Top Running Shoes Compared - The Shoemaker Review

February 22, 2015 | By

by Jarrod Shoemaker, 2008 Olympic Triathlete



The first thing to know about shoes: picking shoes is a very personal decision. What your friend or brother likes does not mean it will work for you. SwimOutlet.com sent me 4 pairs of shoes to compare for a 2015 Spring Show Review – the Saucony Kinvara 5, the Mizuno Wave Rider 18, the Asics Gel Cumulus 16 and the Altra The One. The first three are cushioned shoes for daily training, and the last one is a tempo or racing shoe.

It is important to check the soles of your shoes and see when they become worn down, an old pair of shoes can actually cause injuries. One way to check is to put your hand into your shoe and press on the midfoot and forefoot and see if there is any cushion left. If the shoe is dead you will feel that the cushioning has been compressed and it will feel hard. Once you have pressed into a new shoe and an old shoe, it is pretty easy to tell the difference between the two.

Most shoes should last 300-400 miles. So let’s say you run 3-4 miles per day – that means your shoes would last 100 days, or about 3-4 months. But each person wears shoes differently depending on how they land. Make sure that you are not wearing your shoes too long, or even better is to find two pairs of shoes you like and alternate days running in them. This will make the shoes last a bit longer, as it will allow the cushioning to rebound a bit before you run in them again.

One piece of advice is to look at the bottom of your old shoes and see where you are landing. Heel? Midfoot? Forefoot? It is good to check this out on each pair of shoes you wear through. People don’t do that enough. The wear on your shoe tells you a lot about your gait and how your foot lands.

Onto the specific shoes and remember that picking shoes is personal. These shoes are all well-built shoes and your feet will enjoy any of them.
 

SAUCONY KINVARA 5 ($89.95)

Quicktake: Saucony’s original goal for the Kinvara was to make something flexible with cushioning and 4mm drop. The shoe has changed a bit since it first was introduced and some of the big changes have made it a better all-around shoe. Saucony added more rubber to the bottom that increases the lifespan of the shoe, while keeping the upper loose and flexible. This shoe will not last as long as other shoes as Saucony uses a softer rubber to get a lighter more flexible sole of the shoe, but overall it is a great shoe. 

Pros:
- Light, flexible shoe
- 4mm heel to toe drop is less than most shoes on the market
- Softer foam in the bottom makes the shoe light, but also wears out faster
- Flexible upper makes the shoe feel better on the foot

Cons:
- Might not have the longevity or durability of a few other options.
 

MIZUNO WAVE RIDER 18 ($119.95)

Quicktake: Mizuno’s wave system increases cushioning by dissipating the forces via a wave instead of a flat plate. It also creates rigidity to keep you from over pronating. This shoe does not has as much flexibility as a Saucony Kinvara, but is still a responsive cushioning shoe.

Pros:
- Wave system provides a stiffer shoe from heel to forefoot
- Hard heel cup
- Good cushioning makes it a durable shoe

Cons:
- Features a narrower toe box which might not work for those with wider feet
- Priciest shoe of the bunch
 

ASICS GEL CUMULUS 16 ($109.95)

Quicktake: Asics is one of the leading running shoe manufacturers out there and their Gel Cumulus line has been one of their best lines. The Cumulus is a fairly neutral shoe with good cushioning. It has a great feel on the foot and is well built. The cushioning is thick and will not wear down too fast. Out of all the shoes I tried, it definitely was the thickest shoe with the most material.

Pros:
- Great cushioned shoe
- Well built shoe with good sized toe box.
- A shoe that Asics has generally kept similar from year to year

Cons:
- The shoe’s cushioning also means it’s on the relatively heavier side coming in at 10.6 ounce, or about 35% heavier then the Kinvara 5 and 20% heavier then the Wave Rider 18.
 

ALTRA THE ONE ($99.95)

Quicktake: Altra is a brand new shoe company with one goal to their brand – zero drop. Zero drop means your heel is not higher than your forefoot, or the way you walk around barefoot. There has been a movement towards less drop in running shoes recently and Altra has built their brand around this. The One is Altra’s racing or tempo shoe. It has essentially no cushioning, so it’s half the weight of our heaviest show in this comparison test (Asics Gel Cumulus). Also it has a very wide toe box, so your feet can fall naturally. One thing you will notice in Altra shoes is that they feel comfortable because your feet are not squished at all. This shoe was by far the most comfortable of all the shoes when I put it on, my only issue with it was that I could feel the arch in the shoe.

Pros:
- Extremely comfortable and fits great
- Zero drop and wide toe box make it feel different than any other shoe you have worn before

Cons:
- Built for tempo or racing effort, not an everyday training shoe – so more limited use
- Certainly looks a bit different than most running shoes which might be a pro or a con depending on taste.

I really liked all of these shoes in the 2015 Spring Shoe Comparison and have put good miles into all of them. I prefer the Kinvara’s for softer surface running, as I find they feel better on trails and also do not wear down as quickly. The Gel Cumulus and Wave Rider I prefer to run on the roads, as I like the cushioning on them with harder surfaces. The Altras I wore mostly on shorter runs off the bike, where I had a bit of speed work and felt really good.

You will not go wrong with any of these shoes but hopefully some of my suggestions will point you in the direction of one of the pairs that suits your needs and preferences.

Enjoy your training and make sure to SMILE while you train!

Win a pair of running shoes of your choice from the above Spring Shoe Comparison! To enter, just tell us what race you plan to run this year in the comments below, or if you’re not doing a race, tell us your favorite running location. [One winner selected at random. Only one entry per person, all entries must be received by 11:59pm on March 6, 2015.]

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