About this episode
You've got your race booked, so now comes the tough decision: what shoe do you wear on race day? With all the super shoes out there now, it can be a challenge to decide which one will be best for you when you toe the starting line. Two of the most important factors are race distance and course. What types of shoes are best for 5K/10K versus half marathon and marathon? What about hills, tight turns, and mixed terrain? Nathan, David, and BJ discuss their experiences with different shoes (both super and "normal") on race day over a variety of different distances, courses, and speeds. They also weigh the impact running economy benefits should have on our shoe decisions. Be sure to check out our friend Dustin Joubert's excellent work testing the running economy benefits of a variety of shoes on his website or on Instagram @labratrundown . The Subjective : how do you decide what shoe to race in for different distances? Chapters 0:00 - Intro 3:00 - The difference between short & long distance race shoes 9:44 - Should you always use the shoe that improves your running economy the most? 13:37 - What do you like in a 5K shoe vs. a half or marathon shoe? 27:21 - How course terrain & format effect shoe choice 43:24 - How do your goals change what shoe you choose? 47:13 - Balancing the value proposition of expensive super shoes 52:45 - Ideas for non-super shoes to race in 58:31 - How to prepare for & test your racing shoes 1:04:35 - Wrap-up