Brooks Glycerin 15 and Adidas Pure Boost

I never bought a pair of Brook's Glycerins because they were so heavy. I would try them on, and it was just too much foam under my feet. These Glycerin 15's weigh 338 g, which is a tiny bit heavier than my Ghost 9's at 335g, and noticeably heavier than the Brook's Launch at 292 g. (These are in size 11. The size 10.5 were 333 g; that was too small and I took them back.)

I wonder if the new Glycerin 15 is going to be as protective because there only 3 grams heavier. Maybe I should have tried on those Ghosts again. 

The last shoes I bought were the lighter weight Brook's Launch, which I haven't worn too much because my feet have hurt. I am not blaming the Launch, because I haven't worn them much, however, I would have worn them more if my feet felt better.

One of my problems is walking around barefoot too much in the summer. I keep trying to make myself wear sandals, and that is helping slowly.

Do you like the style? The black looks better than the other colors, but Brook's shoes just look like running shoes, while many Nike running shoes have more design. (Of course, I didn't like those as well on my feet.) These Brook's beat the hell out of the Adidas Pure Boost below for style. See below.

Prior to the Glycerin 15's I had purchased these Adidas Pure Boost, which have a big chuck of springy foam on a simple upper and outsole. They feel great to walk around in, but can simply be too soft in the forefoot. They were the only Boost Shoe that was in stock at my local Dick's Sporting Goods. I wanted to try these on, because I have had trouble buying Adidas shoes via the internet because the fit wasn't right. I did not want another shoe that was too small. 

These shoes are 331 grams, just 2 grams less than the Glycerin's that I think are so heavy. 

My other Boost shoes have lasted a long time. Two pairs were retired because of the upper rather than wear on the sole. 

These are about the plainest shoes in the store. They make the Brook's look fashionable. They were only $79.99 which is much less than the $150 that I paid for Boost shoes when they were new. Presumably the upscale ones look better, but my local Dick's didn't have them.  I am guessing Adidas put these low-end shoes out for back-to-school sales. 

I am not so happy buying so many shoes so fast. I hope to rotate these shoes and not buy more for a while.
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New Shoe Revue: Adidas Pureboost ZG

My new running shoes are an improved Adidas Boost design. See my previous post of my previous pair. These are Pureboost ZG, obviously in the black & gray. It's got a knit upper which is stretch and breathable. I think it is comfortable especially in the bunion area where some shoes are too tight.

Black and gray make for dull photos in the blog, but for better shoes after these shoes have lived their life as running shoes and have been retired to casual shoes. There are some pretty nice fluorescent yellow Pureboost ZG's at Dicks. After I bought them, I notice Adidas has a sales that undercut Dick's -- but too late for me.

The Pureboost ZG is very comfortable as I expected from my previous pairs.

Wow! Adidas dropped the three stripes!!

If you look carefully, there are three strips by the toe. 

The bottom is not a typical design. Not sure about traction
wet slip resistance. 

299 grams; same as my pair in 2014, lighter than last year's. 

These shoes have a thicker outsole 3-4 mm than either previous pair. Hard to tell what it is made from. 

There is some soil on the shoe. I have run in them twice. As before, it has the illusion of good traction because of the high energy return. 

 It is 299 grams -- nearly the same weight at my first pair of Boost in 2014, and about 10% less than my Supernova's in 2015.












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August 2016 Update.
Un-happily I have retired these shoes from running, after one month and perhaps 50 miles.

The problem, which I did not realize earlier, is that these are actually slip-on shoes upon which laces were also added. What does that mean? There is an elastic band across the middle of the shoe -- its gray and you can see it in the photos. Underneath the laces there is no loose tongue which sits underneath the laces. Instead if one tightens the laces, the shoe fabric underneath has to pucker.

As the shoe broke in, it go looser, and my foot slipped forward. Since the shoe is not oversized, by toe touches the front of the toebox. I tried to tighten the laces to keep my foot back, but you can't without puckering the fabric in an uncomfortable way.

Bottom line is this shoe looks like a lace-up, but it is really a slip-on. When the shoe breaks in, it quickly becomes too loose the run in.

Too bad for me.

October Update:

I cut the elastic between the laces, and drilled two new holes for the laces, higher up closer to my ankle. This helps, and now I can run with the shoes.

I find the arch support a little too squishy and I wear an elastic band around my mid-foot to support it.

Running Shoe Review 2.0

It has been two and half years since I reviewed shoes, and I have a few new pairs to talk about.

The first running shoe is not really a shoe at all. I confess I have run only a few minutes in it since it hurts my feet.

I think these five toes shoes are a fad.

It

They are Vibram FiveFingers Bikila shoes. They are kind of funny looking, and I think they might be OK for walking outside. When I run in them, my plantar tendon hurts.

They are also hard to put on.

I like the look of these Nike Flywires. I got them so I could use the Nike pedometer that talks to my iPod. That worked pretty well.

The shoes were great for a while, but they insole wore quickly, and I did not get a lot of wear from them.

I like the soles of these too. My favorite running shoes have heels with the rubber around the outside, and a hole in the middle. The idea is the foot holds weight better on its edges.






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Next up are my current running shoes. They are Nike Lunarglide +3 with the Lance Armstrong Livestrong colors.

I like these shoes pretty well. Even though they look just like the Nike Flywires, they are really comfortable,

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don't show signs of wearing out yet.

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Last are my Adidas Swyft Cushions. They are quite light, and seldom hurt my feet.






They remind me of my old Adidas Electras,

Adidas has been making this basic shoe for several years, and changing it a bit cosmetically.  They are a pretty good shoe, so why change it?

I like them because of their oversized heel. Thoughout all the problems with my hip and feet, these shoes always felt pretty good. For some reason, I don't give them any respect.

ASICS Gel Venture 8

 We had a snow storm about a week ago, and after the trail had been well-trodden by hikers, I went running on it. I wore generic Yak-Traps rubber grippers on my old running shoes. At about mile eight of my nine mile run, I found I only had a gripper on my left foot, and the right one was lost somewhere on the trail. 

First I ordered a ASICS Gecko, and it was far too small. I usually order 11 in athletic shoes and 10 in street shoes. The 11 was long enough and even wide enough, but the shoe pressed down on my hallux MTP joint enough that it hurt. (Hallus is a latinate word for big toe, and MTP is what people say when they really mean metatarsophalangeal.)

Ugly Nike Pegasus Trail shoe

I poked on running websites, and I found most people just run in their trail running shoes with no metal spikes -- they just take it easy on the ice.  

I ventured to Dick's Sporting Goods which in my community has the undersized shoe department. (Some large Dick's have supersized shoe department depending on the market.) They only had one men's trail runner shoe which was a Nike Pegasus adapted for trail running with an aqua blue rubber sole. While I have had Nike Pegasus shoes, they are not really my favorite Nike. And it was at full price at $159, but worst of all it was ugly. 

The shoe I ended up buying was a ASICS Gel Venture 8, which had plenty of space for my hallus MTP, and pretty good cleats on the bottom as you see below. 

The yellow outsole seems to be a rubber. Clearly the middle sole is a low density foam probably EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) and is marked "GEL", and the innersole seems to good quality - perhaps polyurethane. 

In size 11, the shoe weighed 340 grams. This is close to the 338 of my current shoes, Adidas Solar Boost.

Nike Shox Roadster Review and More Running Shoe Talk

Nike Shox Roadster

I just got some new running shoes I really like. These are Nike Shox Roadster's. There are about eight different colors, but my store only had white -- actually black, white and blue, but the blue looks black. (My skill in photoshopping was not great enough to show the blueness in that dark blue.)

Periodically, I have been posting reviews on my running shoes.  I like shoes that feel good, and that has a lot to do with my injury-of-the-month.  I often think that my exercises regime is a continuous series of recovery from different minor injuries -- does that happen to you?

I like the Shox Roadster because it has three things.

First, a shock-absorbing heel to reduce injury and reduce stress on my knees. These have a tough urethane shock absorber that reminds me of the BASF Cellasto urethane shock absorbers.

Nike Shox Roadster Bottom

Second, a stiff mid-sole to protect my foot. One of the problem with my Nike Lunarglides and Flywires is that get too soft and spongy too fast. As that happens my middle foot starts to hurt.

Z-Coil Freedom

Third, not too heavy. At 443 grams, it is 30% lighter than my Z-Coil Freedom -- an odd shoe with a giant spring on the bottom. The Z-coils make me run noticeably slower. It is also more stable than the Z-Coil which was tippy on dirt paths or grass. 


On the other hand,  it is 17% heavier than my current shoe which is the Under Armour Spectre 2.

Under Armour Spectre 2

The Under Armour Sprectre 2 is a fine shoe, and under ordinary circumstances I think I could wear if fine. It is not helping recover from my overly soft Nike Lunarglides. When my foot heals up, I will go back to them.

Under Armour Spectre 2 Bottom

Here is a list of my recent running shoes and their weights. Obviously all in my size, and just for one shoe. All have pictures here.

Vibram Five Finger   172 g
Nike Flywire              312 g
Adidas Swyft Cushion   323 g
Nike Lunarglide         326 g
UnderArmour Spectre 2     370 g
Nike Agitate Air         417 g
Nike Shox Roadster      443 g
Z-Coil Freedom          623 g

Brooks Levitate

I had been waiting for the Brooks Levitate to come out because they have content from co-workers at BASF.  More on shoe design here and here.

I was happy to see that Brooks stepped up the styling for Levitate especially in the Black and Gray color.  I was surprised to see a metallic coating over the midsole. The metallic looks good and shows of the angles of the midsole, like it does on an automobile.

I don't buy running shoes for looks, but after they wear out as running shoes, I will wear them as casual shoes, and the appearance is more important then.

Levitate has a showy metallic coating on the midsole. 

You can see it has knit upper, and the darker part has a coating to stiffen it. The knit upper is soft and comfortable. I had no issue with it binding too tight on my bunion. 

The outsole has this chevron pattern, and I imagine it is for rain and trial running. Often Brook's shoes have a horseshoe pattern, as in the Launch. The horseshoe pattern is supposed to help with heel spurs. Happily I don't have any heel spurs. 🤞

I got a size eleven which had a large toe box, and plenty of room. Maybe a 10.5 would have worked. I wear an eleven in my Brooks Glycerin and a 10.5 in the Launch.  

A size eleven shoe weighed 368 grams. This is heavier than the Brooks Glycerin 15's at 338, the Ghost 9's at 335 and the Launch at 292g. My Adidas Pure Boost is 331, and the Nike Pegasus is 311g. I think these shoes are heavier because they will last longer. 

I took these out for a ten mile run this morning. They were comfortable for the whole run even through the shoes were new. The sole was firm and seemed to grip the road well. I was trying to gauge the energy return, and I can say they are a bit stiff but still comfortable. 

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Adidas Running Shoes - My Shoe Review

Lately I have been running six days a week, and I run the vast majority of the miles inside on a treadmill. Only in the nice Spring weather am I tempted outside. Mostly I am afraid of wrecking my knees on poorly graded roads. I could run outside on a nice even track.

I bought new pair of running shoes. I always get Adidas, because they work for me, and because they have a nice over-built heel that protects my feet. I have a bone-spur on my left heel which is not bothering me at all with my old Adidas  -- which are Lifestyle EVA. The white ones below. 

The uppermost shoes is my oldest, and I can't find the name, and the model number is worn off. It has a big heel that extends behind the shoe, and looks like it gives a good cushion. The bottom of the shoe is pretty conventional; as you can see in the picture of the sole. It has a channel for flexing, but the sole is so thick it could never bend there.

The blue shoe is an Electra -- it is much lighter, and I did not like it as well; but I bought a smaller size. The heel is less extended, but the sole has a hollow under the heel to protect the heel spur area -- so I like that. This worked well, and all my newer soles are like that. It is nice and light. As you can see it did wore really well. The rubber in the sole has degraded although it still looks good, due to using it inside only.

The white show is a Lifestrike EVA , and it is quite similar to the Electra with a little heavier top. I think differences are mostly cosmetic. Another good shoe. 

My newest show is a Boston Running Shoe, and obviously it is the coolest looking. The heel has the least pronounced protective barrier on the heel, and the sole is generally thinner. The shoe is lighter too. Just walking around, I feel spritely -- and that does not happen often. I am not sure I am going to be happy with it. The lighter shoe is not protecting my heel as well. The upper is quite thin, and is more of a sandal. The sole has holes in it -- probably just for weight. I can't think that sole holes sell more shoes, but maybe. There really is no reason for multi-colored soles but to look cool in the store.

See the updated posts on shoes here and here. 

Ghost 7 Running Shoe Review

Ghost 7

My last few pairs of shoes have been Brook's so this shoe blog has been getting dull. My lastest one is the Ghost 7. It is very similar to the Ghost  6 without the gel midsole in the heel, or if it is there you can't see it anymore.

I got this shoe because it protects my forefoot from stone bruises. That is damage to the foot from running on gravel on cement roads. I had an injury of that kind last summer, and it reoccurs if I don't take care of it.

The yellow outsole of the Ghost 7 stains easily. 

Ghost 7 weighs 321 grams, which is 24 grams less than the Ghost 6, or almost an ounce.  It has a four part sole with a two part mid-sole - the white and the orange additionally at the heel.

This shoe has a yellow outsole unlike the Ghost 6 which is black. You can see the staining on it in the picture. These shoes have 18 miles on them, and the blackness does not wipe off. It doesn't bother me, but I could see it bothering my DW if I would wear them inside.

Ghost 6

The Ghost 7 is a little less flamboyant than the Ghost 6. Less orange and more yellow with a lighter gray color. I don't find either shoe that attractive. When they wear out, and I can't use them as running shoes. The won't be cool looking casual shoes.


As mentioned I have 18 miles on these shoes, and I find this shoe very comfortable.

Brooks Ghost 9 Running Shoes

I have had Brooks Ghost running shoes for a while, this is my fourth pair. The Ghost 9 is very much like the Ghost 8. [Click here to see older shoe reviews.) The sole seems to be exactly the same. The upper is more stylish with pattern in the vent holes. The shoe is 335 g which is 10g lighter than the Ghost 8.

I like this shoe pretty well. Much more comfortable than my other shoes, which may mean that they are wearing out. 

I get sore feet during the summer, perhaps because of walking barefoot, but perhaps because I do more miles. They feel pretty good in these.

June 30, 2017 update:  I set these aside for a while because the upper was so wide my foot would slide around causing some soreness. The shoe is not worn out at all, and after a few months I started wearing it again. No issues.