ugh too many. Lol. Mainly roads here. Saucony Hurricane 24s for easy runs. Cushiony and supportive. Saucony Endorphin Speed 4s and Adidas Boston 12s for tempo and intervals. The ES4s have 220+ miles on them and are becoming less snappy so I started rotating the B12s in a few weeks ago. Adidas Adios Pro 4 for racing.

Boston 12/13 or Evo SL. I haven’t tried the Evo SL, but based on what I’ve read and your wants I think it fits the bill. The Boston 12 is on sale now, the upper is God awful, but it’s an awesome shoe. I think the 13 is a little softer.

Fair enough. I only mentioned it because OP said he likes a soft shoe. I consider myself a heavier runner at around 170 and hate a shoe that’s too soft, I love the Boston and AP3.

for picking up tempo, with the need of stability for hips/back, I'd go for ES4 or likewise shoe Evo SL is not a firm shoe, my back/hip hurts a bit after using them. ES4 puts a bit more pressure on my knees but I am happier with them.

I think within the 3-5 mile range, considering you were competitive back then, every shoe should be fine as long as you adapt yourself slowly. I use boston 12-13 for the need of stability and bounce at the same time. boston 12 is super firm without the break in though. after the 200 km mark, they kind of hit the sweet spot until their end of life

Boston 12 has carbon-infused energy rods, they might feel less forgiving for easier runs. I'd suggest sticking with what your friend suggested and save this boston 12 for faster paced runs then purchasing a softer more cushioned shoe to soak up all the slower daily miles. E.g Asics superblast/megablast/nimbus, Nike Vomero/Vomero+, Puma Magmax, NewBalance 1080v14/More v5 etc.

I have the Boston 12's and it has way more foam than my Adidas Balance that I just retired. I absolutely love my Boston 12's, they are easily the best running shoes I've ever ran in. For my half marathon I'm probably going to get some race day shoes, but for training they are killer.

I run through a metric ton of shoes and I think people make too big of a deal out of which shoes to choose. Have a few trusted models that you know fit you well and just hunt for whatever is on sale. Personally Boston 13 and EVO SL are my go to for everything, and Boston 12 and saucony kinvara are the only shoes I’d say absolutely fucking sucked. But otherwise I’ll run in whatever.

Surprised no shouts for Hoka Mach X 3. Not super wide, but as someone who wears a ton of Altras they definitely are not too tight, much better than the Adios Pro 3 or Bostons (at least the 12) for sure. Amazing long run shoe, good pop, cushion, comfort.