It’s time to reveal my running shoe rotation for the first half of 2023, how I have been using each shoe, and some pros and cons.
My running shoe rotation is a complete one, but there is still room for bigger ones! Despite that, each runner should decide the best rotation for his needs instead of blindly following others' rotations.
My running shoe rotation has 5 categories: recovery runs, easy runs, workouts, long runs, and races.
Recovery runs
I am not a recovery runs fan. I always fail to keep the pace as intended, but when my legs and ankles feel tired, my top pick for my relaxed runs has been the Hoka Clifton 9 (check out my full review here). Despite not being a max cushioning shoe, the Clifton 9 meets all my requirements for recovery runs.
They are:
- Lightweight
- Very Comfortable
- Great cushioning
The Clifton 9 might not be better for recovery runs than other max cushioning shoes, but I don’t feel the need for anything more, and today we have great daily trainers that can work as recovery shoes as well (and they are cheaper!).
Easy Runs
For my easy runs, my choice has been between the Puma Velocity Nitro 2 (check out my full review here) and also the Hoka Clifton 9.
I always have two daily trainers on my rotations because I want the foam to rest for at least 24h to recover its original form. Because of this, I never wear the same shoe on consecutive days.
I already mentioned the Hoka Clifton 9 pros so I will now mention the cons as a daily trainer:
- Too soft for speedier daily runs
- I prefer more energy return
Either way, I mostly ignore these cons because the enjoyment of running with the Hoka Clifton 9 has grown day by day.
Moving now to the Puma Velocity Nitro 2, if you follow the blog then you know that it’s the daily trainer battles' winner and is without any doubt one of the best daily trainers and above that, one of the cheapest.
Some of the Velocity Nitro 2 pros:
- Comfortable (not as much as the Clifton 9)
- Great cushioning
- Good energy return
- Lightweight
And some Velocity Nitro 2 cons:
- Lockdown is not that great
- No rocker
- Needs more stack height
Workouts
For workouts, I ran exclusively with the Saucony Endorphin Speed 2. I have chosen the Speed 2 for the following pros:
- Excellent energy return
- Lightweight
- Comfortable for a speed shoe
- Great heel-to-toe transition
- Great toe-off
- Good lockdown
As for the cons, I don’t have any! I can only say that they are a little unstable but I do not suffer from pronation or supination so this is not a con for me.
The Endorphin Speed 2 are my all-time favorite running shoes.
Long Runs
My long runs are divided into two sub-categories: runs up to 25 km (16 mi) and runs up to 38 km (24 mi).
Up to 25 km (16 mi) I have been using the Hoka Mach 4 (albeit I already retired them before June). I have been using the Mach 4 for the following pros:
- Smoothness
- Lightweight
- Very comfortable
- Great heel-to-toe transition
- Excellent for long steady runs
- The best lockdown
But I won’t take them beyond 25 km (16 mi) for the following reasons:
- Lack of cushioning for very long runs
- A little bit firm for very long runs
For very long runs up to 38 km (24 mi), I always pick the Saucony Endorphin Speed 2. I already mentioned the pros, but they are indeed great for longer efforts due to the fact that they are light, have a rockered ride, and have a great amount of energy return while still being very cushioned.
Races
For all my races, from 10K up to the marathon distance, I always picked the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite (check out my full review here). I ran several races including 3 marathons with them and it’s time to let them rest. I might still do some shorter races or long runs, but I will not do any more marathons with them.
I have chosen the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite because:
- Cheapest carbon racer
- Very soft Nitro Elite foam
- Comfortable for the marathon distance
- Very lightweight
- Good lockdown
But the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite also has some drawbacks for me:
- Lack of energy return
- Low stack height
Conclusion
So, this was my rotation for the first half of 20023, and right now I am already running with a different rotation, but I’ll leave that blog post for the end of the year!
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