Topo Cyclone 3, Adidas Adios 9 (if you can find it), Nike Pegasus Plus. Hyperion 2 is a nice choice, probably on sale if you can find it. Hyperion 3 became a bit bulky. Many love the Rebel, though midsole durability is very poor.
NB Rebel is great but they’ve started increasing the stack height on the 5. Definitely try the Topo Cyclone 3, it is nice and snappy but not a max stack shoe so a little more comparable to the Kinvara.
You could probably continue to wear normal widths if you switched up to Topo’s since you mainly need space in the forefoot/toebox area and they should be plenty roomy for you. Since you’re a small size person, you probably don’t need a max cushion shoe unless you really want one, so the Topo Specter 2, Cyclone 3, and even the Fli-Lyte will suit your needs depending on the distance that you’re running. Both Specter and Cyclone have the Pebax race foam and I like it a lot.
Well, this is my hot take. Ultra cushioned shoes don’t make your feet work the same way a shoe that has less cushioned would. So, on runs where you are going for a long time, it makes sense to take the protection of an ultra cushioned shoe; however, to strengthen your feet and all of the critically important muscles in your feet, it’s still important to do some of your workouts in shoes that have less cushioning. Unless you’re really going to invest your time separately to do feet strengthening which most people unfortunately do not do.
Agree, also generally wear a women’s D width and the Specter and Cyclone has been very enjoyable to me. For OP, if you want something with a little more stability, the Topo Ultrafly might be a shoe you can look into, but for trails, you could try the Vista specifically comes in wide width, though you might not actually need a wide in Topo. I got my dad into the Vistas and I haven’t seen him take them off since he got them, he’s on the trails a lot for a 72 year old and he just loves them.
There is nothing I have enjoyed less than running in Bondi’s. That is a hard pass for me. Like running with cement blocks strapped to my body.
I do like the Topo’s. I did my last 10 mile race with the Specter 2 and I felt great the whole time. I also really enjoy the New Balance Rebel v4 but I wouldn’t take them on a half marathon. V5 have a little more stack so might be suitable for a half depending on your time on feet.
If you do go with Bondi’s I had to go with an extra wide when I bought them and in Topo’s I can wear regular in the Specter and Cyclones and I can wear wide in New Balance. That said, when you go extra wide in the Bondi’s the toe box finally becomes roomy and comfortable.
Topo Cyclone. One of the lightest shoes out there with racing foam and no plate. So far, I feel like it will go many more miles than Rebels and the foam is more responsive.
Topo has you covered. I think you’d be looking at something like the Fli-Lyte or the Magnifly or the Cyclone (more money but more responsive).
Honestly, I am 50/50 on these max stack/max cushion shoes. There’s a time and a place for them… long training runs… recovery runs after a hard effort. But like… feet also need a workout and that doesn’t really happen in these max cushion shoes. I also think a lot of people got into running over the last few years and don’t remember/don’t know a time of what old shoes feel like. I still have trouble with a shoe with too much cushion because I remember the shoes I wore when I first started running way back when and it’s pretty different than the shoes of today.
The Cyclone is my absolute favorite fun shoe to run in. It should be part of everyone’s rotation. Caveat is mostly that it isn’t as padded or as supportive as some higher stack alternatives. My shoe formula is 1) around 5mm drop, 2) light weight, 3) rocker sole. Clifton 9 was the epitome of that but is now gone. Topo Specter or Atmos might be better Topos to start with, but definitely end up with Cyclone in your rotation.
Two of these shoes are quite heavy - over 10oz, and all have 8mm or more heel to toe drop. I want my shoes to be well below 9oz and around 5mm heel to toe drop. Examples are Topo Specter or Cyclone, Mount to Coast H1. I am sure there are more, but these are the ones in my rotation, plus Hoka Mach 6 and just retired Clifton 9 (RIP!).
If you're ready to invest in a good pair, Saucony Endorphin Elite 2 are love them or hate them race shoes, super soft and snappy but maybe too unstable for slow long runs, so best for faster workouts or race day rather than every single training run. Meanwhile, Topo shoes like the Cyclone tend to be more balanced everyday trainers that work well for regular runs and longer mileage without the super shoe feel. You could also check ShopWSS since they often carry popular running models and occasionally have great discounts, which is nice when you're still figuring out what works best for your feet.
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SUPERBLAST 2
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Marathon workhorse, but loud and clunky at slow paces.
Blackwaterpark81
