Personal Note

Running Shoes

  • running

Below are some thoughts I’ve gathered regarding the running shoes I’ve used over the past two years.

Shoes I’ve trained in, ranking from best to worst

  1. Adidas Evo SL (incredible)
  2. New Balance Rebel v5 (great)
  3. New Balance Rebel v4 (very good)
  4. On cloudsurfer 2 (fine)
  5. Hoka Carbon X2 (lame)

Shoes I’ve raced in, ranking from best to worst

  1. Nike Vaporfly 2 (incredible)
  2. Hoka Carbon X2 (lame)

I found the Adidas Evo SL to be the most ‘fun’ shoe. It’s bouncy, well cushioned, and the shoe’s drop means that it ‘feels’ like it always wants to go faster. With that being said, it felt unstable at times and the upper isn’t particularly flexible. If I wanted to run quickly, these were always my go-to.

I found the New Balance Rebel v5 and v4 to be really comfortable - their uppers are flexible and their midsoles are well cushioned. However, I didn’t think they were particularly exciting - the midsole foams didn’t ‘bounce’ as readily as the Evo SL and the heel to toe drop was relatively lower. I usually wore these on ‘slow’ runs where I wanted stability and cared less about speed.

The On cloudsurfer 2 is a great every day shoe, it’s nice to run in and super comfortable to walk in, but it’s not notable for its running capabilities.

Hoka Carbon X2 is what I used to train for and race the 2025 Austin Marathon. At the time, I didn’t have anything to compare it with (I was just getting into running). Jeez, when I’ve run in these shoes lately, I find them hard and uncomfortable. Having this as my ‘starting point’ meant that any following shoe would feel better.

Nike Vaporfly 2. This shoe is amazing. Seriously fast, I can feel the shoe’s ‘pop’ when I race in them. With that being said, the midsole foam is very squishy and the rear of the shoe is very narrow. This shoe is inspiring and loves going quick, but it requires me to focus on my running form (to avoid heel striking).

There’s a lot of work for me to do, and I know shoes are just a marginal factor. But they excite me to run and it’s one of the better collecting hobbies I’ve ever had. I’ll also note that I found a HUGE benefit from using Currex running insoles. I find that my arches feel much better supported after all runs (short, long, fast, slow).