As I described in my previous post there are 3 different types of runners and they tend to buy and wear very different types of shoes. “Time” runners pursue getting faster and beating their own times (and others) That´s why “time” runners tend to prioritize lightness and responsiveness vs cushioning. They tend to spend more on shoes and like to discover new technologies that will improve a few seconds per km, they analyze pro-athletes to copy their equipment etc.
Time runners as “starters” tend to buy motivated by price and weight of the shoe. They usually look for thinner shoes that they feel will not be a burden in their run. They usually look for specific well known brands (Adidas, Nike) but “lower end” models Structure or Tempo depending on the budget or more advanced ones as Vomero, Boston etc. Some runners may even buy from local shops ending up with very local shoes that have probably less global impact (Puma, Saucony etc.) Usually heavy (>80kg) time runners tend to find difficult to get the right shoe for them. Those runners want trustful shoes but they have not learned yet about other brands.
“Amateurs” they tend to buy “mixed” shoes that allow them to train and race. They look for “renowned” shoes and brands Kayano, Vomero, Nimbus etc. but they can also try new other brands New Balance, Asics etc. They are more courageous in what they buy.
The fun starts then, with “serious amateurs” and “Pros”. They tend to have (at least) 2 pair of shoes, and they differentiate for long runs and for racing/intervals:
- For long runs with greater cushioning and larger drop (>8mm) Epic, solar, Ghost, rider etc. or with less drop (<6mm) if they feel they want to be more minimalist. On this topic it is probably good to say that I have been strugglying for years to find shoes of this type for “heavy” runners (>80kg).
- For racing or intervals really light, flexible and responsive Cloudflow, Boston, Vaporfly, Zante and probably all those with lower drops (< 8mm)
run40s 