From left to right: Pearl Izumi Road N2, Saucony Kinvara 3, Skechers GoRun 2

I’ve always been a shoe lover, and that’s no different when it comes to running. I’ve alluded to the fact that I have multiple pairs of running shoes in several posts, so I thought I’d go over why I have each of them and their pros and cons.

Before I really started running, I was wearing some monster Adidas sneakers that I bought my freshman year of college. That’s 13 years ago, by the way. They were clunky, heavy, a half size too big (I swear my feet are shrinking), and did nothing for my running. When I decided to actually become serious about learning to run, my first step was to buy a pair of actual running shoes.

Skechers GoRun 2

Weight: 5.2 oz
Heel-to-Toe Drop: 4mm
These were the first pair I bought, back in February. I’ve put about 150 miles on them since then. I adore these shoes. They are lightweight and easy to run in, no matter the distance. I’ve done every race so far this year in them. They are a minimalist shoe, which means they have less cushioning in them than traditional running shoes. Their drawback? After only 150 miles, the bottom tread has worn down considerably. Typically, running shoes should last you between 300-500 miles. I still run in them for now for distances between 3 and 6 miles.

Saucony Kinvara 3

Weight: 6.7 oz
Heel-to-Toe Drop: 4mm
These were my second choice when I bought my Skechers. I read somewhere that your shoes would last longer if you alternated pairs, so I bought these in May right after the Kinvara 4s came out, so the 3s were put on sale. However, they have a very narrow toebox and come up higher on my heel, so they give me blisters on longer runs. Now, let me just say, that I’ve got narrow-to-normal width feet, so this is not an issue of my foot being wide. I’ve remedied two of the three blisters I get by wearing Injinji toe socks (you can see them in the photos below): I get the mini-crew length so the shoes don’t rub my heel and the separate toes eliminates the blister I get on the inside I get of my left big toe. I still haven’t figured out how to stop from getting a blister on the outside balls of my feet, just due to the toebox being so narrow. They also aren’t as breathable as my Skechers, so my feet get hot in them (also might be due to the narrowness, since feet swell when you run, so they might just be closing off the air path). If I could exchange them, I would go up half a size; I think that would make a huge difference. I typically use these on shorter runs under 3 miles to keep the blisters down.

Pearl Izumi Road N2

Weight: 8.5 oz
Heel-to-Toe Drop: 4mm
My newest shoe purchase! After I got injured, I decided I should have a gait analysis done at one of the local running stores and see what they suggested I wear, just in case my shoes were contributing to my injuries as I increased my mileage. I went to the Nashville Running Company, where they have a machine that photographs your feet from various points of view. The consensus? I have high arches with normal pronation, so a neutral shoe should work fine. I tried on a couple pairs of Mizunos (which I actually really liked and might try out after these wear down) and then these. They have a pretty seamless construction, so you don’t get any rubbing on seams within the shoe. They have more cushioning than either of my other pairs, so I plan on using these mainly on long runs of over 6 miles. (Lately, though, I’ve been wearing them on most runs until I get on a set training schedule.)

As a minimalist shoe, you can see how much flexibility the Skechers have in them than the other pairs. Also, I love my Injinji socks. If anyone needs any gift ideas for me, I will happily take more pairs of them (especially in fun colors!), since I only have the one.

How long did it take for you to find the perfect running shoe?