[navin]

Originally Posted by manish_symc

I am in search for good shoes for half marathons.

https://www.flipkart.com/new-balance...8bbccfe660b0c5

New Balance, Brooks, Saucony, etc all make very good shoes. The 1080V12 you found was considered one of the better (for 2022) ones, along with the Brooks Glycerin GTS 20 and Saucony Triumph 20. (see links below).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iljxROl6Mw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDm5c6IRHHE

However, before you drown yourself in an internet search for shoes, I recommend you find a multi-brand shoe shop in your area and test out several brands, including Nike, Saucony, Asics, New Balance, and Brooks.

I am not including Hoka, On-Cloud and Altra because these 3 brands aren't readily available in India, and Altras require some getting used to (due to the shape of their forefoot).

Some brands, like New Balance, have a lot of choices in the width of the toe box, which can be a boon for runners with broad feet (2E and 4E for men). Asics and Brooks have fewer (width) options, and some, like Nike, Adidas, etc., only sell one width.

In addition to the toe width, you also need to consider:

1. Stride: are your feet Supinated, Pronated, or Neutral
2. How much Cushioning do you prefer? Remember that cushioning often comes at the cost of support (the Glycerin GTS20 is an outlier here, offering a good bit of both).
3. What is your preferred drop angle (how high do you like your heel to be relative to your toe)? I like 6mm. Some people like more (8mm+), some people like less (-4mm). Some like zero drop and zero cushioning.

Since you are running marathons, you could stick to shoes designed for road running. You can eliminate the track and trail options.

Here are a few reviews you can watch to familiarise yourself with what is available today

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-qWi0BSQek

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxBUZG6wcl4

Confused? That's why I thought it best that you go to a multi-brand store and test out several shoes.

Lastly, I'd strongly recommend that a beginner runner avoid carbon-plated shoes or shoes with unusual soles like the On-Cloud CloudFlyer (see link).
https://philadelphiarunner.com/produ...udflyer-4-wide

I hope this helps, and all the best for your first 21k.

[ssjr0498]

Have been using Hoka and Saucony from over 5yrs now and they are just brilliant. Extremely well supported shoes, much much better than the Asics I used to daily!

[nova.19_exe]

Well, I have a couple of shoes, if I do say so myself!

I recently bought the Nike Revolution 6NN in Green which look stunning!

I also have a couple I bought from Westside.. I don't have their names but I'll try to show them if I can!

[neerajku]

Somehow Flipkart products, with their very different pricing, for premier brands, create doubts. I refrain many a times. Ajio makes mistakes with sizes but you get good stuff for sure.
Hoka is available on Centro, a Reliance site. Very few designs and limited sizes, not sure if it will serve your purpose.

[mayankk]

Originally Posted by neerajku

Somehow Flipkart products, with their very different pricing, for premier brands, create doubts. I refrain many a times. Ajio makes mistakes with sizes but you get good stuff for sure.
Hoka is available on Centro, a Reliance site. Very few designs and limited sizes, not sure if it will serve your purpose.

Tata Cliq has most sizes of Hoka available.
They are brilliant shoes.

[Sanjunair5]

Originally Posted by manish_symc

I am in search for good shoes for half marathons. Please advise on some good shoes.

I can talk about the shoes I have used;
- Nike Airmax 2017 - Air cushioning is excellent. I think they weigh less than most other foams. I used the shoes a lot. It won't disappoint you. The toe portion was a tad big for me, so I used to wear two soxes for longer runs. But after having used Zoom foam-equipped shoes, I prefer those more than air cushions.


- Nike Zoom Winflow8 - This is a relatively inexpensive running shoe. I use it mostly for short runs. It has a slightly narrower toe portion and works well for me. But the narrow front also means it doesn't offer much support for lateral movements. Overall it is good for the price, but I wouldn't recommend it for half marathons.


- Adidas Boost X9000L4 - This is amongst my favorite shoes! I believe Boost is to Adidas what Zoom is to Nike. This is a slip-on with laces. This has a tighter toe portion, but the sole is wider and provides a lot of lateral support. It has a slightly higher heel drop and a generous amount of heel support. I have run a lot with these shoes, and still run with them, but it is now nearing its end of life. Not sure if it is discontinued, but I think it is a good alternative to the more expensive Ultraboosts.


- Adidas Ultraboost 23 - This is my latest acquisition and slowly becoming my latest favorite! This is also a slip-on with laces. The uppers are made of what they call Primeknit. It fits snugly and has a similar heel drop-like X9000L4 or maybe a bit more. There is a plastic plate in the forefoot and I kinda feel is there for a functional reason. There is a lot of foam all around as you can see from pics and the downside of all the foam is that stability is adversely affected. But the wide sole and features like the wraparound heel provide the stability needed for long runs.


You cant really go wrong with any shoes you pick, but the degree of satisfaction may vary. Try different ones and take your pick. Few important bits to look for are;
- Heel drop - is a very important consideration. Try a few with different heel drops and decide what you are most comfortable with
- Width of the sole - I would absolutely go with a wide sole. But it also has downsides like the sole hitting your ankles. Make your pick based on your running style
- Slip on vs lace up - Slip-ons are snug, but are difficult to get into while lace-up may not give the right fit

[Gazole]

Hello
I would strongly suggest understanding what type of shoes work for you before getting in to the brands / models - each have pros and cons and associated costs.

Start with understanding your bio mechanics, weight, distance, running surface and running style and determine if you need a shoe that is higher on cushioning or stability or support or a mix of all. Where do you need support or cushioning? is that heel because you're a heel striker? or mid foot?

Shoe weight is a criteria too - usually higher cushion / stability shoes tend to be heavier.

The classic / traditionalist may also say - get a light, low cushion show to correct any flaws in your posture.

There is tons of information out there about above - e.g. : ttps://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/running-shoes.html

but there lots of more information out there - just google it.

once you know what type of shoe you need - then look for the best shoe in that category - else you may end up paying 15K for the best stability shoe which youll end up hating, because you actually needed a light (cheaper) road running shoe.

hope this helps..

[kadanaJ]

Unless they're banned by the marathon you're participating in, I believe Nike Vapourfly's have become the controversial new gold standard.

https://www.nike.com/in/t/vaporfly-3...gvM/DV4129-600

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by Gazole

Hello
I would strongly suggest understanding what type of shoes work for you before getting in to the brands / models - each have pros and cons and associated costs.

Start with understanding your bio mechanics, weight, distance, running surface and running style and determine if you need a shoe that is higher on cushioning or stability or support or a mix of all. Where do you need support or cushioning? is that heel because you're a heel striker? or mid foot?

Shoe weight is a criteria too - usually higher cushion / stability shoes tend to be heavier.

The classic / traditionalist may also say - get a light, low cushion show to correct any flaws in your posture.

Fantastic advice here. People who end up here looking for advice - please remember brand is secondary; the shoe model matters. You might go for a brand like Saucony or Brooks which make amazing shoes and yet end up with a shoe that doesn't work for your feet at all.

If the above information @gazole shared is too much to take in, go to a store that offer shoe fitting (example process) services. The process can vary from store to store but primarily they focus on 3 areas through questions and other means to get to shoe options that are ideal for you

- Understanding your walking or running profile
- Evaluating the anatomy of your feet
- Analyzing your walking style with a treadmill and walk/jog analysis

Many stores in India offer this as complimentary service. For instance only last week, my wife purchased running shoes at the Asics store in Brigade road, Bangalore after availing such a service. We visited 3 other brand stores and none offered such a service so we skipped them.

[Hells Bells]

Do try Skecher's GORun Razor series too. I have used Razor 3 and now onto Razor 4. Very light weight and excellent for running from my personal experience.

[RaviDBLR]

I'm one of the 'traditionalists' as someone put it above, running in zero drop, close to barefoot Merrell shoes for 7-8 years. Their Trail Glove shoes used to be very good, so much so that I've run Malnad Ultra 50k in them. The newer Trail Glove models have smaller toe boxes, so not so great. Biggest issue - they are rarely available here in India. Newer Xero Shoes are quite nice too.

Many friends wanting to go barefoot have used cheap Decathlon Aqua shoes to help them transition. If any of you want to get the barefoot feel, it will just cost you Rs 500-600/- to try. BTW, once you get used to zero drop, ultra light, barely-there sole shoes, it is hard to get back into the cushioned beauties.

Good luck with your search @manish_symc. It is easier to run a half-marathon than to decide on new shoes!

[sou_3749]

Originally Posted by manish_symc

I am in search for good shoes for half marathons. Please advise on some good shoes.

The other question is related to shoes prices being offered by different sites.

I see that many sites like Ajio/Myntra are offering very less discounts as compare to Flipkart on same shoes. How is Flipkart able to manage to give high discounts?

e.g. New Balance shoes on Ajio is costing Rs. 14500 where as same shoes on Flipkart is at Rs. 9900. The same price difference is with Adidas and Nike brands too.

https://www.ajio.com/new-balance-men...469486718_blue

https://www.flipkart.com/new-balance...8bbccfe660b0c5

Excellent choice. Go with flipkart and specially during sales. I found their offerings to be genuine, just buy from a reputed seller with good rating. They can sell at much less prices than other e-tailers due to the supply chain/procurement and flipkart being flipkart would do anything to capture market for premium products be it shoes or electronics which have fat margins. I may also suggest the best seller from new balance (fresh foam V4).

https://www.flipkart.com/new-balance...FLIPKART&sattr[]=size&st=size

Longer the run, more cushion you need to absorb the prolong recoil of the road. Although this depends on the runner's weight, but generally most of the long distance running shoes have an average stack height of around 35mm.

Coming back to feet anatomy, I would suggest visiting any Asics store. They are excellent knowledgeable people and at the end you will more or less understand the type of shoes you actually need.

Now brands.
Nike/Adidas/Asics - They have only the elite pricier shoes with cutting edge tech. Their lowly priced shoes are for recreational use, but marketed as cheaper version of those elite shoes. Take for example, the entry level all-round daily trainer (Nike Pegasus 40) is 12k. This is because they spend a lot on advertising/store franchise/brand value etc.

The real horses are the lesser known brands such as Saucony, NewBalance, Hoka One One, Brooks, Altra, Mizuno etc. In India you will get very good shoes at good price points from Flipkart. I found their fitting and comfort are better compared to Nike/Adidas.

Personally I am not a half marathon runner, but as per my experience in running long distances, below are the ones I have used.

Saucony Endorphin Shift - Stack height (40), drop (4)
Brooks Ghost 14 - Stack height (36), drop (12)
Nike Winflo 7 - Stack height (33), drop (10)
Puma Deviate Nitro 2 (Carbon Plated) - Stack height (38), drop (8)
Asics GT1000 - Stack height (31), drop (10)

Out of the above, I like Saucony a lot. Pretty good for my wide feet and heavy build.

Puma nitro series are the new line from Puma which are getting rave reviews. This carbon plated shoe is excellent for the price and will surely propel you for better timings.

Please note all of them will serve you around 600-1000km. So longevity should not be an issue. Before making any investment, please research on various online forums. One such site is https://runrepeat.com/.

[vellatechie]

I've been using Nike Pegasus for over 6 years now. I have gone through several pairs and they have never failed me.

[warp_10]

Nike Pegasus it is ! Perfect workhorse for my runs.

[MadinMumbai]

Too much has been made of brands of running shoes. My learning, from 12 years of running half marathons, don't worry about the brand. Look for something that feels comfortable.

I have tried Nike, Adidas, Asics, Vivo barefoot and Decathlon shoes. And guess what - the best running I did (injury free and happy) was when I ran barefoot. I had to give up barefoot but that's a long story for another day.

These days I run in Decathlon's road running range and am happy with it. The basic thing I check, beyond gait and pronation, is the size of the toe box. I have a high arch and wide foot, a tighter toe box will invariably give me an injury as the training runs start hitting 15 kms and beyond. Most brands in India don't keep inventory of wide shoes, so a really expensive shoe from a big brand is no use to me.

On the overhype around brands I have an interesting story - for 4 years I used a Decathlon shoe which I picked up at Rs.1499 for long runs and races. In that time I used Nike and Asics for training and saved my precious, and cheapest, shoe for the long runs and races. It was a sad day when I had to finally give up on that pair.