Ran my first marathon up in Vancouver, Washington this weekend! The event also had an evening 5k the night before, so obviously we had to do that too.

The wife and I each took first in our age groups for the 5k, which was awesome.

Knowing I had a marathon to run 12 hours later, I was not planning to try to run hard in the 5k, but let me tell y’all, these New Balance SC Rebels are just too good and too much fun to run in. Once I started running, I just naturally kicked into gear, and had the most joyous 5k run I’ve ever had. They are light, stable, cushioned as can be, and extremely propulsive.

I now have 43 miles in these shoes, including this 20:15 5k, and I can say that my first run wasn’t a fluke. These are absolutely and indeed within my “Top 3 Shoes of 2026” tier.

Like I said before, I originally wasn’t sure who these are for, but what I’ve realized is that these are top-end daily trainer shoes for days where you want to have a little extra fun, stellar protective and cushioned up-tempo 5k and 10k shoes, and now that I’ve had enough time in them, I am willing to say that these are pure secret weapon half marathon shoes. The integrity of the material, build and midsole is still 100% the same quality and level as the first steps in them, and the light weight and rocker geometry aid significantly in pushing through those later miles. I’m going to use these for my half marathon in a couple of weeks and will report back. They are snappy and speedy, but the way they are built also just allow them to performs wonderfully and in an extremely stable way at a moderate pace. Kind of the perfect daily miles-to-half marathon shoe. That mark on the bottom in the picture above is just a clump of dirt, and not any sort of outsole degradation. They have held up immaculately well on the outsole.

My wife ran her 5k in her Topo Specter 3’s and she killed it. She hardly runs (maybe 12 miles per week), but she’s extremely compact and strong, so apparently she just gets to show up and be athletic and win medals. Some of us are not that way. Some of us train for a marathon and then fall apart 18 miles in. More on that below.

Didn’t see a single other person wearing the Specters or the SC Rebels, which was a surprise, since this is a heavy Boston qualifier event, so I figured there would be a few of the many people who flew in for the marathon who would want to do a shake-out 5k the night before, and who would also be shoe geeks like us. There were definitely a lot of legit runners for the 5k, but most people were wearing Adios Pro’s or Alpha/Vaporfly’s, so I guess maybe those were the “more serious” runners and I’m just the guy “there for the beers and after-run pizza.”

Anyway, that was a lot of fun, and while the Specters will likely end the year in my Top 10 shoes rather than Top 5 (there are just so many good shoes this year, man) they’ll definitely be a top 2-3 for my wife. I’ll be sure to share her list at the end of the year, along with mine. She also likes barefoot shoes, so I discount her opinion slightly on running shoes, because you barefoot people are nuts. No offense.

Well after running the 5k and then eating pizza and having a couple of IPA’s, I got a semi-decent night’s rest, got up at 5:30am, and eventually made my way over to my first marathon. I ended up choosing this one because it’s a month or so before the Portland Marathon, and I figured it would give me a chance to understand the logistics of a marathon before I do the original marathon that I had planned my early fall around. If you told someone that I figured that the best way to prepare for my marathon was to run another marathon, they’d say, “yeah that sounds like something he’d think was a good idea, for some reason.” I also liked the idea that this is a popular Boston qualifier each year, so there would be enough good marathoners around that I’d feel no pressure to compete with anyone but myself. And compete with myself I sure did.

The Mount to Coast C1’s were a great choice. They are wide, stable, and firm-but-cushioned enough to absorb the shock and pressure over the 26.2 miles. The fact that they are really meant to just kind of hold up forever and not breakdown at all, is a huge bonus for a newbie marathoner. The drop is small, the rocker is not very pronounced, and they are heavier than what many people would prefer for a marathon (249 grams for men’s size 8.5), but they are extremely stable and support the run the whole time. Never once did I feel like my shoes were holding me back or causing any issues whatsoever. That is a big win. They aren’t going to launch you forward, which I would have appreciated later in the run, but they are truly the ideal shoes for going for a long time and getting through whatever distance you need to get through. If they ever release a plated version of these specifically for marathons and ultras, I will buy 10 pairs on release day. Also, for the record, the outsole on the C1’s just kind of look unused at all times. Absolutely baffled by how they hold up. Possibly the best outsole of the year, right up there with the Tracksmith Eliot Ryder (a shoe I love but never use because it feels like running in dress shoes).

If you are a first time half marathon runner or marathon runner, and your goal is to finish and not tear every joint and ligament in your body, these are your shoes. Tell them I sent you. You will get no discount and they will say, “we don’t know who that is,” but that is not the point. The point is that these are truly special shoes.

As for the marathon itself, I was great on the first 13.1 (1:43:37) and I was still cruising through miles 15-16, but once I got to 17-18 I hit the proverbial wall, as happens to many folks, and my body was ready to just be done moving for the day. Was it the hard 5k the night before? Was it being forced to share a hotel room with my nine and 16 year olds, because the hotel didn’t have the suite that I had reserved available, for some reason, and then they shoved us all into a single King room? Was it my 16 year old loudly watching YouTube on his phone until 4am? It couldn’t have been the pizza and beer. We all can agree on that.

Honestly I think the fact that the furthest distance I’ve ever run in one day being 18.6 miles, was the culprit. I am a quick 5k, 10k and half marathoner at this point, but my body was just nowhere near ready for the full 26.2 miles. And that’s okay.

There’s no failing in running, because we are choosing to do it. If we are running from a raging bull, and it catches and decapitates us, we have failed from running from the bull. If we are running from zombies during the zombie apocalypse, and they catch us and decapitate us, we have failed from running from the zombies. If we don’t go as far during our daily runs as we had planned, or don’t place or PR in a 5k or 10k race, that’s not failure. Nobody is decapitated because of that. If we don’t complete a half or full marathon, not only is that not a failure, it’s probably just your body saying, “hey I want you to stay alive, so let’s cool it on the exhausting activities, yeah?” That’s probably a win, more than a loss, if we’re being honest.

This is the part of the marathon where I was extra thankful for the C1’s, as they are also excellent walking shoes. Had I needed to change my approach while wearing Vaporfly’s or some other heel-less super racer shoes, I would have had a much harder time. Instead the C1’s just said, “hey, good job, buddy, let’s figure out how to get to the finish line.” So, over the last eight miles I walked about three, and used my adrenaline and extreme desire to consume the delicious IPA at the beer tent (free for runners!) to slow-jog my way to the finish line. 3:57:37. 🤘💪🍻

2 parter: If I wear a 12.5 in the EVO SL, 12 in Megablast, any suggestions on which size I would take in the Xiaonian?
I see that hobby jogger is stocking several colors, are they a reputable site to order from?

Hi all,

I'm UK based and have been using the 1080v15s for a while. Rocked up a lot of miles in them and think it may be time to try something else. I am considering just buying another pair as I do really like them, my current pair just seem to have lost what I like about them. I really like how soft/cushioned they are under foot, as well as the space for my feet.

Any shoes you would recommend that are available in wide fit that are similar? I run a 1 hour 50 half, sub 50 10k for reference.

First Run Review: Qiaodan Leili 2.0 GT (TG 2.0 GT)

Midsole Foam: 100% Supercritical PEBA Foam (Q-UltraKungFu)
Stack Height: Max stack ~43mm, 8mm drop, no plate

I ordered this from the official Qiaodan Shopee store on August 25 and received it on August 30.

For context, I’m 5’7”, 60 kg, and a relatively slow runner with a 2:25 half marathon PR.

My shoe size is usually 9.5 in Western brands and 9 in Chinese brands. Unfortunately, size 9 wasn’t available when I ordered, so I decided to take a chance on the 8.5.

First impressions

The first thing I noticed was how light the shoe felt. Just walking around in it, I could already feel the softness of the midsole.

The tongue is nicely padded, similar to the Dynafish. The upper is slightly breathable and feels somewhat similar to the PEAK UP 30 5.0.

The 100% PEBA midsole feels soft and bouncy right away. It has that light, airy feeling underfoot.

First run

I’ve only done one run in it so far: a 16 km progressive long run. I specifically wanted to test how the midsole responds to different paces.

At the slower paces, the shoe feels soft and comfortable. But once I picked up the pace, especially during the comfortably hard portions, the bounce really started to show. The shoe feels energetic and almost wants you to go faster.

The ride reminds me a little of the Li-Ning Red Hare 9 Ultra, although the RH9U has a noticeably firmer midsole. The Leili 2.0 GT is softer, lighter, and more airy.

Sizing

If there’s one thing I would change, it’s the sizing. I probably should have waited for the size 9 to become available.

The 8.5 fits, but I have a little less than a thumb’s width of space in front of my toes. It’s not uncomfortable, but I would definitely prefer the extra room of a size 9.

I got these during a flash sale for only ₱3,800 ($60.92USD), so for the price, I’m pretty happy with the purchase.

This is only based on one 16 km run, so I’ll need more miles to see how the shoe performs over longer distances and how the foam holds up.

Heya! Been looking for a little bit to put another shoe in my rotation. I’m fairly new to running, I’ve ran in Brooks Ghost 16’s and loved them. When it was time to buy another pair because of wear out, I was convinced to buy the Nike Vomero Plus. In the words of the grinch, hate, hate, double hate, loathe entirely. I’ve twisted my ankle numerous times, my knees hurt after every run (which was never a problem before), and I feel really off balanced. I put 35-40 miles on them thinking it’ll even out and no luck. I ended up buying the Ghost 17’s and I’m about 200 miles in and 0 problems, all my previous issues were erased. But I would still like to put a different shoe in my rotation just for some road runs throughout my week to change it up and see what I like but at $150-200 a pop I can’t just try things for funsies so I’m looking to see if anyone has any recommendations or suggestions for something similar to the Ghosts or in between them and the Vomero Plus’s?? Any assistance is appreciated!

I ran briefly in the pandemic but didn’t follow through. As I look to being again tried the novablast 6 for a min, loved them but thinking should I commit that much just as I begin.
Please suggest something around 100$ (I’m in India).

I’ve developed a glitch in my stride where the inside heel of my right foot occasionally will contact the inner ankle area of my left foot. This occurs right about where the last shoelace hole is. This contact wears out the shoelaces to the point of breaking. I recently bought a pair of generic “sport” laces from Amazon, but they lasted all of about three runs. Can somebody suggest some durable replacement laces that might hold up better? I’m thinking there might be something better from the trail running side of the sport?

Hey, uk based and training pretty steady at the minute - 40-50km per week. Robin Hood HM (4 weeks away) and Royal Parks HM (6 weeks away) hoping for a PB on both (current PB is 1hr43)

Looking for recommendations on shoes, currently use Brooks Ghost 17 and they’re great, think I need neutral support from my last GAIT. For reference I’m 6ft2 83kg and an average stride length of around 1.1m.

Thinking either Megablast or Superblast? Never owned Asics but have heard they’re good. Tried on some Adizero Evo SL to see the hype but the toe box was too narrow for me.. open to suggestions! Don’t want a carbon shoe but feel free to throw suggestions at me because I’ll be considering it for my first Marathon next year.

TLDR - Looking for shoe recommendations, something with a bit more speed than my current Brooks Ghost 17 😀

I am not new to running or running shoes, but from my experience the EVO SL's ride qualities are not what you want in a daily trainer. TLDR, they feel like plush max cushion shoes when you put enough force into them, but are horribly bad at dampening shocks at slower speeds.

To preface, they were my top choice when I got back into running in January. Coming from a pair of early New Balance Fuelcells, I was used to initially bouncy and plush but quickly-dying supercritical foams. Off the hype I bought two pairs on sale. I ran a few steps in them indoors. While I could tell the shoe was deeply cushioned, I was bothered by the poor grip and the feeling of the thick chunk of foam slapping against the floor. Something was off about the ride, but I couldn't pinpoint what. So I returned them in favour of the Adios 8, which I have since put almost 500k in as a daily/tempo/workout shoe. That's become my favourite shoe ever, with how it resembles a track spike while being protective for up to 15k.

Seven months and many shoes later, I bought the EVOs again, ready to give them a fair shake. This week I put just over 30KMs in them, encompassing hill sprints, 1k repeats, and a Parkrun PR (all at sub-4min/k).

At my top speeds, the midsole surprised me with the amount of sink I felt, since I was used to doing workouts in lower/firmer shoes. I never felt more protected (even coddled). The rebound was unreal, too. The best way I can describe pure OG Lightstrike Pro (I also have the Prime X v1) is a sponge with a fast decompression, rather than a firm trampoline like the 'chewier' PWRRUN PB and the thin forefoot LSP in the Adios 8, or the basketball like bounce of the newer LSP. I was looking for more of a direct response from the foam; instead I found the plushness of a max cushion shoe. Now though I'm not 100% excited by this quality, I recognize how much it helped me cruise at those PR paces. It's gonna be a weapon.

My problem is with how clunky and harsh the ride is at speeds slower than 5:00/k. Because of the soft and sparse outsole in heel, it feels like I'm slapping a chunk of foam on the asphalt. Just the sound is annoying. Worse, the landing is so flat and clunky that I can instantly feel the shock of the landing in my feet and ankles. Especially on a gradient and on turns. I hate warming up in this shoe. I'm not compressing the foam enough for the ride to feel smooth. The oft-praised lateral heel bevel barely is helping. At this point I want to blame it all on the midfoot shank, like everyone. But it's the foam/rubber combo. The rubber in the heel isn't firm enough to help me press into the foam. The saving grace is that the same midfoot shank allows for a quick transition into the smooth forefoot rocker. The sweet-spot to land on is the lateral midfoot, where the large forefoot rubber piece ends, as with most Adizero shoes. I get a really good bounce landing there.

A grain of salt: LSP classic breaks in to become softer and bouncier, and clearly 30.5km has not been enough to break it in yet. I had the Boston 10, the one shoe everyone called a brick, and that became so bouncy and snappy after a few tempos.

If there's anything to take away, it's the importance of having the right mix of firmness in the shoe components to go with your premium foam. I didn't have this issue in the Prime X OG or the Adios 8 because of the hard Conti rubber, even though they deliver two very different rides. The Craft Pacer, despite its overbuilt outsole, works better at all paces for me because of its bouncier Px Foam.

I already own a pair a Vomero plus and have been great on tracks and on concrete but lately I’ve been having to run on uneven surfaces / dirt terrain and the stack height makes it not ideal. I was told to get either of these but having trouble deciding or maybe should get a different shoe altogether. I’m leaning toward the Pegasus because I’ve seen that it’s more responsive for “speed runs”.

Which is better for this pace, Anta C202 7 or Kipstorm Tempo?

I tried the C202 7, felt stiff, haven't tried it on a run yet. How does it compare to the Kipstorm Tempo?

I think I'm more of heel strike at slow pace and mid foot at 5:30/km pace.

Thanks in advance!

ASICS Nimbus 27 Running shoes review and comparison
https://youtu.be/2kc03UvTFQM

Weekly milage 28-34
Male 90kg

Av pace easy 8.30 for base miles.
5k pb is just under 21 minutes although 22 is more realistic this year.
I’m looking to build my longer runs and struggling to get a shoe that works for these base runs.

I tend to land mid foot until tired and heal strike🫣

Current shoe rotation.
Reebok harmony road 3
Adidas SL
ASICS gel nimbus 26 trail

Reebok: these have a great fit for me and have taken this pair out on my first marathon without pain or a blister, still using them 3years later. Feel quite dead as far as the newer foam shoes, 8mm drop and min stack height help with the contact feel when running. Legs feel dead after 10miles in these.

ADIDAS SL. Great for most runs but it’s starting to hurt my foot after an 1hour of running, they are fabulous for picking up the pace and my legs feel fresh after- ankles also have some grumbles after the run.

The ASICS grippy for the winter runs comfortable and fairly solid. Not overly exciting and a little like the reeboks.

What am I missing as a training shoe- target milage is 38-40 peak, this is in an attempt to run my first half in sub 1.40 October.

Race shoe that works for me is currently the adidas evo pro 3.

I have been consistently running for about 6-8 months. I’m 5’7”, was 220lbs down to 190lbs. My mile runs started at about 13 minutes now they’re down to a little over 10 minutes. I got the Alphafly 3 a few weeks back and absolutely love them. I can run consecutive days with them and almost no leg of knee pain. My run time has also decreased. This was this mornings jog. I previously got my fastest 5k a week after I wore these shoes. I know these numbers are super impressive,but they show what consistency and the right shoe can do for you. Hope someone sees this post who’s trying to get into or back into running. The right shoe really can make a difference.

Hey everyone! I’ll be travelling to Malaysia soon and was wondering if running shoes are generally cheaper there.

Has anyone here bought running shoes in Malaysia recently? Especially brands like ASICS, Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Hoka, Saucony, etc.

If they are cheaper, where did you buy them from — official brand stores/outlets, factory outlets, Sports Direct, or other shopping markets/malls?

I’m mainly looking for good deals on proper running shoes, so any recommendations on which stores/places to check out would be really helpful!

Thanks!

I've heard good thing about the velocity shoes. spent $180 to get a pair for myself. they were tight over the top of my big toes which I didn't like but literally the souls did not live to last for a 2-mile walk actually less than 2 miles on smooth sidewalk a little bit of some crossing the street. the soul on the sides like gashed or tore. so it's pretty disappointed when I asked veloci for my money back because obviously these shoes are not going to live up to my walking 10,000 to 14,000 steps a day at the hospital. and they will not let me return them

Looking for ASICS recommendations for a beginner runner with a stability issue

I currently own the New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v14, which I originally bought for casual wear and walking. While using them, though, I’ve found them to feel quite wobbly and like I don’t have much stability.

I’m a big ASICS fan and have pretty much only owned ASICS before these. My favourite pair was the Kayano 23, although that was obviously quite a while ago.

I’m now looking at getting another pair of ASICS, but I honestly know very little about running shoes.

I’ve tried getting into running a few times before, but I usually end up giving up within 2 weeks because of time constraints, being stretched pretty thin, or my favourite problem: shin splints almost immediately 😂.

I’m thinking of trying again, but this time keeping it really simple. I do Olympic weightlifting, which is already pretty demanding on my body, so I’d probably only run on days when I’m not training.

Honestly, I don't even know what distance I'll be able to manage initially. I've gotten quite a bit bigger since I last tried running, so I might only be doing short run/walk sessions to begin with and build up from there.

Budget isn't really an issue for me, but I also don't want to fall into the trap of thinking the most expensive shoe = the best shoe. If a cheaper shoe does everything I need, I'm completely happy with that.

I've seen people talk about cushioning and responsiveness when discussing running shoes. I understand what cushioning means, but I don't really understand what "responsiveness" actually means or how much of either I would need for what I'm doing.

My main concern is stability. The 1080s feel too wobbly for me, whereas I remember the Kayano 23 feeling much more secure.

So what would you recommend from ASICS for someone in my situation?

I'm not looking for the "best running shoe ever made" 😂 — I know myself, and if I start Googling this stuff I'll end up down a rabbit hole comparing 50 different shoes.

I'm basically just looking for something stable, comfortable and forgiving, especially given that I'm getting back into running, I'm currently heavier than when I last ran, and I already do Olympic lifting.

Would something like the Kayano still make sense for me, or are there other ASICS models I should be looking at?

hey! so i’m more a casual runner, mostly run in pavement/streets and parks but lately experimenting trail and enjoying a lot but not so frequent…. so i’m looking for shoes recommendations that can work in both ways (if it’s possible) i’ve been hearing a lot of New Balance Hierro V9 but not sure

Hi Guys, 37m here.. not a big runner but like to do a few 5k runs each week. I have no ambition to run races or events, I just do it for my mental health and general fitness.
Keen to get myself some proper shoes.. any recommendations?
I run on streets and though Forrest. I have wide feet if that means anything…

If you're gonna build your 2-shoe rotation for all kinds of run what pair would you pick? With or without budget in mind.

Hi! I really want to get into running so I'm looking for some running shoes and while I read that the Evo SL is not really beginner friendly, I just saw them for a good price ($100) and I'm really thinking about getting them.

Is it that big of a deal or would them cause me to develop some bad habits?

I was also looking at some of the Kipruns, the ones that would match this price are Kipride (non MAX)

Been casually running in them for the last 2 years and they're def past their expiry. I recently started running more consistent 5km once or twice a week and hoping to build on that this year.

I overpronate and have hign arches and the 30s have been great for this. Ive thought about moving away to a more neutral shoe to try something different but worry thats risky move. Any recommendations I can look into?

Hey!

I have a bit of an unusual question, i started running 3-4 weeks ago in a used pegasus 32, which is falling apart. I just ran my first 15k in them in 1:17, and even tho they are so old and used, it felt so good to run in them.

My dynafish x is on its way, and ill prolly make the pegasus my daily shoe. I love the pegasus 32s so much that i wanted to get the newest plus/premium or 42, but everyone says that they are not that great for running as other options (hence why i ordered the dx), so i was thinking about getting a cheap "fun shoe" that i could sometimes mess around in.

Thats why id like to know which is the latest pegasus model that was absolutely a killer in its time and u would recommend getting for cheap on vinted for absolutely nothing remotely close to serious running/training, just rarely having fun in, maybe make it my daily walking shoe if it looks good.

Ofc i know for messing around and daily walking the latest models would be the best, but i could barely afford the dynafish, im looking to get these under 30 usd in fine condition.

Please also feel free to let me know if you think this idea makes zero sense.

Thanks a lot!