PUMA Deviate Nitro Shoe Review

PUMA Deviate Nitro Review
By Chief Editor Matt Klein and Social Media Manager Bach Pham

While carbon plated and new age foamed racing shoes have been developing for several years, plated training shoes are a relatively new concept. With designs similar to their racing counterparts but features, particularly weight, more in line with a training shoe, these shoes tend to blur several lines. The Puma Deviate Nitro was designed as a companion training shoe to the Deviate Nitro Elite (REVIEW), continuing to feature a Nitro midsole and a carbon plate but with a stiffer and less aggressive ride. 

Puma Deviate Nitro in hand, light grey colorway with Puma logo stretching over midfoot in black

Saucony Endorphin Pro+ Review

Saucony Endorphin Pro+ Multiple Tester Review
By Chief Editor Matt Klein, Senior Contributors Nathan Brown and David Salas

There are many great options in regards to carbon fiber plated, PEBA based shoes. The majority of the time however, most attention is paid to the soles of the shoes and not the uppers (as evident by how I introduced/referenced this footwear category). The Saucony Endorphin Pro+ takes the Endorphin Pro series, already a favorite among our testers, and overhauls the upper. Coming in with material inspired by their track spikes, Saucony improves the versatility of the Endorphin Pro+, already a serious contender at longer distances down to shorter distances as well. 

Saucony Endorphin Pro+ in hand. All white upper with a silver midsole and black Saucony logo streaking across midfoot.

Saucony Endorphin Shift 2 Review - Guest Contributors

Saucony Endorphin Shift 2 Review - Guest Team
By Contributors Andrea Myers and Ryan Flugaur

Andrea: Saucony has made some subtle, but important updates in the Endorphin Shift 2. Saucony categorizes this shoe as “structured cushioning,” which makes for an interesting and unique ride. I originally bought the Shift v1 back in 2020, but found them so uncomfortable after a short run (too firm and caused severe pain at the 5th MTP/outside ball of foot) that I returned them. I was a little unsure about testing the 2, but have found it to be a very nice addition to my rotation of neutral footwear.|

Editor's Note: The following review is a follow-up to our original Shift 2 review featuring thoughts from our new reviewers! Click here to see the original Shift 2 review.

Saucony Endorphin Shift 2 lateral side view. Mild checker pattern through heel and thinly through midfoot.

Saucony Endorphin Pro+ Discussion, Orthotics, and Role of Higher Drop Shoes | EP 58

Saucony Endorphin Pro +, Orthotics, and Do Higher Drops Offload the Calf?
Virtual Roundtable, Episode 58

Today's episode was a fun one to record as we jumped back into a deep dive of a shoe. The Saucony Endorphin Pro + is about to hit the market and is an even more race ready option from Saucony. We talk about our current testing experience and the influence of uppers on a shoe. We then hit the fan mailbag and answer questions regarding the interaction between orthotics and stability shoes as well as how higher drop shoes may effect calf loading.

ASICS Fuji Lite 2 Review (2021)

ASICS Fuji Lite 2 Review
By Chief Editor Matthew Klein and Content Manager Bach Pham

Current market trends in footwear have continued to moved toward higher stack height shoes. Finding anything with lower stack has been difficult due to this, although a few models continue to come out from mainstream brands. One of the few from major brands was the Asics FujiTrabuco Lite. A minimal, middle to short distance race-ready trail shoe was a rare sight to see from a company known for large traditional stack high shoes. A snug fit, aggressive toe spring, solid ground feel and great traction made it a rare minimal shoe in the trail world. Fast forward to today, the Fuji Lite 2 - whose name is inspired by the Hinoki Cypress tree native to Mount Fuji - features a refined, more middle ground ride. A little more stack height provides more protection, allowing a larger number of runners to access the shoe. Yet the same solid ground feel, lightweight (for a trail shoe) and aggressive ride are still present. How does the new version compare and perform overall? That's what we are hear to talk about.

Reebok Floatride Energy 3.0 Adventure Multiple Tester Review

Reebok Floatride Energy 3.0 Adventure Review
By Chief Founder Matt Klein, Senior Contributor David Salas, and Contributor Andrea Myers

The Reebok Floatride Energy series has taken the running scene by storm in recent years for its versatility, durability, and wallet friendly pricing point. Reebok comes now with a variation to the Floatride Energy line by introducing the Floatride Energy 3.0 Adventure featuring a more robust and secure upper, elastic lacing system, and a proposed improved ability to take the shoe off-roading. Is it worth the bump in price? Let's see. 

Frontal view of the Reebok Floatride Energy 3 Adventure

HOKA Rincon 3 Review

Hoka Rincon 3 Review: Now With More Outsole!
By Senior Contributor Nathan Brown

The third iteration of the HOKA Rincon is upon us. In a world where many high quality running shoes are continually priced higher and higher, the Rincon 3 maintains a price point of $115. Where the Rincon has suffered in the past is in durability, and the third version takes aim at correcting some of those issues. Although the changes may seems subtle from the previous version, there are some important changes on the bottom of the shoe which may impact which runners will fair best with the Rincon 3. 

Hoka Rincon 3 in hand. Orange upper and aqua, larged stack midsole seen. HOKA written over rear midfoot

Maximal vs. Minimalist Discussion | Guest Reviewer Andrea Myers! | EP 57

 

 

 

In this week's podcast, we were extremely excited to have on guest reviewer Andrea Myers! Andrea brings a wealth of experience to the team, treating both runners and cyclists in her 15 years of work as a Doctor of Physical Therapy along with her own experiences professionally cycling for many years before transitioning to running!

For the topic of the episode, we discussed the differences between maximalist and minimalist shoes along with recommendations for a wide variety of age ranges from minors to elderly.

adidas Adizero Avanti TYO Review

 Adidas Adizero Avanti TYO Track Spike Review

By Chief Editor Matthew Klein

While track spikes are often a staple for younger athletes in high school/college cross country and track, those of us past those ages may get a little nervous thinking about putting track spikes on. The firm, low to the ground, aggressive rides can be a bit concerning, especially as many of us have become used to high stack height, carbon fiber shoes. The Adidas Adizero Avanti TYO brings some of that road stuff to the track with a healthy amount of Lightstrike Pro. While not a maximal shoe, there is far more cushioning here than most track spikes, which for those interested may provide an easier transition for runners wanting to get back to an aggressive grippy ride on the track or cross country course. 

Chief Editor Matt Klein holding the Avanti in hand.

Xtep 160x 2.0 Review

 Xtep 160x 2.0 Review 

By Chief Editor Matt Klein

The Xtep 160x 1.0 was a unique shoe that we were able to get our hands on last year after I spent weeks working through international websites. Since that time, more Chinese companies have continued to debut their own carbon fiber plated marathon racing shoes. Unlike most of the shoes coming out, the Xtep 160x 1.0 and now 2.0 have a bit more traditional stack height. This sets them apart, providing a now unique option for those who may not want a max stack height shoe but still want a PEBA based, carbon fiber plated shoe. The 2.0 returns with an updated upper and some sole resculpting that provide some additional stability in the rearfoot with a surprising amount of flexibility in the forefoot.

XTEP 160x 2.0 in hand, "the Matt shot" with pairs in hand. Outsole lightly seen on left shoe. Red side of XTEP seen laying above with yellow sidewalls.

Do Shoe Wear Patterns Mean Anything, and First Marathon Shoes! | EP. 56

 

Hey runners!! Today Chief Editor Matt Klein gives a preview to the Adizero Avanti and we discuss who may need track spikes in the first place. We then talk about what we can and cannot learn from our outsole wear pattern. Finally we talk about the ranging stability within super shoes and which may be appropriate for those with certain stability needs.

Hey, interested in us answering a question on the podcast? Shoot us a message via doctorsofrunning@gmail.com with your question or send us a message via Instagram and we may answer it on the next podcast! We'll definitely do a mailbag every once in awhile if we get overloaded. Thanks!

*None of what is shared in this podcast should be a substitute for medical advice*

New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v12 Review

New Balance Fresh Foam X 860v12 Review

By Chief Editor Matthew Klein and Contributor David Salas

The New Balance 860 has always been a staple stability training shoe from NB. Version 12 comes in with a new upper that significantly improves the lockdown and ride of the shoe. The 860v12 is a firm riding shoe that still provides plenty of protection for your daily miles. The construction of the shoe is still pretty consistent with many "traditional" stability components utilizing posting and platform rigidity and should work for those that enjoy that category. 

New Balance Fresh Foam 860v12 lateral view. N logo across midfoot in a yellow outline. Dark blueish upper. Shoe held to a street.

August 2021 Round-Up | Surprising Instagram Poll of the Day Results

 

Wait, it's September??? We can't believe the summer months are almost at an end. August may have been the busiest month in Doctors of Running history, with 17+ new reviews and updates along with four new podcast episodes and the addition of a new resource page. We are working hard to provide some content we've been dreaming of doing for awhile now and are excited to share a few more things in the coming months to round out the year. In the meantime, we wanted to pause and talk about something we've been doing lately on our Instagram daily - Poll of the Day! For the past two months, we've been connecting with our IG community to learn more about your preferences and interests. Read on to see what we've learned lately.

What is Plantar Fasciitis and How a Runner's Weight Plays into Shoe Selection | EP 55

 

In today's episode we start with a quick update on our own training and a mini review of a shoe Nathan has been testing the last few weeks. We then dive into the anatomy of the plantar fascia, what may cause pain/injury, and what do to about it. NOTE: a hallmark sign of plantar fasciopathy is pain with the first steps in the morning (was not said in the pod, but is a really helpful sign/symptom to diagnose). Finally, our team talks about a very interesting topic: how does body weight influence what running shoes we buy?