This page will list out some of my running gear. There is a ton out there and I love trying out the different brands and deal-hunting. For now, I’ll stick with shoes.
“Why do you have so many shoes?” “This is a waste of money.” A shoe rotation is one of the most important parts of avoiding injury and getting the most out of your runs. Running shoes aren’t all built for the same speed/purpose, and treating them like they are is a senseless way to increase injury rate. Your shoes will last longer (saving you $$$) and you will get the most out of them by rotating them. At the minimum? Try to have different shoes for running/walking. See if it makes a difference.
Asics Novablast 5. Debuted in 2024 and picked up for $150 in September of 2025.
My new daily driver. With my New Balance’s slowly dying I wanted to try a new brand and see how I felt. These are consistently touted as some of the best shoes on the market for the money. According to their website, The Novablast uses “FF BLAST™ MAX cushioning helps create softer landings and a more energized toe-off during your training. A tongue wing construction in the upper helps improve the fit while reducing tongue movement. It’s complemented with an engineered jacquard mesh upper that offers more stretch and ventilation.” If you get rid of the “runners peak” here, it means that it’s a very soft and cushy shoe that has a soft upper tongue. It’s a 9 ounce shoe, so it runs a little heavier than
Three runs as of September 9th, and I love them. They’re very soft and supportive thus far, and I’m curious to see how they hold up with 20+ miles a week.
Saucony Endorphin Speed 4. Debuted in 2024 and picked up for $115 in June of 2025. Still on sale for $115 as of 9/1.
My current Long-Run shoe. This shoe comes out for runs of 10 miles or longer and that’s it. It has a good blend of forward-roll and cushion, sporting Saucony’s “winged nylon-plate, SPEEDROLL technology and PWRRUN PB foam”. I wanted a designated long-run shoe this cycle because it ends up being nearly half of my weekly mileage and this was a really solid deal. It’s got a low overall weight as well, coming in at 8.2 ounces.
181 miles in as of September 1st, and I love them. The Endorphin line of shoes is reviewed both professionally and recreationally as some of the best running shoes on the market, and I can see why. Amazingly comfortable and has just enough umph that I feel comfortable doing faster efforts in it.
New Balance Rebel V.4. Debuted in 2024 and picked up for $105. RETIRED as of September 2024. These are my walking shoes, now.
This shoe accompanies me on my treadmill runs and all of my easier efforts. Since I’m not going fast, I wanted a shoe with good cushion. I mean…look at the stack height on this thing. It’s tall enough that I actually feel of average height when wearing them. And it retains a low overall weight as well, coming in at 7.5 ounces (212 grams). Currently on sale for $109 as of July.
A New Balance running shoe is a first for me. Their claim to fame is the famous “dad shoe” that all fathers are required to own when their children are born. But New Balance is back, man. I know it’s true because I’ve noticed teens and twenty-somethings wearing them, and those groups would rather die than be seen as being uncool. New Balance has burst onto the running game as well, and despite skepticism towards a brand I’ve never owned before, I can’t deny the price point. If they hold up past 500 miles? This could be a 5⭐️ shoe and an instant rebuy.
September 1st update – I’m torn. I don’t like that their integrity went downhill fast after 500 miles, but those 500 miles were excellent. They are an excellent shoe with iffy durability. That’s that. If these are on sale? I’ll rebuy them.
Saucony Peregrine RFG. 2024. Bought for $65 in June of 2025.
I felt like I robbed someone buying these for so cheap. I think my grandma literally felt a disturbance in the Force when I purchased them. Anyways, this is my trail shoe for this year. I like having a dedicated trail shoe not just for my runs, but for all of the summer walks I do with my family. Boots would be overkill and these still have solid lugs that give me more purchase when stepping. Yeah, the off-white color on a trail shoe is stupid, but I think the mud will add some character to these guys. I never intended to wear them out and about anyways.
Again, I trust Saucony as a brand. Running shoes are their bread-and-butter. Go onto any “best of” shoe list and this trail model will usually be on there. The Peregrine has been a flagship of trail running shoes for an over a decade now and will keep on going, so it’s time I see what the fuss is all about. They’re a little heavy at 9.5 ounces, but I expect trail shoes to be more durable so it’s logical that they would use less foam and use more dense materials.
September 1st update – I hate these so far. Trail shoes usually have lower stack heights and lower offsets, but I am feeling the ground way too much in these. It could be that the trails I’m running are not that tough, but at the end of the day? It says a lot that I’m terrified of what it will feel like if I set foot on pavement in these. That shouldn’t happen.
Nike Vapofly 3. Debut in 2024. Bought for $240 in July of 2024. Can be found for $120 right now all over the internet.
RUN to the site and buy a pair of these if you want an affordable workout or race shoe! Most racing shoes are $160 minimum and the premium carbon-plated ones run into the low $300’s these days. I used to find the concept of race shoes dumb ($250 for a shoe you wear like 5 times?!) but this shoe converted me. It has almost certainly helped me shave time off of each race that has been run in them.
Carbon plated shoes are built to be light and fast – but not durable. They are usually worn only for races unless you don’t care about money or have your sugar daddy buy all your running gear. The Vaporfly was my first carbon shoe, and as such it is incredibly light (6.5 ounces) and has an amazing *snap* when you push off of your foot. It literally throws you forward, and as such is horrible for any other type of wear. Walking in them feels comical in how awkward they are.
I’ve worn this shoe exactly 3 times. The first was the Great Miami Riverway Half Marathon in Troy-Piqua last year. I think this is where that shoe performed the best, to be honest. I was cruisin’ at 6:30 per mile and this shoe is the first I’ve owned which actively helped me to do that (which I was grateful for because the bi-carb I took made my stomach cramp for every minute of the race). The forward roll and push of the carbon plate helped.
The second was the Chicago Marathon. This shoe did wonderful, but I did notice that it wasn’t quite as strong in the second half of the race. I can’t help but glance at the Nike AlphaFly models and wonder if they can do more. Everyone wears them, and they’re the gold standard of racers for a reason.
My last was the Graham Color Blast, which was just a 5k on pavement. Once again, I think this shoes incredible weight and bounce thrive in those shorter races. I would highly recommend these to anyone looking for a carbon-plated shoe to try out.
September 1st update – It also makes a great training shoe. I knew I wanted a different shoe for the marathon this year, so I converted these into my training shoe for track sessions and fast efforts. They have done exceptionally well, still.
Teaching on the Run 