LOLZLetter 236 | How many running shoes do you *really* need?
Is 1 pair enough?
This week I’m writing to you from Dubai, my first international trip in a while. My spouse had a few days off, so we decided to meet in Dubai. The 16-hour flight was long, but luckily it went by fast, and I got a few blogs done, watched two movies, and finished two books.
I'm not entirely sure what we will do here yet. I do know all of my runs will be on the treadmill. Even at 5 am, it's between 90-100 and the dewpoint is 80.
Anyway, on to the newsletter.
A common question I get:
How many pairs of running shoes do I need?
Realistically, the answer is one. You can do every run in the same shoes and be fine. But if you want to run your best? You need more than one. If you are running races or workouts, then likely 2-3 pairs will help you run faster.
First and most importantly, your rate of injury goes up if you alternate the wrong types of shoes. Every shoe is made for a different foot type, and if you rotate the wrong shoes for your feet, then you will get injured, and you'd be better off not alternating shoes.
Go to your local running store and talk to the pros; don't ask your best friend or the internet what shoe they like. The biggest and best running shoe advice I can give is there is no best running shoe for everyone. Not even the Vaporfly.
Why You Should Alternate Shoes:
Increase the Durability of Your Shoes: Having two pairs of shoes means you use each pair less frequently, so they’ll last longer. The shoes have time to recover and bounce back from each run. If you give shoes 1-2 days to “recover,” the materials in the midsole don’t continuously compress. Like a sponge, the cushion will bounce back closer to its original state. That can usually give you at least 50 extra miles out of them.
Different Shoes Are Made for Different Things: Every shoe has a time and place. The Nike Vaporfly is made for speed, it’s not going to feel great doing easy miles. The Hoka Bondi 8 is made for easy miles. It’s heavy and not going to feel great for fast mileage.
Alternating Shoes Can Prevent Injury: This only works if you do it correctly! While it’s not a magical way to prevent injuries, alternating shoes can decrease your injury risk. Different shoes work different muscles depending on the midsole material, drop, etc.
So How Many Shoes Do You Need?
More can be better (to a point), but there's no need to waste money on things you don't like.
Most runners can benefit from a three-shoe rotation.
What are those three shoes?
Your recovery run trainer: You'll run most of your easy runs in these. There is no such thing as too much cushion with this trainer. The more cushion, the less impact your body takes. These shoes might feel heavier and more bulky, but they are designed to keep you healthy. A few examples include the Saucony Triumph, Hoka Bondi, Brooks Glycerin, and New Balance More.
Your Daily Run Shoe: Realistically, your daily run and recovery run trainers could be the same, but there are subtle differences between them. The daily run trainer might be lighter and more responsive than your recovery trainer. It has a little less cushion. You can pick up the pace without feeling like you have a cinder block on your foot. A few examples include the 361 Centauri, Salomon Aero Glide, Brooks Ghost, ASICS Superblast, and Hoka Mach.
Your Race Shoe or Track Workout Shoe: This is your “fast” or plated shoe. Even in the fast shoe, there are different categories, but it needs to be tailored to what you’re racing. A marathon race shoe is very different than a track mile race shoe. Any carbon-plated shoe or spike will fill this void. These are likely you’re most expensive shoes (TBT in 2014 when minimalist racing flats were in and racing shoes were all of $80).
The Bonus Shoe:
You might want a second of any of these shoes, depending on your mileage. Or you might want a fast shoe that isn’t carbon plated. That’s why the cheaper nylon or pebax plated exist. Both nylon and pebax are cheaper and more durable than carbon-plated shoes.
Something to keep in mind is that many shoes fall along a grey area. The Saucony Kinvara is some people's daily trainer but it's also people's racing shoe. The Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 has a nylon plate and is fast. Some people prefer it for training and others race PRs in it. It's all about what works for you!
You don't need to have more than one shoe, but having more than one shoe maximizes your running potential. It's important to ensure that all your shoes match your foot type. Alternating between the wrong shoes will only injure you.
What is Keeping Me Entertained?
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On Cloudboom Echo 3: New on Slowtwitch. What exactly makes this shoe worth $290?
Marathon Training and Fundraising Journey: Follow Gina’s Progress for the NYCM
As someone that has worked in the run specialty industry for a long time, I think you're absolutely right. But because of my job, I definitely have more than 3 pairs (actually more than 30). The one thing I'd add for some runners as an alternative/additional shoe is a trail shoe if they find that they are doing more than one run a week on technical trails with dirt, rocks, roots, mud and other unconventional running surfaces in nature.