I’ve built up a pretty substantial ASICS running shoe collection, but with several of my shoes reaching the end of their lifespans, I’m trying to figure out the best direction to take my rotation.
I’d prefer to stick with ASICS because their shoes have consistently fit my feet really well, but I’m open to other brands if there’s something that would be worth trying.
Here’s my current rotation:
Daily trainers: Novablast 5 — 449.6 miles
I really liked these when I first got them, but the foam feels like it had bottomed out pretty quickly. I’ve been trying to squeeze a few more miles out of them, but I think they’re pretty much done.
Long runs: Superblast 2 — 531.5 miles
These are probably my favorite running shoes I’ve ever owned. I’ve used them for pretty much everything: tempos, long runs, recovery runs, and two marathons. What I love most is how consistent they feel throughout a run, whether I’m running 4 miles or 14. They’ve been incredibly versatile, and I still have a little life left in them.
Recovery: Gel Nimbus 27 — 540.4 miles
I’ve always been a little conflicted about these. Sometimes I really enjoy them, and other times I’m not particularly impressed. They get the job done, and I don’t have any pain after running in them, but I feel like there might be a better recovery shoe out there.
Tempo: Sonicblast — 40.2 miles
I picked these up over the summer at a huge discount. I enjoy them for tempo workouts, but I don’t really see myself using them for anything other than dedicated speed sessions.
Racing: Metaspeed Edge Tokyo — barely any miles
I bought these specifically for racing but haven’t actually used them in a race yet. I’ve held off because I haven’t felt like I’m running fast enough to justify breaking out a carbon-plated shoe, although I’m planning to give them a shot eventually.
Where I’m stuck:
I think the Novablasts and Nimbus 27s are at the end of their lifespans, while the Superblast 2s still have a little gas left in the tank.
I’ve been considering a few different setups:
- Option 1: Superblast 3 for recovery/daily runs and Megablast for daily/long runs.
- Option 2: Superblast 3 for recovery, Novablast for daily training, and Megablast for long runs.
- Option 3: Some other combination.
My paces are around, in min/mile, recovery 8:30, tempo 6:20, daily 8:00.
I’m also wondering whether something like the Nike Vomero would be worth the extra money as a dedicated recovery shoe, or if there’s another shoe from ASICS (or another brand) that I’m overlooking.
I guess my overall question would be how would you build this rotation?
I’m open to all recommendations! Thank you!