Blood, sweat, and carbon running shoes

First the good news, I am the proud owner of a pair of HOKA Carbon X3 running shoes. The bad news is I shed blood to get them.

Ooooh. New Shoes.

Buying running shoes is the best experience. One to savor, enjoy and to learn from. Once you’ve done it right and got the shoes that fit your feet. You’ve got a life partner. You may never have to choose another pair in your lifetime. A knowledgeable assistant will take a look at your gait and stride, and be able to recommend brands for you to try. Then they help you to identify what you are feeling as you put shoes on. It’s invaluable to pay attention as you try running shoes. These are not “tennies” or “trainers”. 

The first time I tried on a pair of Mizuno Wave Riders with the help of such an assistant 20 years ago I was sold. I am loyal to the brand and model. 

“AH! But why have you bought a pair of HOKA’s then”. I hear you shouting. “Where’s your brand loyalty now?”

We need to go back a month or so. At the recent Charity run, the “Get Hoppy 10K” in Waconia. I finished first in my age group, (M60-64) and won a gift card to TCRunning. Prizes for running, that was pretty cool. 

I was going to use it to get a pair of Wave Riders and be done with it. Then I ran into Dick Beardsley at the Grandma’s Marathon expo and he convinced me to try some carbon plate running shoes. 

For those that don’t know, performance running shoes these days have a plate, often carbon fibre, in the sole. They make the sole rigid and more like a lever to propel you down the road. Couple this with the cushioning from extra foam and you have a shoe that pushes you along.

With Grandma’s out of the way and the need for new shoes approaching on the horizon. I headed to TCRunning to see what I could find.

I explained to the nice young lady in the store what I was after. She told me what I just told you. With the caveat that carbon plate shoes are not training shoes. They are pretty much racing shoes only. Many of the hi-tec foams used in the soles of these modern shoes are not as durable as those in regular shoes. Still, I wanted to try them, and with the gift card burning a hole in my pocket, I proceeded to get a feel for this modern technology.

First up: Mizuno Wave Rebellion.

Mizuno Wave Rebellion. Just look at that heel!

I tried the Rebellion out of brand loyalty. But I had serious misgivings about the lack of a heel. I used to be a very predominant heel striker when running. I once wore the heels off a pair of shoes out in 150 miles. Over the years I’ve corrected that, but I still see a scuff mark on the outside of the heel of the left shoe after a few hundred miles. 

As I put these shoes on, there was an unusual sensation. Even sitting down. With no heel, there was no support back there. It was just plain odd. My opinion was that you can’t walk in them. These are shoes that you would put on at the very, very, VERY last minute at a race. Not until you’re in the start corral ideally. The fit of the uppers was to the Mizuno high standard of personal comfort that I judge all other shoes by. So I felt duty bound to try them on the dreadmill. 

It was a revelation! I was amazed. Once you broke into a run, the dynamics of the shoes took over, pushing you forwards and onwards. There’s no doubt. If this is what the supershoe is about then It’s an amazing feeling. A little unnerved, I needed to balance and leant back a bit. With no heel to support me, I slipped and fell, and was spat out by the dreadmill. Knee skinned and bloodied, I was quite embarrassed in front of a store full of athletes. This was not the shoe for me.

The Mizuno Wave Rebellion rebelled

Second Pair: Saucony Endorphin Pro 3

Saucony Endorphin. Yes, they’re very green.

As I held these in my hand, I was a little put off by the foam and the sole. It didn’t feel durable. The green colour was a bit much too. Putting them on, I was quite pleasantly surprised at the fit. Having said that, I wasn’t impressed with the material of the uppers either. Some kind of silicon, rubber, plastic material. The padding around the heel was negligible. I ran on the dreadmill a while. The propulsion effect was noticeable, and as I had a heel underneath me I felt more confident. I just didn’t like the materials.

Shoe Three: HOKA Carbon X3

The winner! But it was a close call

I have already said that I picked these. What was it that made these stand out? The fit was nice. The material of the uppers was more conventional, so they felt good on my feet. I liked the cushioning on the heel tongue and the foam of the sole felt more resilient than the Saucony. I wound the dreadmill up to a faster speed than when trying the other shoes. These shoes gave me confidence. That was important after the tumble I’d just taken. I know a few minutes on a dreadmill is nothing compared to 4 hours on the streets of Minneapolis and St Paul. But first impressions count for a lot. The sensation of being pushed forwards was a little less pronounced but still there. These felt a lot like regular running shoes. That was it I thought. HOKA’s for me. 

Final pair: New Balance Fuel Cell Elite

New Balance. So close. It was down to the cost and colour

Then the assistant brought out these New Balance. 

Woah. Look at the colours! Orange and Yellow and Mauve and Blue. That is a vivid palette. I’m not sure I’m bold enough to wear those colours. I’m used to greys in my Wave Riders. 

As soon as I put them on I could tell that these too, were some seriously good shoes. The comfort and construction matched the HOKA’s. Then when I ran with them on the dreadmill, I couldn’t tell the makes apart. Seriously. I honestly couldn’t. I was torn. I put the HOKA’s back on. I ran on them. I wore one of each and walked around on them looking for clues in the fit. I couldn’t split them. I put the New Balance on again and ran on the dreadmill. 

Oh, hang on a moment, what’s that? The arch support. There’s some cushioning there. Soft but noticeable. New Balance shoes are noted for arch support. My wife loves New Balance for this very fact. I don’t usually notice arch support in my shoes. I’m not sure if I like that or not. Would that break in after a few miles and be less noticeable, or would it cause blisters after 20 miles? I did not know and I thought long and hard about it.

In the end I went with the HOKA’s. I think I made the right decision. They feel great. Perhaps if I’d tried the New Balance on before the HOKA’s, I would have bought them instead. The only way to find out if I made the correct decision is to run in them. What works on the treadmill, might not work as well on a less forgiving asphalt or unforgiving concrete surface. I asked if there was any guarantee should they not work for me in the real world. I was told that HOKA shoes have a 30 day unconditional guarantee.

“So if I don’t run a PB at the Parkrun on Saturday I can return them?” I joked.

“Unconditional guarantee.” The assistant replied.

Okay then.

Post script:

I woke up this this morning, (How many Blues songs start like that?) With some rather sore glutes. I must have gave them something of a hammering as I fell on the treadmill yesterday.