I recently posted an article called “The Benefits of Rotating Different Types of Shoes for Running and Training,” and it seemed only natural to follow up with my own shoe choices and methods! Everybody has a different method for picking their shoes for their different endeavors and I think it’s intriguing to analyze why. We get our advice from so many different places today and I just want to encourage you to think a little more about why you wear the shoes you do as they can play a significant role in your results as well as your injury risk.
To summarize the reasons why you should rotate shoes for different purposes, here are my key points. Different shoe styles often have different shapes, angles, heel to toe drop distances, weights, and materials used. When you expose your feet to different variables regularly, this encourages the muscles that support your foot and ankle to adapt in different ways, because they are stretching, shortening, or stabilizing in different ways. The more variety in your footwear, the better for your foot, which helps you decrease repetitive injury use risk.
Here’s a snapshot of the many different shoes I am currently wearing and rotating these days! Below please find detailed descriptions of my personal running and training shoes and my situations for wearing each one!
Solomon Trail Running / Obstacle Course Racing Shoes
My favorite trail shoes! Both by Salomon. The one on the left is a version of the SpeedCross (10mm heel to toe drop) and the right is the Fellraiser (6mm). They don’t sell the Fellraiser anymore, which is a bummer. I wish they did. When they discontinued it, I had to try something new, and that was how I got the SpeedCross.
Anyways, I love both these trail shoes for running and obstacle course racing. They are a little heavier than street shoes, but that heaviness lends utility in a firmer sole, lined with lugs that can help you grip and achieve confident stability on rocky, muddy, watery terrain.
These soles also last FOREVER! I’ve been wearing the Fellraiser for probably a decade now and the inside is wearing out faster than the outside! I wish I would’ve bought 10 pairs of these while they were being made. It’s going to be a real sad day when my beloved Fellraisers finally wear out too bad to wear anymore.
New Balance
These are a little squishier than I usually like but they are lightweight and great for gym workouts on the treadmill or doing plyometrics or HIIT workouts. They’re versatile enough to switch gears in a workout session if I rotate between cardio, resistance machines, or bodyweight exercises.
Altra Red Shoes
Altra is the new reigning champ in the zero drop, wide toe box category of shoes. I really like my Altras for cross training in the gym but I’[ll be honest, I don’t love them for running long distances. However, I regularly rotate these in for treadmill runs, bootcamp type drills, teaching group fitness, and sometimes just to wear around on errands and recovery days. I like that with the zero drop, I am giving my calves a stretch and the wide toe box gives my toes a chance to spread out.
HOKA Solimar
The gray Hoka’s in the picture are the Solimar. They have a 6 mm drop and are super lightweight. They are also the firmest Hoka I’ve ever tried on. I like these shoes for working out or wearing them for working clients out. The color is nice and neutral, goes with most outfits, and since I mostly wear them to the gym, they’ve stayed fairly clean for a pair of my shoes.
No Bull Trainers
Oh my gosh. No Bull Trainers are the best shoes for lifting weights, especially leg day lifts. They’re no frills. Just flat and firm, thank you ma’am. I wear these on days I lift a little heavier, for exercises such as squat, deadlift, split squat, hip thrust, kettlebell training, etc. I love how it feels for my feet to be able to feel the ground and not have a bunch of squishy wobbly nonsense happening while I’m trying to lock in for a deadlift or KB swing.
Saucony Kinvara
The bottom row street running shoes are both Saucony Kinvara. The yellow is my newer pair, which I’m breaking in for my upcoming half marathon. The black pair is fairly worn out but still have a few miles left in them. I am still rotating them regularly for runs because the yellow pair is still too new and squishy to feel good for long distances. They will eventually be great, and be perfectly broke in by race day.
Summary
Well there you have it! My 8 pairs of running and training shoes I am rotating right now. I am always open to try new ones. What are your favorite running and training shoes? Leave it in the comments!
