I’ve been rocking the Saucony Guide 18’s for a while now. Started running about a year and a bit ago and my first pair after a gait analysis was the Adidas supernova solution 2’s which I got on well with to start.
Then when I started my marathon block I went again and was suggested a pair of saucony guide 18’s which have done me well thus far as they offer good stability as I have quite a pronounced over pronation. I’ve had 2 pairs now and with my current pair up to 700km usage they’re looking a bit tired so I’m in the market for some new wheels and wondered if there is an alternative?
I’ve got endorphin speed 5’s which are for fast sessions of 10km and less which aren’t really supportive enough but are fine for those distances.
I’ve always worn a uk 12 but definitely had some rubbing/blisters in the guides at longer distances (18km+) which I didn’t get in my supernovas so don’t know if that’s a length issue or a different stability structure.
10km coming up and then GNR in sept so I’m after a daily driver like the guides comfortable for 10km+ distances.
Guide 19’s I’ve heard are a bit too soft as I like some good bounce; my usual steady runs are paced at about 4.50min/km if that helps.
Thanks in advance!
Supernova solution is a decent option for stability trainer. Current shoes-neo vista, tempus, Sb2, hyperion 3, supernova solution, vomero plus, endorphin speed 5, gt 2000 12 and then super shoes for some workouts and all races. I wear stability shoes for most of my easy runs.
One of the very few fan favourite shoes that did not work for me. My feet were broken after every single run. I think it is because of high arch that this shoe has does not work for my shape. Probably worst experience I had in a shoe ever - and tried them in my TTS and then half down they run rather long UK sizing as really wanted to like them.
On other hand Supernova solution is very close to it and only other stability shoe with upper level foam. - great fit and quite fun as well - not favourite but highly rated by anyone who tried it. Version 1 and 2 now can be had cheaply and version 3 just released.
Giant stack heights and soft, “bouncy” foam are ALL the rage right now. Even many long standing models are moving in that direction (like New Balance 1080 and Nike Vomero).
Hoka used to be the “OMG so much cushion” brand and now many traditional models have considerably more than Hoka.
Brooks Ghost and Adrenaline have much higher stack height than they used to, but overall the feel of the shoe is much more similar to what shoes felt like 5 years ago. Glycerin (the regular models-not the Max or Flex) is also not too far off (but again, much softer and higher stack than what used to be the case).
Adidas Supernova Rise is a really nice middle of the road option (also frequently available on sales for less than $75). Supernova Solution is the stability version.
Saucony Ride or Guide (for stability) are again…softer and higher stack than shoes used to be, but are pretty close to what they were 5 years ago.
Nike Pegasus (the regular Pegasus-not plus, premium, etc) hasn’t been updated since the ‘90’s. So that’s going to also be pretty close to how shoes felt 5 years ago.
But generally speaking, everything is becoming max stacked, with “bouncy” foam that is generally quite soft. That is the rage these days and what people seem to buy up in droves. So that’s what shoe companies are creating. Example: nearly everything that ASICS makes.
Those shoes can be tons of fun and a lot of them make running feel a bit easier with more energy return than traditional shoes. But they feel like pouffy trampolines. Which is dramatically different than the shoes of 5-10 years ago.
If you want something a little lower stack that has more advanced foam, something like Hoka Cielo Road could be a good option. Brooks’ Hyperion 3 or Launch 11/12 could also work. New Balance Rebel is still pretty soft and squishy, but it’s lower stack than much of what’s out there. Hoka Mach 6 is also a nice shoe. Not squishy, lower stack and fairly peppy. And Saucony Kinvara is a nice bland, low stack shoe with foam that hasn’t seen an ounce of innovation in 20 years. So that’s always a low stack, safe bet as well.
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SUPERBLAST 2
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Marathon workhorse, but loud and clunky at slow paces.
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