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Admirable_Raccoon_284 pairs. I've heard that running in different shoes can help reduce injury risk, possibly by working different small muscles in each one. Seems to be helping me so far, as I used to be injury prone and I have recently been increasing my weekly mileage and speed work with no problems yet. Most of my shorter easy runs in Altra Rivera 2s, but this pair is pretty beat up and probably on its way out. It's a nice comfy zero drop shoe and I love it so much Longer (> 7 miles) easy runs in Saucony Triumph 19s. Higher drop and high cushion. Speed work in Saucony Kinvara 16s. Mid drop, extremely lightweight, love them! Other daily trainer is the Asics Gel Nimbus Lite. They're great at easy and quick paces. I also have a pair of Saucony Endorphin Pros that I haven't used yet but will hopefully whip out for race day It sounds like a lot but I got all except the Kinvaras used on Poshmark for less than $40 each. In great condition, too.
1TBeeAfter owning older models of Gel Nimbus and the 1080v’s, the Vomero Plus is my answer too. Incredible shoe for me
825tzyYou can find asics nimbus or gel kayano for 5.5k if may malapit sayo outlet. Or new balance 1080 or more. Pede din puma magmax. Heavy side din ako, while I like to explore Chinese brands, preference ko din ung matry ko.
A1naruthBefore I read the whole OP I was going to suggest Nimbus. They are quite durable and nothing beats their comfort (so far). Do you use them for walking as well or are they just for the running? Because if they were your daily shoes, the simple answer would be to have two pairs of them for a day to day rotation. Or something lighter and bouncier like Endorphin Speed when you want to go for more fun and fast run. Then back to Nimbus when you just want the comfort. I have found NB 1080v14 to be quite comfy and maybe even softer than Nimbus. Then there are Cliftons which you mention. And I am waiting to try Vomero Plus, because they are supposed to be more breathable and softer than Vomero 18.
adnoguezI have SB2 and SB3, and I'm a heavy runner \~195 lbs I'm on my second pair of SB2 with 300 km and the first one lasted 1000 km, still have it and it still feels good I retired them because of the milestone and because of the color way... I only have logged about 100 km in the SB3 and they look and feel as good as new. Sole looks good even considering that I run in a very abrasive road. My previous experience with super soft shoe was Mizuno Neo Vista, Amazing feeling but durability was very poor. Foam deformed and sole had serious flaws after less than 400 kms. Asics shoes are expensive but I've been loyal since they have a very good durability for my weight. I've own Novablast 4, kayano and Nimbus. All good.
alex_33333ASICS nimbus are the best I’ve found
I’m 80kg and a decent runner. Love soft shoes, asics nimbus are the best I’ve tried for training in
All-Are-PunishedI'm a Glideride Max convert after several years of Nimbus ownership. Once I started seriously training for races, I found the GRM better suited for that. Haven't really rotated my Nimbuses back in since then.
andy150974If the Nimbus works well for you I would start with one of those first and see if that feels right for you still. I ran my fastest races in the Nimbus range (1h 35m for a half, 42m for a 10k). Theres nothing wrong with them if they work for you. I would possibly rule out carbon plate shoes because as you say you are on a budget and those may be beyond your reach. You may get lucky in some sales though so always worth searching around. It's very difficult to recommend running shoes for people because we are all different and of course built differently as well. I run in the NB Supercomp Trainer V3. A shoe that is universally hated by most running shoe "geeks" lol. However it works very well for me, I can get into a good 5.30 minute per km pace, and I regularly finish half marathons in under two hours in them. The cushioning protects my body and every half marathon I've done in them I feel great the next day. My only complaints are I wish they were a tiny bit lighter, and they had a bit more rubber on the sole. I loved the V1's but the sole rubber was so soft you could wear through it in 400 miles and the V3's are kind of similar. I don't like Nike, I've tried various models, most are too soft for me, or they fall apart after 100 miles, etc. However, I can understand why people like them. I tried both the Vomero and Invincible shoes (too unstable) and hated them. Again we are all different my friend. I recently purchased the Asics Megablast, really fun running shoe. Great bounce, energy and I could see me smashing my times in them BUT they cause me foot pain due to the narrow foot box so they are going on EBay unfortunately! Because the Megablast has become so incredibly popular you can find the Superblast on sale on some websites. If you get on well with ASICS maybe those are worth a try (if they are within you budget). As mentioned the Mizuno Neo Vista is very well regarded and are often found for great prices online. I got myself a pair of the Neo Vista 2's for less than $100. The reviews comparing them to the original Supercomp Trainer got me interested so I'm waiting for the weather to improve a bit before trying them. They are nice and white at the moment and I want to try and keep them bright and shiny at least for a little while! haha. Good luck on your search, find a good running store if you can and try on a few different pairs from various brands. Don't let them put you under pressure to buy. Sometimes you can be surprised by what works for you.
Rankings by Use Case
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Best for Achilles tendonitis
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Best for Long-distance training
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Best for Marathon race day
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Best for Maximum cushioning and joint protection
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Nike - Vomero Plus
