Xiaonian

From personal experience 361 Degrees Eleos 2 Plus, Li-ning Red Hare 8 Pro will also work (9 Pro is reportedly more cushioned so you can choose that). Dynafish Xiaonian as well but they aren't for slow runs. Jury is still out on the 2000km 5.0 Pro because they're fairly new to me (current mileage is still at 39 km for jogging and walking) and the midsole is still pretty firm. All good though, forces you to work and not rely on the rocker and they seem to be ideal for faster paces.

At $150? If you live in U.S., I would hunt for Red Hare 9 Ultra (obtainable at $130 - $160 price range, depending on where you get them and what color) or Dynafish Xiaonian (obtainable for $130ish)....both obliterate the $150 western competition. R9U will make you bounce around, Xiaonian will trick you into running faster because of geometry...and you won't even notice it, unless you look at your watch.

Squarely between these three? EVO SL. Thought I'd probably spend money on Dynafish Xiaonian over Evo SLs for an all rounder. Cost *about* the same, depending on region and promos, runs better (source: personal experience of someone who owns both and is currently trying to get to 5k sub 20 (personal best so far is 21:08).)

Dynafish Xiaonian. Such a "blast" to run it - and many of my other shoes are beginning to collect dust at this point. Less than half the price of the Megablast. My general recommendation: Evo SL. Can be bought everywhere. It's always at a discount. I still believe this is the best value (western) shoe that anyone can currently buy. For a plated trainer - I know it's dropped in popularity, but it just seems to agree with my running form and works very well for me: Zoom Fly 6.

Honestly a daily trainer like a puma velocity nitro 4. It feels like an all round better version of a pegasus in the way that it does everything well. The li ning red hare 9 pro is also a great budget alternative that's as good for about 40% of the price if you can be bothered to use the TaoBao app. If you want something faster and more protective I'd consider the Dynafish Xiaonian which are my favourite shoe of all time. Super light and I use them for my 7:30 min/km recovery sessions and my 3:40 tempo runs and they're great in both. Plus they're cheap

Loads of selection but my pick is the Dynafish Xiaonian because I genuinely think nothing is as versatile while not being compromised. The only issue is the god awful laces and the lack of larger sizes

Dynafish Xiaonian has a super thin single layer upper. It's more of a supertrainer than a max cushion shoe though even though it has a LOT of foam

Dynafish Xiaonian is my recommendation as it sits between these shoes. It can do the slower stuff like the novablast but it's better than the EVO SL at faster stuff imo. Also significantly lighter and more stable than the SL I wouldn't get the novablast either way though if you're planning on keeping them for a while. The foam dies after about 200km which is pretty bad for what's meant to be a daily trainer. Mine died and they're bricks

If you can be bothered to use TaoBao then the Li Ning Feidian Challenger 5 is an absolutely insane pick for about $50 shipped. Slightly less aggressive carbon plate with 2 layers of PEBA foam that makes it a bit softer and bouncier compared to the superblasts. They're quite a bit more on AliExpress but still way cheaper than the superblasts and nicer depending on what you're looking for. If you want something unplated the Dynafish Xiaonian is an absolutely stunning shoe for about $90. Super light and versatile for pretty much any pace and it's just a great all rounder. As my first Chinese shoes I was blown away

For tempo sessions, threshold work and even easy runs/daily training the Dynafish XN is insanely versatile. Like unbelievably so. For racing and intervals I really like the sound of the Anta C202 G9 2 especially considering how cheap it is at the moment. You're paying close to Feidian 6 challenger money for a shoe that's positioned as an 'elite racer'. It's also the best looking shoe on the market imo. The runsifly flare elite also looks super interesting at that price point too, a super smooth, versatile, lightweight racer. Then you can get something stupid and fun as a third shoe. Like the Miro Nude 2 or PB PRO. The anta C10 Pro 2 also looks completely unhinged but it's expensive, same with the Feidian 5/6 ultra. For a normal 3 shoe rotation though I'd probably go Red Hare 9 Pro as a balanced, moderate stack daily trainer, the Xiaonian as the long run shoe that can also handle tempo sessions and the C202 G9 2 or Feidian 6 Elite as the more forgiving marathon racers depending on how much you want to spend. If you get the Xiaonian I'd strongly recommend getting notched laces and the 5mm insole which should make it fit TTS. Transforms the shoe

Dynafish Xiaonian. Has the top end of the evo SL with the long run/daily training comfort of the Vomero Plus while being significantly lighter than either and half the price. Unreal shoe, just make sure to pick up some better laces

I wouldn't. It's not a super recent model and that isn't a super good price. For some people these really work but for others they're clunky and not enjoyable to run in. The plate also limits versatility somewhat. If you're just going to get one running shoe I'd go for a supertrainer or elevated daily trainer. Something like a Puma Velocity Nitro 4, Endorphin Azura, Vomero Plus, EVO SL or Asics Megablast (though the Megablast is stupid expensive). The VN4 is lower stack compared to the rest but still an awesome shoe, the vomero is a bit heavy, the Azura is a bit firm and the EVO is unstable. There's tradeoffs to all of them but I'd still say they're better all round compared to the zoom fly. If it were up to me I'd 100% go for something Chinese. The Dynafish Xiaonian is a complete no brainer for an everything shoe for 1/3 the price of a megablast which also makes it insane value. The Li Ning Red Hare 8/9 Pro is also a great lower stack option that's half the price of the Xiaonian. Both use full stacks of high end foam, no cheap EVA carrier layer like the Zoom Fly. If you can't get TaoBao in your region (it's in a surprising number of countries now) though just go for the western ones above. All are good shoes

Also if you're concerned about speed the EVO SL, Megablast and Xiaonian are the fastest, followed by the Li Ning RH8/9 Pro. The Azura is the most stable and the Vomero is the most 'comfortable'. Just whatever you do go to your local outlets or find the cheapest prices online. Most of these can be found on pretty big sales

Agree with this. I like my XiaoNian more than my SB3.

Im debating between using dynafish xiaonian or adios pro 4 for my first marathon (sub 4, 5:40 pace) ive been using my dynafish xiaonian for my long runs and it feels great. Im wondering if i should get adios pro4 for mu marathon to maximize energy return.

Dynafish Xiao Nian. I just wore my new pair for my interval session and was flying. The forward rocker is more aggressive than the EVO SL, but the side stability is better. Also fits me wide.