Red Shoes - Kate Bush

Saucony Grid Courageous

I’m always being asked the question, ‘what’s the running shoe’ and until recent years’ this has always been a relatively simple choice. However, running shoes are changing.

Companies that have previously made bombproof high-mileage shoes, are now following the trend of now making high-stacking unstable shoes with low heel drops. Painful knees, strained Achilles, aching IT Bands and even stress-fractures abound.

 

And with thirty years of trouble-free running with over half of that being a running coach; I believe these problems have become more prevalent over the last ten years or so, possibly since having lightweight training shoes became the fashionable option.

 

My own running shoe history…

 Thirty years’ ago, I was advised to buy the rather underwhelming Saucony Grid Courageous III at a running store by a well-seasoned runner. It was possibly the ‘uncoolest’ running shoe ever produced but I was advised it was the right one for me. And it did ‘what it said on the box’ and proved to be a great running shoe that could cope with my 100 miles of weekly running, and it was indestructible - they literally didn’t wear out. And neither did I, as they were so stable none of the above injury problems occurred.

 

Asics DS Trainer

Then in the late 90’s ASICS produced the DS Trainer and DS Racer. Both lightweight trainers, that I used during my marathon PB and the 55-mile London to Brighton Road Race. I loved them but the soles didn’t last, and they were soon super-ceded by their Gel Kayano shoe, which has never been very good imho.

 

So, I moved back to Saucony using the Grid Stabil. I brilliant stability trainer I used to run 2004km from London to Lisbon quite comfortably until the materials in the shoes were changed and a less supportive model was introduced. Bah…

 

Brooks Adrenalin GTS6

By 2006 I’d looked around and found the Brooks Adrenalin GTS 6 that fitted the bill. I used them in their various upgrades until recently. Some years, the Adrenalin GTS 13 and the GTS 20 being excellent versions, others such as the Adrenalin GTS 16 and GTS 22 less so. I’ve recommended them to 000s of people for training and used them for the Marathon des Sables in their 4E width form for years.

 

Until 2024.

 

The problem is, they’ve gone and changed the design and made them far less stable. They just feel really clunky and a common trend in the people I coach, (me included) are Plantar Fasciitis issues, when using them for high-mileage training or in Ultra-distance races. There are just too many occurrences now for it not to be an issue and I’ve stopped using them as my go to running shoe.

 

So where now?

Well, I’ve been using the New Balance 880 v13 in it’s 4E width form which fits the bill quite nicely BUT is a ‘Fresh Foam’ shoe which with continual use will only lead to knee issues I believe. But what better high-mileage option is out there? I’m very unsure. And right now, I’m juggling hurty knees and plantar issues until something better comes along, OR one of the above brands go ‘old-school’ and make a what I call, decent running once shoe again.

 

Anyone feel the same? And no HOKA and Altra, aren’t better options.

1,192 Marathons - 279 Ultras - 9 GWR - 17 MDS - 1 Life