It's that time of year! Our team has
tested over 110 shoes and ran over 14,500 miles in 2021 (so far) and we
are ready to dish out our awards. Up first is the Best Daily Trainer
Award. We define daily trainer as "a shoe that can eat up a lot of your
training miles, is reliable and consistent, has mild versatility, and
can function as a workhorse shoe." In other words, which shoe do you
just keep reaching for day after day? Our team gives each of our
individual picks, what we like about them, and then finish with our
team's consensus pick for the year.
BEST OF 2021 | VIDEO
You can also listen to the audio version of the episode on Apple here.
WRITER'S PICKS
WRITER'S PICKS - CONTRIBUTOR ANDREA MYERS
The most neutral, versatile shoe I’ve tried. With a wide toe box, soft upper, and flexible heel counter; it supports the foot without limiting motion. This shoe handles easy runs, long runs, and even intervals beautifully. The Beacon would be a great marathon shoe for those not interested in plated shoes. - Andrea Myers
WRITER'S PICKS - CONTRIBUTOR RYAN FLUGAUR
The Hoka Mach 4 provides a highly cushioned and soft ride that performs well for long distance milage but also bouncy and lightweight enough for workout days. The meta-rocker midsole creates a smooth transition from heel to forefoot and adds to the stability of the shoe. The upper is comfortable yet secure and provides adequate room in the forefoot without feeling sloppy. The responsive ride is what keeps me coming back to the Mach 4 no matter the run or distance. - Ryan Flugaur
WRITER'S PICKS - CONTRIBUTOR MEGAN FLYNN
Out of all the 2021 shoe releases that I tried, the Skechers GORun MaxRoad 5 has my vote as the ideal daily trainer. This shoe offers a combination of comfort, cushion, and responsiveness - checking all my boxes for the ideal trainer. The cushioning and bounciness of the shoe makes logging miles easier on the legs, while the rocker and plate provide the option to pick up the pace during tempos or progression runs. I've run >180miles on these shoes and continue to reach for them on my easy days. The unmatched traction from the Goodyear rubber is just icing on the cake, making this shoe a great option in all conditions.
This year I worked on several 100 mile review updates for Doctors of Running while doing my normal duties. Of all the trainers I got to spend time in, the Maxroad was the only one I took well past 100 without even blinking. It's one of the few shoes in the market that is both light as a feather, yet max cushioned. Despite the stack, it still has some slight firmness to it which makes it easy to pick up the pace. The extreme rocker and plate lets you maintain a steady rhythm during a workout or even on easy days just find a smooth pace. Plus, Goodyear rubber is incredible. It's hard as hell to find now due to supply, but if you can find it, get it. It's just that interesting and good plain fun. - Bach Pham
WRITER'S PICKS - SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR DAVID SALAS
The Mach 4 and the HOKA Clifton 8 are the two shoes I've gravitated towards over and over again. The Clifton is just a great shoe I can reliably grab before a workout or a race for really easy miles without any issues. The Mach 4 is a really solid shoe that I feel I can grab without thought any time I need to just pound miles out. It delivers a solid combination of smooth transitions, light weight, and plenty of protection for long miles. Because of the deep flex grooves the rocker design has a little bit more of a natural feel to it. This is the shoe I tend to reach the most for. - David Salas
WRITER'S PICKS - SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
NATHAN BROWN
The merge between a traditional geometry and newer technology in their Nitro foam creates a slightly more lively experience in a traditional daily trainer package. Couple that with a centered construction due a wider guideline and C-shaped heel cup, you get a stable neutral shoe that’s consistent and reliable. - Nathan Brown
WRITER'S PICKS - CHIEF EDITOR MATT KLEIN
The 25 is a big update for Mizuno. It features full length Enerzy and has a really flexible forefoot - one of the most flexible I've seen in a long time. I learned to appreciate that this year in that it's been hard to find that feature in shoes this year. Variety is key, and having that unique feature in the Waverider was good to see in my rotation. The upper is really comfortable and the shoe for me after around 175 miles has barely been dented which is incredible. It is a very tall drop at 12mm, but with my Achilles issues this year that's actually been tremendously helpful in offsetting some of the pain which has been great. - Matt Klein
OVERALL WINNER
BEST DAILY TRAINER OF 2021
BEST DAILY TRAINER OF 2021
We get it. This is a polarizing shoe. We also agree that the first miles you take in the Boston 10 are firm. This, however, is one of those shoes you really have to break in to get the full experience of why we have ended up as a team putting hundreds of miles into it collectively (Matt alone has burned through 500 miles - translation: that's 750-1000 normal person miles - in two pairs on his own and is eyeing a third). The shoe steadily softens bit by bit over time, unveiling all of the good characteristics of the shoe's technology. It's also a very stable neutral shoe with the firmer ride and rods to help balance the Boston.
Despite it being a little heavier, it's works really well when running uptempo thanks to the rocker and energy rods giving it snap on the run. There is a surprising amount of flexibility when the Boston comes alive.
We expect things to be good right away in running shoe culture today. It didn't used to be like that even just a couple of years ago, which is where the Boston 10 somewhat sits as far as break in time goes. We really urge runners to give the shoe a chance and some time, because once it unveils itself, it's a really solid trainer that unlike many shoes that degrades over the miles, only gets better with age.
Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for our next Best of a week from now.
Find all Shoe Reviews at Doctors of Running here.
FOLLOW DOCTORS OF RUNNING ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Strava: Doctors of Running
Podcast: Virtual Roundtable
Pinterest: Doctors of Running
Find all Shoe Reviews at Doctors of Running here.
FOLLOW DOCTORS OF RUNNING ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook: Doctors of Running
Youtube Channel: Doctors of Running
Instagram: @doctorsofrunningYoutube Channel: Doctors of Running
Strava: Doctors of Running
Podcast: Virtual Roundtable
Pinterest: Doctors of Running
