What's your current shoe rotation like? Are you planning to retire some old pairs soon? And which new shoes are you looking to potentially add to the rotation?
Was it a difficult decision choosing between the Vaporfly 3 and Endorphin Elite? Both are excellent shoes. I have both too and would be hard pressed to choose one over the other. I'm very interested in your marathon recap.
Ahh yea it was definitely a bit tricky given that both shoes are excellent in their own regard, but with a few comfort and fit quirks (for me personally, at least)! The Vaporfly 3 was a bit roomy for me since I did go half (or maybe even full) size up from usual, so it wasn't a snug race fit by any means and so doesn't feel super quick or aggressive as I expected, but still felt very nimble, smooth and cruisy enough. It also didn't give me any numb toe issues which I was quite pleased with (at least for a 29km long run with 23km @ GMP, so it might still be an issue for longer runs but we'll see). However I did get some lace bite or pressure on the inner ankles due to the lacing and rough upper (or lack of padding in the ankle collar area), or maybe because of my ankle bone structure - quite uncomfortable for me but not quite a showstopper entirely, though I haven't really found a way to resolve it just yet. On the other hand, the Endorphin Elites definitely felt like it was stacked higher and had more cushioning, which was enough to mask the minor calf strain I was dealing with in the weeks leading up to the race. I think performance-wise it's more or less the same as the Vaporflys for me if it really came down to it, and we can appreciate the additional cushioning especially across the marathon distance, or even some races with big downhills. The fit is quite comfy and roomy initially, however I still ended up getting numb big toes during the marathon anyway (maybe it's due to the low volume toebox), plus an inner ankle blister that I've never had before (which might've been from the stiff upper from the ankle collar). I also didn't get to test it that much at race pace before Gold Coast so it was a bit of a gamble running in them on race day, but it turned out to be good enough to carry me through. Anyways going forward I'm not sure if I'd use the Endorphin Elites for a marathon again with too much confidence, unless I change up the lacing style and it somehow works out (I already switched it to a more accomodating style and even wore thinner socks but that wasn't enough!), though it'll probably be super solid for half marathon and below. In the end the numb toe thingy isn't too big of a deal since I'm quite used to it by now and still finished the Gold Coast Marathon fairly well for the most part. The Vaporflys might work for the marathon if I can get around the ankle pressure thingy plus I'll have to see what they're like beyond 29km first! Hope that helps a bit... what has your experience been like with both shoes btw?
Wow! Great collection. I have only two shoes😂 1. Nike run 4 infinity- later got to know it’s not for long runs 2. Hoka Bondi X Need to add one more to the mix and play around with different brands in future
Thanks Raghu! I definitely miss the days where I had only 1 or 2 shoes in my rotation... For example, in my early days of running, I did all my runs in the Adidas Ultraboost 4.0 (which looking back doesn't seem too suitable for running a lot in, but I didn't know any better, or cared for that matter haha). Later on, from late 2022 to the first half of 2023, all I ran in was the Brooks Glycerin 20 (daily trainer) and the Brooks Hyperion Tempo (speedy stuff), and that seemed to do the trick! Then ever since I pushed my mileage for marathon training in recent times, it's been a bit tricky to find shoes that fit and ran well, last a while and don't break the bank, and I might've went overboard in trying a bunch of shoes across different brands. Some purchases have been great, some have been slight regrets, but it's all good haha, I'll try to make the most of what I have and carry forward the learnings as I go... Anyways what kind of shoe are you looking to get next btw? Any likes or dislikes regarding your Nike Run 4 Infinity or Hoka Bondi X?
@@RobOnTheRun thank you Rob for sharing your progress in purchasing. Nike run 4 - shin splits was gone after moving to Hoka X ( or maybe it was too early to judge) but surely not good for parkruns on grass as too cushiony - used to always twist my ankle on that. Hoka X - so far so good for long and recovery runs but heavy for speedy stuff. At the moment - only using Hoka for everything - as I m afraid to twist my ankle on that Nike one maybe should try on hard surfaces
@@RaghavendraManjunath-oj6cb Ahh yea fair enough, both of those shoes seem to be fairly high stacked and cushioned but might not be too stable so can be a bit of an ankle twister like you said... There's so many shoes of different styles and tech out there nowadays and given your fairly humble rotation currently, it'll be interesting to see what you end up getting as your next pair(s)! I remember feeling amazed when I first got my New Balance 1080v10s (felt lighter than Adidas Ultraboost 4.0), then the Glycerin 20s (felt more stable and lighter than 1080v10), then Brooks Hyperion Tempo (felt so nimble, speedy and lightweight), and so on. But of course I also had plenty of fit and comfort struggles with some shoes too... But yea might be worth a visit to Pace Athletic, Athlete's Foot or even Rebel Sport sometime to try on some new options!
@@RobOnTheRun Rob great timing - I went to athlete’s foot and bought NB 1080v13 I think it is - definitely feels lighter compared to Hoka Bondi 8. As I used only one shoe I got niggle on my left foot arch and doesn’t feel right to wear Hoka anymore it dig deep on the arch - dint expect to last only for 500k… what do you think of NB 1080 for running a marathon? Now I know why we need more shoe
@@RaghavendraManjunath-oj6cb Glad to hear man, the 1080 is probably one of the most comfy daily trainer on the market for a while now, and v13 seems to be a decent improvement over its older outgoing models in many ways such as breathability and durability (at least when I compare it to v10 on paper), so it'll likely take care of you quite well. I reckon if you find it comfy enough during training (especially on those massive long runs), it should be more than suitable during the marathon itself (especially if it's your first one), as comfort is king when you're on your feet for quite a while during race conditions. Looking back, I can't believe I used my 1080v10 for all types of runs back then, from recovery runs to speed workouts, to long runs and even my first marathon, not to mention I had 3 different pairs to rotate back then... I definitely didn't know any better but it's also not too surprising given how comfy it was, apart from some blisters during wet weather due to poor heel lockdown I think (before I knew about heel lock lacing, or could've been something else). Anyways a shoe rotation (with different drops, foams, brands, etc.) can sorta help stimulate your muscles in slightly different ways to reduce the chance of overuse injury (of course strength training should be considered too), but no need to overdo the rotation like I did haha, maybe 1080v13 for most runs and possibly a sneaky fun addition for speedy stuff like the Saucony Endorphin Speeds for example (could be a hit or miss though). And if I were you, I'd probably look out for fit and comfort first and foremost, though this can often be a bit tricky since we're all so individual... And yea based on some reviews I've seen, some people mentioned Hoka shoes tend to be slightly narrow or have a higher than normal arch, not sure if this is true across their entire range since I've only tried the Mach 6 in store and found it fairly ok but slightly snug, otherwise have yet to actually wear a Hoka shoe myself...
Oh man tell me about it, it's certainly quite the struggle... what shoes have you tried on so far btw and what were they like for you? I can say for me personally, I have slightly wide feet but not crazy wide by any means, so I can usually slip into a normal width shoe as long as I go half or full-size up, and it feels mostly ok. Sometimes I can feel it when shoes have an aggressive arch or super narrow midfoot, but it's somewhat bearable for the most part. The bigger problem for me is that I have kinda high volume feet, and probably a tall big toe as well, since I tend to get numb big toes on long runs beyond 2 hours, which is likely a result of foot swelling plus the big toes jamming onto the toebox upper material (sizing up and extra length doesn't always resolve this!). Sometimes shoes with an aggressive toebox taper doesn't help either, which may cause some rubbing on the pinky toe...
I don’t have much rotation.. one or two maximum.. When my main pair gets old I change it to my recovery shoes.. Asics Novablast is my main pair these days.. one size up.. Before Gold Coast, I tested plated shoes from Asics, Saucony and Adidas.. but all were narrow.. going two size up didn’t make sense.. My small toes get pushed to the next one and the calluses making cuts and swelling in them.. The big toes are good in my case.. waiting for a wide plated shoe..!!
@@bidulnarayanan2616 I see, it's definitely quite tricky... sometimes I feel like it might be better to go for the comfier option available, even if it's not plated. On a somewhat related note, for me personally, I think some brands just fit generally narrow, like Nike and Puma. Then we have other brands like Saucony or Adidas for example that are a bit more bearable and sometimes offer extra width variants for their shoes, although I think only add a bit of extra material in the upper over the normal width variant, but not widen the platform. And then some other brands like New Balance and Brooks that seem to actually widen the platform a bit, ontop of adding the extra upper material. I think there's also different parts of shoe width I'm concerned with, for example - a narrow heel area doesn't affect me too much, and toebox width is usually fine for most of my shoes but it's more about the volume and type of upper material, or even sometimes the midfoot width that gets me... But yea definitely tricky stuff, I guess looking back on some of the wider shoes I've owned or at least tried on in the past, it might be worth checking out some of New Balance's offerings like the Rebel v4 or 1080v13, and maybe even the Brooks Glycerin or Ghosts in 2E wide, for example. They may not seem like the most appealing amongst the current offerings of today's market, but sometimes fit and comfort is king, and if you feel great, you'll likely run well. I kinda miss having those kind of shoes in my rotation but I honestly have too many shoes in my rotation already... Let me know how you go!
What's your current shoe rotation like? Are you planning to retire some old pairs soon? And which new shoes are you looking to potentially add to the rotation?
The physique Rob, Mean 🔥 Love the rail trail upgrade transitions as well 👏👏👏
@@bb0yMark Thanks Mark, can’t wait for our next run together along the rail trail and other routes sometime!
Was it a difficult decision choosing between the Vaporfly 3 and Endorphin Elite? Both are excellent shoes. I have both too and would be hard pressed to choose one over the other. I'm very interested in your marathon recap.
Ahh yea it was definitely a bit tricky given that both shoes are excellent in their own regard, but with a few comfort and fit quirks (for me personally, at least)! The Vaporfly 3 was a bit roomy for me since I did go half (or maybe even full) size up from usual, so it wasn't a snug race fit by any means and so doesn't feel super quick or aggressive as I expected, but still felt very nimble, smooth and cruisy enough. It also didn't give me any numb toe issues which I was quite pleased with (at least for a 29km long run with 23km @ GMP, so it might still be an issue for longer runs but we'll see). However I did get some lace bite or pressure on the inner ankles due to the lacing and rough upper (or lack of padding in the ankle collar area), or maybe because of my ankle bone structure - quite uncomfortable for me but not quite a showstopper entirely, though I haven't really found a way to resolve it just yet.
On the other hand, the Endorphin Elites definitely felt like it was stacked higher and had more cushioning, which was enough to mask the minor calf strain I was dealing with in the weeks leading up to the race. I think performance-wise it's more or less the same as the Vaporflys for me if it really came down to it, and we can appreciate the additional cushioning especially across the marathon distance, or even some races with big downhills. The fit is quite comfy and roomy initially, however I still ended up getting numb big toes during the marathon anyway (maybe it's due to the low volume toebox), plus an inner ankle blister that I've never had before (which might've been from the stiff upper from the ankle collar). I also didn't get to test it that much at race pace before Gold Coast so it was a bit of a gamble running in them on race day, but it turned out to be good enough to carry me through.
Anyways going forward I'm not sure if I'd use the Endorphin Elites for a marathon again with too much confidence, unless I change up the lacing style and it somehow works out (I already switched it to a more accomodating style and even wore thinner socks but that wasn't enough!), though it'll probably be super solid for half marathon and below. In the end the numb toe thingy isn't too big of a deal since I'm quite used to it by now and still finished the Gold Coast Marathon fairly well for the most part. The Vaporflys might work for the marathon if I can get around the ankle pressure thingy plus I'll have to see what they're like beyond 29km first! Hope that helps a bit... what has your experience been like with both shoes btw?
Wow! Great collection. I have only two shoes😂 1. Nike run 4 infinity- later got to know it’s not for long runs 2. Hoka Bondi X
Need to add one more to the mix and play around with different brands in future
Thanks Raghu! I definitely miss the days where I had only 1 or 2 shoes in my rotation... For example, in my early days of running, I did all my runs in the Adidas Ultraboost 4.0 (which looking back doesn't seem too suitable for running a lot in, but I didn't know any better, or cared for that matter haha). Later on, from late 2022 to the first half of 2023, all I ran in was the Brooks Glycerin 20 (daily trainer) and the Brooks Hyperion Tempo (speedy stuff), and that seemed to do the trick! Then ever since I pushed my mileage for marathon training in recent times, it's been a bit tricky to find shoes that fit and ran well, last a while and don't break the bank, and I might've went overboard in trying a bunch of shoes across different brands. Some purchases have been great, some have been slight regrets, but it's all good haha, I'll try to make the most of what I have and carry forward the learnings as I go...
Anyways what kind of shoe are you looking to get next btw? Any likes or dislikes regarding your Nike Run 4 Infinity or Hoka Bondi X?
@@RobOnTheRun thank you Rob for sharing your progress in purchasing.
Nike run 4 - shin splits was gone after moving to Hoka X ( or maybe it was too early to judge) but surely not good for parkruns on grass as too cushiony - used to always twist my ankle on that.
Hoka X - so far so good for long and recovery runs but heavy for speedy stuff.
At the moment - only using Hoka for everything - as I m afraid to twist my ankle on that Nike one maybe should try on hard surfaces
@@RaghavendraManjunath-oj6cb Ahh yea fair enough, both of those shoes seem to be fairly high stacked and cushioned but might not be too stable so can be a bit of an ankle twister like you said... There's so many shoes of different styles and tech out there nowadays and given your fairly humble rotation currently, it'll be interesting to see what you end up getting as your next pair(s)!
I remember feeling amazed when I first got my New Balance 1080v10s (felt lighter than Adidas Ultraboost 4.0), then the Glycerin 20s (felt more stable and lighter than 1080v10), then Brooks Hyperion Tempo (felt so nimble, speedy and lightweight), and so on. But of course I also had plenty of fit and comfort struggles with some shoes too... But yea might be worth a visit to Pace Athletic, Athlete's Foot or even Rebel Sport sometime to try on some new options!
@@RobOnTheRun Rob great timing - I went to athlete’s foot and bought NB 1080v13 I think it is - definitely feels lighter compared to Hoka Bondi 8. As I used only one shoe I got niggle on my left foot arch and doesn’t feel right to wear Hoka anymore it dig deep on the arch - dint expect to last only for 500k… what do you think of NB 1080 for running a marathon? Now I know why we need more shoe
@@RaghavendraManjunath-oj6cb Glad to hear man, the 1080 is probably one of the most comfy daily trainer on the market for a while now, and v13 seems to be a decent improvement over its older outgoing models in many ways such as breathability and durability (at least when I compare it to v10 on paper), so it'll likely take care of you quite well. I reckon if you find it comfy enough during training (especially on those massive long runs), it should be more than suitable during the marathon itself (especially if it's your first one), as comfort is king when you're on your feet for quite a while during race conditions. Looking back, I can't believe I used my 1080v10 for all types of runs back then, from recovery runs to speed workouts, to long runs and even my first marathon, not to mention I had 3 different pairs to rotate back then... I definitely didn't know any better but it's also not too surprising given how comfy it was, apart from some blisters during wet weather due to poor heel lockdown I think (before I knew about heel lock lacing, or could've been something else).
Anyways a shoe rotation (with different drops, foams, brands, etc.) can sorta help stimulate your muscles in slightly different ways to reduce the chance of overuse injury (of course strength training should be considered too), but no need to overdo the rotation like I did haha, maybe 1080v13 for most runs and possibly a sneaky fun addition for speedy stuff like the Saucony Endorphin Speeds for example (could be a hit or miss though). And if I were you, I'd probably look out for fit and comfort first and foremost, though this can often be a bit tricky since we're all so individual... And yea based on some reviews I've seen, some people mentioned Hoka shoes tend to be slightly narrow or have a higher than normal arch, not sure if this is true across their entire range since I've only tried the Mach 6 in store and found it fairly ok but slightly snug, otherwise have yet to actually wear a Hoka shoe myself...
I also have a wide feet.. I tried to find a plated shoe for Goldcoast marathon without any success.. !!
Oh man tell me about it, it's certainly quite the struggle... what shoes have you tried on so far btw and what were they like for you?
I can say for me personally, I have slightly wide feet but not crazy wide by any means, so I can usually slip into a normal width shoe as long as I go half or full-size up, and it feels mostly ok. Sometimes I can feel it when shoes have an aggressive arch or super narrow midfoot, but it's somewhat bearable for the most part. The bigger problem for me is that I have kinda high volume feet, and probably a tall big toe as well, since I tend to get numb big toes on long runs beyond 2 hours, which is likely a result of foot swelling plus the big toes jamming onto the toebox upper material (sizing up and extra length doesn't always resolve this!). Sometimes shoes with an aggressive toebox taper doesn't help either, which may cause some rubbing on the pinky toe...
I don’t have much rotation.. one or two maximum.. When my main pair gets old I change it to my recovery shoes.. Asics Novablast is my main pair these days.. one size up.. Before Gold Coast, I tested plated shoes from Asics, Saucony and Adidas.. but all were narrow.. going two size up didn’t make sense.. My small toes get pushed to the next one and the calluses making cuts and swelling in them.. The big toes are good in my case.. waiting for a wide plated shoe..!!
@@bidulnarayanan2616 I see, it's definitely quite tricky... sometimes I feel like it might be better to go for the comfier option available, even if it's not plated. On a somewhat related note, for me personally, I think some brands just fit generally narrow, like Nike and Puma. Then we have other brands like Saucony or Adidas for example that are a bit more bearable and sometimes offer extra width variants for their shoes, although I think only add a bit of extra material in the upper over the normal width variant, but not widen the platform. And then some other brands like New Balance and Brooks that seem to actually widen the platform a bit, ontop of adding the extra upper material.
I think there's also different parts of shoe width I'm concerned with, for example - a narrow heel area doesn't affect me too much, and toebox width is usually fine for most of my shoes but it's more about the volume and type of upper material, or even sometimes the midfoot width that gets me... But yea definitely tricky stuff, I guess looking back on some of the wider shoes I've owned or at least tried on in the past, it might be worth checking out some of New Balance's offerings like the Rebel v4 or 1080v13, and maybe even the Brooks Glycerin or Ghosts in 2E wide, for example. They may not seem like the most appealing amongst the current offerings of today's market, but sometimes fit and comfort is king, and if you feel great, you'll likely run well. I kinda miss having those kind of shoes in my rotation but I honestly have too many shoes in my rotation already... Let me know how you go!