Everybody’s feet are different, but I am very happy with my current pair of runners, which are the Whitin brand on Amazon, for $37. These are wide toe box zero drop shoes, which may or may not be right for you, but my feet cannot tolerate anything else. They feel just like a pair of expensive Altra Escalante 2.5 I had a few years ago, which I can’t buy anymore because Altra “improved” them to be more narrow. I have another pair of Whitin shoes (casual loafers) that are also very comfortable and well made, so I am a big fan of the brand in general.
Altra Escalantes!! I’ve gone through 4 pairs of Escalante 3s, and just got the 4s (they’ve been out for a while), and I might love them even more. The Escalante Racers are also 👌🏼for speed work.
No one can tell you what shoe works for you. Its it's going to be trial and error, and once you find the perfect one you will never want to change. You will get pissed off when they make their fancy "upgrades", obliterating the line you fell in love with.
I wear Altra Escalante 2s and 3s for shorter distances and Torin 4.5 for longer. All the upgrades beyond that suck. But nothing else works for me.
eBay and Poshmark to the rescue to purchase slightly used shoes that are no longer manufactured. Thank god I'm almost 70. My supply should last till I die Lol!
Seriously... Just go out pay the least you can to determine which shoe works best. No one can tell you...Not even the shoe guys at the running store can be reliable.
Everyone is pushing Brooks and Hoka and now OC...Just because they are trendy doesn't mean it's the best for your foot
I stopped listening to others after I broke down and bought a pair of Hokas cause they were supposed to make me run like a ~~Giselle~~ Gazelle. I wanted to run with all the cool kids.
FTS. I ran 3 miles in the Hokas and same...tired, no bounce, just felt like dead weight and my feet were turning in. HATED the whole short experience. I sold them on FB Marketplace for more than I paid. Win!
I will wear my Altra Escalante 3s and Tornin 4,5s till I have run out of all options on eBay, UpThread, Amazon, etc. I need what I need and I like what I've got. Zero drop, wide toe box, all squishy, but not bouncy soles. Also, Escalante has a sock-like, engineered knit upper. Sooooo comfy and flexible. Can't get that in any other shoe on the market. Maybe No Bull, but then those soles are stiffer...
Stop listening to influencers. Listen to your own two feet.
Edit to make it the animal...
I run faster and farther when I cannot feel my feet...like I'm running on clouds. So far, only Altra Torin 4.5 and Escalantes 2 and 3 provide this comfort
I, too, am a diehard Altra fan. It is a double-edged sword though...they discontinued the best pair ever made, the Torin 4.5. You know, they always have to make a good thing better, but this is not the case with most running shoes. Sad truth. The best part however, is my ability to buy slightly used on Poshmark and eBay and pay a quarter of the price that people are paying for the fancy new trendy shoes.
So between my longer distance 4.5 Torins and the Altra Escalantes, I think I have shoes for a lifetime, using my saved search.
We are in the minority. I always strike up conversation when I see others wearing Altras. We are a niche.club!! We have better posture and stronger calves and heels🏃♀️🏃♀️
All that being said, you really need to try different shoes for yourself. I did decide on a whim a while back that I wanted to be one of the cool kids, so I went out and got fitted in the running store, got myself a pair of Hokas... I can't remember which model, but I wore them for exactly 3.3 miles, thought I was going to die. I promptly listed them on Marketplace and sold them for more than what I paid
Lol!!
I have always been an Altra loyalist. I decided to get fitted and listened to a guy at a revered running store tell me that Hokas were great fit for me.
I was kinda excited, felt like one of the cool kids!! I put those babies on my feet and took off. I learned quickly and exactly what pronation was. I felt like I was going to twist my ankle, fall over it was in so much pain by the third mile, I stopped, put them on Marketplace and sold them immediately for more than what I paid for them.
I learned that just because everybody else is wearing a particular trendy shoe doesn't mean it's right for me. I will stick to my soft, bouncy, sock-like Altra Torin 4.5s and the tried and true Escalante. No pronation, even wear and comfort for the long haul.
This is actually the right answer. I started my journey last year in a low stack shoe (Altra Escalante 3) at 93kg, which common knowledge would strongly suggest against.
Nowadays, at 83kg, the adios 9 is a constant in my rotation.
I tried to use an older version of Escalantes as walking shoes. Didn't work for me. But then maybe I wasn't adjusted to semibarefoot enough. My feet hurted nad. Got stuck in the city centre during a city trip.
Years later I'm using Altra lone peak 9+ (wide) version, otherwise they're too narrow. These really do the trick. They y're a bit stiffer, but very comfy. More suitable for walking imo.
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