Here's a breakdown of what I'm running in right now, along with a brief review.
From left to right in the picture:
1. Altra Escalante (2017) - I love Altra shoes. Zero drop shoes are now a must-have for me. (For more on zero drop shoes see Kelly Starrett's fantastic book Ready to Run). I picked up the Escalante last summer for long road runs while training for the 2017 Blue Ox marathon. I'd been wearing a zero drop, minimalist shoe for all of the prior year's training, and wanted to try something with a little more give for runs over an hour in length. Overall I liked this shoe, very comfortable and cushy for having a fairly low stack height. The toe box is very roomy, the shoe fits snug, and has held up well over time. I think I've got about 500 miles on it and am still running in it every so often.
2. Tesla BareTrek (2016) - I picked these minimalist shoes up when I first transitioned from heel striker to mid-foot striker in order to help facilitate the transition. I think these retail for about $25 on Amazon, and are the best bang for the buck footwear I've ever purchased. They're nearly identical to the pricier Merrell Vapor Glove. I won't go into the details of why and how to transition into minimalist footwear in this post (just read Ready to Run or Born to Run), but I recommend any runner pick up a pair of these or similar shoes. I haven't run in this shoe for a long time, but they are now my primary shoe I wear to work and everywhere else if there isn't a bunch of snow on the ground. I've had to use a dab of gorilla glue here and there over the past two years, but overall they've held up remarkably well for the price and how much use I've put into them. Go a half size up when ordering.
3. Merrell Bare Access 4 (2017) - These are my daily runners. Anything run on pavement that's less than an hour I run in this shoe. It's a minimalist, zero drop design that has really helped to strengthen my feet. I ran my first marathon in a previous pair, and I still wear that pair out and about for daily work/errands. I love this shoe, which of course means it has been discontinued. Thankfully this current pair should at least get me through the 2018 season before I have to try and find a replacement.
4. Altra Lone Peak 3.5? (2017) - These are my current trail shoes, I believe it's the 3.5 model but I can't recall off the top of my head. So far I've put about 70 miles on them, in ice, mud, water, and steep terrain. So far so good, they've got a nice amount of cushioning but still feel stable. My toes don't get smashed doing technical downhills. They're not super snug on the heel, which may be a concern running longer races, but I won't know for sure until I try. I did need to go a full size up in them to get the toe room I was looking for (10.5 normally, ordered an 11.5 in these, and I have fairly narrow feet.)
5. Altra Superior 2.0? (2016) - My first pair of Altra's, I love this rendition of the superior. I've put about 500 miles on them, including a few ultra races, and they're still going strong. Decided to move up to the Lone Peak for more cushioning in a 100 mile race, but I'll be buying another pair of Superiors to swap in and out of.
Training - Long trail run. 18 miles with 3000 feet of elevation change. Ouch. Simulated race nutrition and hydration.
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