Ultraboost 5 Strung (JQ2941)

Browsed this place for some honest reviews/testimonials for my first daily runners. Feeling happy with my research i went to the local “runners” running shoe shop to buy a daily runner to build up a solid foundation. Aiming for a weekly 25 km. Its a compliment to my 4 days/w crossfit. So i am a beginner runner but in good shape. Told the guy i read a lot of positive reviews of the adidas evo sl and would like to compare them to some alternatives. The guy in the store basically told me i’ve listen to much to advice from experienced runners whom have built up the capacity to use faster shoes with less cushioning as their daily runners. He then explained that even most experienced runners like himself, 80-100km/w, would use something more cushioned and durable for daily milage. He then suggested the Saucony Trimph or Asics Glideride Max if i thought the Triumph was too boring. I am a mid sole striker who overstrides, 180 cm, 85 kg. Do you agree with his reasoning? Is the Triumph a good choice here? He also suggested i buy a faster shoe as my second pair, once i’ve build up some capacity. So the triumph would only be used as a daily.

An old pair of adidas ultraboost. They are not great 😅

When i started looking for a shoe i just thought the faster the better, then i can run slower with less effort. Now i know thats not how it works. Buying things matching your ability seem like a very good advice.

Does that mean you go for a stiffer shoe, to not bottom out? Does the amount of cushioning matter when you are heavier or is it rather the firmness?

Thanks for your advice. Its easy to get hung up on gear for a nerd like me. Whatever i do 😆.

If i am planning to buy some rotation option down the line, would you want a jack of all trades, or wouldn’t you rather have a collection of specialist shoes? Like one pair for easy runs, one tempo and one race? Or something like that

Ok thats good to know. Technically my last tempo 5k was 4:45min/km. So i guess i would be ready for some faster shoe for speed days then. However, i do crossfit 4 days a week which contains a lot of HIIT like training and i need to allow my body some rest in between. As such, i don’t think i will focus on intervalls etc right now. Just slowly building a base to run longer distances. In particular for me knees, as i cant ramp up distances to quickly without knee pain. Thanks for very good advice!

Yes, he got me running on a treadmill with some cool analyzing software. Got a whole “performance” report. Apparently i over stride while being a midfoot striker. But i know nothing about this so i am just forwarding what the shop told me. Is it counter intuitive?

Thats good to hear. My goal is to just be able to finish a half marathon in 6 months. A workhorse sounds just about right.

Thanks, I’ve read a lot of negative about the 22. But seem like people are more positive about the 23, although not overwhelmingly positive. I am going for the 23 as its the model they have in.

Very interesting read. Thank you for sharing. Im leaning towards the Triumph to get started and buying something like the evo sl as a complement once i get some more milage in the body, and knees in particular as I’ve had a lot of knee pains before and need to build milage slowly.

Very interesting. Now i question the Triumph. I have tried the Novablast 5 and ive read its a very versatile shoe. However, if i am planning to complement my collection with some faster shoe later on, isnt a slower, cushioned workhorse like the Triumph a good start? I wouldnt really need a jack of all trades, like the Novablast, once i have a couple of specialist shoes to choose from? Or is my reasoning flawed?

Ok, I’m gonna check those alternatives out tomorrow. Thanks! You are not the first one questioning the Triumph, although the 23 model seem much more liked than the 22.

Very interesting. Ive havent been browsing enough to notice the brand snobbery yet. Ill keep that in mind as i learn more 😄

I ended up buying the NB 1080 v14 n the end. I actually didnt try anything else because as soon as i put them on and tried running in them they felt great. They also looked great, which is a factor for me. Now that i have several runs in them i am super happy. They feel perfect for my easy runs and i have had zero knee pain so far. It feels like they protect my body a bit with all the cushioning.

Thats a cool point you make: anything that makes you stick to it and have fun is a good first shoe. I think you are right. However, i come from a history of knee pain and already train crossfit 4 days a week, so having something that just allow me to slowly build up milage in the knees without straining my knees and legs a lot is quite important. Thats fun to me, to progress without knee pain.