Ghost 13

I have ghost 13 and love them. Wish they didn’t stop making them.

I had ghost 13 and 14s they didn’t change the mid sole on those. Then they changed the designs. I Didn’t like the 15s and 16s (the maxes were terrible). Opted for glycerin 21 and Hyperion 2 and the Cascadia 18 for trail runs. Idk why they change the lines so much? They juat need to make a new line if you change the mid sole that much.

Brooks. I tried others because it is so fun trying new shoes. I don't know why, but I just keep coming back to brooks, specifically the ghosts. Been wearing them since ghost 12.

Go to a store and try on a bunch, and stick to models advertised as daily trainers. Buy something that fits well and feels good on your foot. There's not much more to it. You're never going to find the perfect shoe right off the bat when you don't know what you need or like, so just get something that fits and feels okay and learn your needs and wants through trial and error. Personally, when I restarted running as an adult I started with the Nike Pegasus 36 and Brooks Ghost 12. The Pegasus taught me that I like versatile medium weight trainers for a lot of my running but dislike EVA foam, and the Ghost taught me that 12mm drop was too much for me. This informed my decisions for my next few shoes, and then it's just a constant process of iteration – try new things, learn from them, and refine your selection criteria with that experience. There are simply way too many shoes on the market and our experience in them is way too individual for anyone to make super specific recommendations. You just need to go on that same journey the rest of us do, so don't overthink this first purchase as that's inevitably going to be your least informed one.

Hopefully you have the opportunity to try both on at a local store, but from all the reviews & marketing, the Superblast 3 is definitely targeted at your paces moreso than the Megablast. I ran a lot in the Superblast 2 - definitely hit its sweet spot for me around 7:30-8:30 min/mile pace for me, was a little clunky but totally usable at slow paces over 10 min/mile, didn't mind it at all if my legs were beat. I recently picked up the Megablast - I think it is definitely less clunky than the SB2 at both fast and slow paces, but does feel better when I'm putting a lot of force into each stride (I start to feel the springlike bounce). At slow paces it's soft and more ordinary. Planning to use that as my next half marathon race shoe and have been only using it on long runs with tempo sessions. I have not run in the Superblast 3 but reviews say it's softer than the Megablast (so maybe more comfortable), more stable due to the EVA base foam, and also has a more comfortable upper (the Megablast has an ultra-thin, hard, non-stretch racy fabric). I also used to run in Ghosts (all the way from version 7 to version 16). The Asics -blasts are a huge change from the classic Ghosts! The blasts are so light for their size and will feel like clown shoes in comparison. Definitely get used to them before racing.

How about Brooks Ghost or Saucony Ride? Both are about 7mm more than the Kinvara, so that probably qualifies as "a bit more" that you are looking for. These classics are going strong and are on their 17th and 18th iteration for a reason. I think this subreddit is so focused on the latest trends that commenters forget that these classics continue to exist and sell in huge numbers for a reason. Also, I'm not sure if you want low stack or firm - it's not necessarily the same thing! For example, On Cloudmonster 2 is higher stack but much more firm than the aforementioned Ghost and Ride.

Brooks Ghost baby. They’re the most normal shoe I could find for the same reason, and they are consistently comfortable for me.

I usually purchase the ones I know fit me off vinted, only if they are very minimally worn though. People buy things, do a couple of runs and realise they are wrong. Or old models off sport shoes.com… again, if I know I like that one and what size. I’ve never paid £150. My last road shoes (Brookes ghost) were approx £30.