Daily trainer for track runners

[rg99]

Hallo everybody, I'm a mid distance runner and I wanted to find a good daily trainer, because I've changed many but I can't find the perfect one.
I'm very lightweight (63kg) and mechanically I run well, with a little supination. I look for a shoe quite light and reactive to run warm up, hill sprints and sometimes intervals on grass and gravel but in which I can run for 60 or 90 minutes at 4'/km.
I fell in love with the Asics Noosa FF, which were very durable and oriented both to speed and distance, but they are out of production; I used also Brooks Launch 8, which were ok but didn't thrilled me. Actually in my rotation I have Launch 8, Hyperion Tempo for fartlek and tempo runs and adidas RC 2 for track reps. I was looking for the Asics Dynablast, but I've never try it.
Which one do you think is a good versalite trainer?

 

[imnothammer]

I haven't run in them recently, but the Mizuno Wave Rider series has always been a personal favorite of mine in the daily trainer category.

I am currently using the Saucony Endorphin Shift as my daily trainer and (while I absolutely love the shoe) I am not sure I would recommend it as readily as the Wave Rider because the Shift is less a jack of all trades and more of a shoe that benefits certain kinds of runners. I say this because the Shift has a pretty high stack height and rocker geometry which emphasizes "toe spring".

https://www.runnersworld.com./gear/a35713264/toe-spring-running-shoes/

Runner's World actually wrote an article on toe spring and focused on the Endorphin Pro, which also has a similar rocker design to the Shift. This design benefits runners who sometimes face achilles injuries (me!) and I think that explains why I love the shoe so much. I just put 500 miles on my first pair of Shifts and I am buying a second pair soon.

Having said that - the staff here at RW is great at these sort of questions so I hope they can drop some other shoes your way to consider.

 

[rg99]

I haven't run in them recently, but the Mizuno Wave Rider series has always been a personal favorite of mine in the daily trainer category.

I am currently using the Saucony Endorphin Shift as my daily trainer and (while I absolutely love the shoe) I am not sure I would recommend it as readily as the Wave Rider because the Shift is less a jack of all trades and more of a shoe that benefits certain kinds of runners. I say this because the Shift has a pretty high stack height and rocker geometry which emphasizes "toe spring".

https://www.runnersworld.com./gear/a35713264/toe-spring-running-shoes/

Runner's World actually wrote an article on toe spring and focused on the Endorphin Pro, which also has a similar rocker design to the Shift. This design benefits runners who sometimes face achilles injuries (me!) and I think that explains why I love the shoe so much. I just put 500 miles on my first pair of Shifts and I am buying a second pair soon.

Having said that - the staff here at RW is great at these sort of questions so I hope they can drop some other shoes your way to consider.

Thanks! I think I don't need shoes with particular toe spring because I always land with my forefoot and my feet are reactive in traditional shoes.

I ran in the Waveknit version of the Rider last year in 2019, I felt them good and they were enough versatile. The problem was that since October 2019 I have started running with orthopedic insoles to correct my supination approach (in 2019 summer I ran with the Kinvaras and I literally destroyed them in two months): every time I ran in the Waveknit Riders with the insoles I had two enormous blisters althought size was ok, so that I ran without insoles and the shoes lasted three months ?.

I also tried the traditional version of the Rider but it doesn't suit me because of its higher drop, because I was used to the Noosa FF.

 

[rg99]

I also tried the traditional version of the Rider but it doesn't suit me because of its higher drop, because I was used to the Noosa FF.

I just noticed that the Dynablast has the same drop of the Rider (12), so the option for me should be the Roadblast, which has a 10mm drop and a lower stack height respect the Novablast (still drop 10)

 

[RW Admin]

I just noticed that the Dynablast has the same drop of the Rider (12), so the option for me should be the Roadblast, which has a 10mm drop and a lower stack height respect the Novablast (still drop 10)

Hi @rg99,

Welcome to the TR Community!

@imnothammer had a great recommendation with the Endorphin Shift. It is a solid daily trainer. The only real downside for the Shift is the weight. Endorphin Speed is another consideration. It is light, plated, has a "super foam", and is a top pick for a lot of runners. Also, I use an insole in my Speeds and haven't had issue with them. They seem to be holding up well. Typically, my concern with them as a daily trainer would be mechanics. However, it sounds like you have solid mechanics and should be able to use them as a daily trainer. I will note that the Speed will be very different in feel from the ASICS Noosa FF. So, you'd want to easy into use with them.

Here are a few alternative options too:

• Mizuno Wave Rider
  • This was another solid recommendation. The underfoot feel would probably be a bit closer to the Noosa FF. Plus, Mizuno Riders tend to be pretty durable shoes.
• ASICS EvoRide/Noosa Tri
  • The reason I pair these two together is due to how similar they are. To me, it would just come down to the look. Either version will have solid specs for daily training and a little speedwork. Underfoot, these shoes should be a good mix of responsiveness and softness.
• ASICS Nimbus Lite 2
  • If you wanted something more plush, the Nimbus Lite 2 is really soft. It takes a little bit away from the versatility (to me at least). However, softness can help with issues that come with supination.

I can't speak too much to the Dynablast experience. In terms of specs, it is pretty similar to the Noosa FF. However, My understanding is that it is soft and may feel lower to the ground (because of the softness). It could be a solid option. I've just not run in it. So, I cannot say with certainty.

Let us know if you have any other questions! We are happy to help.
Thank you,


Justin
RW Staff

 

[Andrew A.]

I just noticed that the Dynablast has the same drop of the Rider (12), so the option for me should be the Roadblast, which has a 10mm drop and a lower stack height respect the Novablast (still drop 10)

I'll absolutely plug for the Dynablast. I had looked at the Roadblast yet saw reviews that dissuaded me from choosing that as an all-around trainer and went with the Dynablast instead, which I have been very happy with. The New Balance FuelCell Propel is another I've found to be quite similar and the soon-to-be-released NB FuelCell Rebel v2 could be just what you're looking for:

 

[rg99]

I'll absolutely plug for the Dynablast. I had looked at the Roadblast yet saw reviews that dissuaded me from choosing that as an all-around trainer and went with the Dynablast instead, which I have been very happy with.

Dynablasts have a 12mm drop and I don't like it. Roadblasts have instead 10mm and the same weight of the Noosa FF. Plus, they seems to be softer and it could be better because when I did long hilly runs in overused Noosas My calves suffered a bit because of their stiffness. Thanks for the answer!