Top 5 Racing Flats
I’ve killed. They are done for <insert crying sad smiley>. My Adidas Takumi-Sen (click here or on the right for review) have finally bitten the dust. They served me well. I PR’d at half marathon and full marathon in these bad girls and sadly they are now no more. I big-toed through the upper and pinkied through the side. I’ve also rubbed all the continental rubber off the lateral mid-foot (see instagram for more detail) probably down to my terrible form as opposed to the ATS durability. I have done about 700 miles in them having said that…
The good news is that I can go shoe-shopping again hooray! To be totally totally honest I am probably going to end up finding another pair of ATS as at the end of the day, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Both these guys who know EVERYTHING there is to know about what shoes to buy tell it best here — Runblogger / You Know, Running. They seem (sorta) to share the same sentiment of stick with what works. Be that the same model shoe — as I likely will — or the same type of shoe. I do think shoe rotation works, but I also think when you know your speed, weight, cadence, pronation, anatomy and foot shape (arch and splay) some shoes are gonna work for you and some ain’t. I am fortunate that I am a smaller guy with relatively neutral gait, a mid-forefoot striker with a quicker cadence. Basically what works for me are lighter shoes, NOT minimal — I need some protection over longer distances — 6mm seems to be the sweet spot, a narrow fit and light. Light is key for me. I tend to maintain form better in a light shoe. For me it’s a racing flat.
So shopping! Here are the pick of the shoes that work for me and I cannot wait to go browsing the latest updates (or just stick with the ATS, I wouldn’t want to jilt that lover, yeh that’s right I talk about running shoes in the romantic sense and sometimes even when i wear the sister Adios 2 over longer training runs it feels like cheating, like when I get home I gotta take a shower).
TOP 5
5. Nike Zoom Streak LT 2
Weight: 5.5oz
Stack Height: Heel 22mm > 4mm drop > Forefoot 18mm
Feel: ok so I just ordered these and normally don’t get along with Nike but they look cool and are similar in height to the ATS, is that bad? Am I fickle? I can always wear for fashion right? Like my previous Nike Zoom Air Catwalk Boxfit 5's… will probably perish
4. New Balance RC5000
Weight: 3.1oz
Stack Height: Heel 16mm > 5mm drop > Forefoot 11mm
Feel: wow super light, fluoro, firm, awesome spike replacement for track work because of the super sticky turny sole grippery, won’t take more than 5k on road again… starting to perish
3. Mizuno Wave Universe 4
Weight: 3.9oz
Stack Height: Heel 18mm > 4mm drop > Forefoot 14mm
Feel: Super light, awesome flame overlays which actually do (don’t) make you run faster, super flexible slippery feel, ran to half marathon, might have been a few miles too far for them… perished
2. Saucony Grid Type A4
Weight: 6.3oz
Stack Height: Heel 14mm > 4mm drop > Forefoot 10mm
Feel: Light, middish firm, soft upper, narrow feel shame about the little drainage holes… I miss them sometimes on sunny 10k days when you want to run with what feels like nothing on your feet like I did for 400 miles and… perished
1. Adidas Takumi-Sen
Weight: 6.1oz
Stack Height: Heel 21mm > 6mm drop > Forefoot 19mm
Feel: Light, firm, breathable, narrow, fast, tilt forward, slightly more under foot… I’m scared they aren’t on the adidas site anymore because I love them like I love gluten free beer and sadly they have finally… perished
Keep it locked.
TBR.
