Launch 12

Almost all companies, including Hoka, are making what I'd call "normal" running shoes. My perspective on "normal" - I started running in fall 1980 for ski team training in a pair of adidas lowcut basketball shoes. Didn't understand the difference between them and running shoes. My first real running shoes, a year later, were Brooks Vantage Supreme, followed by a pair of Saucony Jazz, then a pair of Brooks Chariots. Amazing how I can remember all that like it was 5 years ago. 2001-2021 I coached a D2 college XC team, we had a Brooks preferred buyer program so I got very familiar with the Brooks line. I also work for a company that produces running races, 2012-2023 our largest race was sponsored by Hoka, so I became very familiar with their line. I gotta say, when we started with Hoka I was extremely skeptical of their designs. I've always liked more minimalistic shoes like the Brooks Burn and Launch - still "normal" shoes but on the lighter and more flexible side of the equation. I remember rolling my eyes at Hoka's original designs and saying to myself, "fine, I'll wear these on raceday to fulfill the sponsorship, but I'm not going to be wearing them for my training." And then I actually ran in them, the Bondi 2. They worked great for me. But I digress... Like I said, lots of "big' shoes these days, but most everybody still makes some "normal" models. For Hokas, check out the Rincon and Mach. I'm not super familiar with their line these days because our sponsorship ended, but I still have a pair of each of those models in my rotation and they're close to normal. For Brooks, check out the Revel, the Stack, the Ghost. The Ghost sole looks thicker than it is because it kind of wraps up, so your foot sits lower than it would appear.