Glycerin Flex

I saw your thread the other day, didn't get around to replying. You're probably looking for a flexible, lower-stacked shoe, something which'll ask you to more naturally plantarflex rather than having a more rockered transition. This isn't really Asics's forte (practically all of the forward-looking Asics lines are 40mm+ heel stacks, and most of their trainers are pretty high stack too), you might look at the Noosa Tri if you want an Asics shoe for this. Other options would be the Puma Velocity Nitro 4, the Brooks Hyperion 2 or Ghost 17, the Hoka Mach 6/7, or the Saucony Kinvara 16. More extreme low-stack options might include the Topo Cyclone or the Adidas Adios 9. An intriguing tech solution if you really want to go in on flexibility is the recent Brooks Glycerin Flex. The Brooks Hyperion GTS 2 might also be a really good idea, as a fairly flexible low-stack shoe that also has mild medial stability elements. Most of these are more uptempo shoes, which is kind of a consequence of more relaxed trainers going to higher stacks these days. You could also look for flexible shoes [on RunRepeat](https://runrepeat.com/guides/flexible-vs-stiff-running-shoes), their flexibility testing seems reasonable.

Everyone has a crazy big lineup these days. I would argue Brooks doesn't even have that big of one. There is only one Adrenaline and it's the GTS. Anything with GTS means it has guiderails, so that includes the Addiction and Beast/Ariel. Addiction is the medium cushion walker, Beast is the heavy duty motion control shoe and the Ariel is the women's equivalent.  The Glycerin is a high cushion super franchise for them. You have the Glycerin, Glycerin GTS (stability), Max (super max cushion), and Flex (stealthfit upper, for people who want a higher cushion flexible shoe). Ghost Max is their max cushion shoe. 40 mm stack, stable neutral, rocker in the front. The Defyance is part of their budget lineup. Whole bunch of other shoes in there too. The Hyperion lineup is their speed lineup, with their bouncier foams. The regular is your standard uptempo trainer. The Max is your plated supertrainer. The Elite is the WA legal plated super shoe for racing

I was running halfs and full marathons when barefoot running became popular. I switched over after struggling with shin splints and loved the zero drop shoes. Took a decade or so off for cross training and now I want to run halfs again. I have a pair of Altra Escalantes that I have been enjoying for 3-4 mile runs. They feel really comfortable, but I thought maybe I should check what else is out there as I ramp up the distance. Running store guy swore I should be wearing Brooks Glycerin Flex. I did a couple of runs with them and they feel very bouncy, which I am not used to. They would be more comfortable, but are causing big toe blisters (I read the wiki info about that). Any advice on whether Brooks are better as I ramp up the distance? Or maybe rotate through the shoes? I was really a devotee of minimal drop in the past so I am a little nervous about adding some heel height.

The Brooks Hyperion Max 3 or the Glycerin Flex have the same type of ground feel, to me, and firmer foams

This is the truth. As someone who runs 'through' multiple pairs a year, you have to work at finding the best shoe that works for your running patterns. For a few years I would swear by the Brooks Glycerin shoes, but the 2024/2025 model seems to feel worse than they used to in the toe box. Some folks are big fans of Hoka, New Balance, Nike, Asics, but the truth is whatever fits best and doesn't kill your feet after a decent run. Don't be afraid to try new things, OP! Go get that fitting from the running store!

If you’re just starting out and mostly running for fun I would recommend something like a brooks glycerin, ghost, or adrenaline. They’re similar to each other but one is neutral, the others supportive. You can confirm which is which online. But either of those should feel like a great upgrade from what you’re currently using and should be a great all around running shoe to get started with, especially if you’re not able to get to a store like fit2run or fleet feet to do a analysis for you. They’re pretty great middle ground shoes in terms of tech bc they have a good amount of cushion, they’re not too stiff, not super heavy, no plate, etc. I’d try something like that or similar until you have been running for a bit longer so you can figure out what you prefer and then upgrade accordingly later on.

People can recommend shoes, but it might just be more waste of money. Shoes are not cheap. Best bet is go to a running shoe store and spend 20 minutes trying on shoes they recommend. I would do that and buy the pair there and then go online and find the previous year's model and buy that at a bigger discount. Stability with cushion would be something like Brooks Adrenaline or Glycerin or New Balance 860 or ASICS Gel-Kayano or Saucony Guide. If you are having foot pain custom insoles from a foot doctor would be the best bet. I had to do that after fracturing my foot twice.