This or That? Megablast vs. Superblast, Sonicblast vs. Novablast, Durable vs. Fast Racing Shoes, Annual vs. Biannual Updates to Shoes | DOR Podcast #257

 

This or That? Megablast vs. Superblast, Sonicblast vs. Novablast, Durable vs. Fast Racing Shoes, Annual vs. Biannual Updates to Shoes
Doctors of Running Podcast, Episode 257

It's time for the gang to put themselves on the hot seat yet again with a round of "This or That?". ASICS new Megablast or Superblast? What about the Sonicblast vs. the Novablast? They argue about annual shoe updates, durability, treadmill running and much more. Want to have your topic on the next This or That? Email us at doctorsofrunning@gmail.com!

Best Running Shoes for Walking (2025)

Beginner's Guide to Walking,
and the Best Running Shoes for Walking

By DOR Editorial Team

While this website is called "Doctors of Running," we spend a great time personally either walking in the shoes we test or clinically treating/working with people who are having issues walking. Running usually takes only an hour or two of our day. The rest of the time is spent standing, sitting and walking. Running shoes have become extremely popular for everyday use outside of running due to their comfort. With that in mind, we decided to pull together a guide for those coming here looking for great running shoes specifically for walking or standing. The following guide provides a general overview of walking along with some guidelines you should keep in mind. At the very end you can find a list of recommendations for specific shoes we have found excellent for walking and through personal experience using all-day through our clinical work. 

adidas adizero Takumi Sen 11 Review (2025)

adidas adizero Takumi Sen 11 Review
By Matthew Klein

 

Over a decade ago, the original Takumi Sen was a mythical beast. A beautiful racing shoe originally only available in Japan, it was the pinnacle of high-level racing shoe design at the time. It featured a snappy midsole, a grippy Quickstrike outsole that lasted forever and a surprisingly wide but secure upper sat up top. I used version two for everything from 5k to half-marathon racing, running times I only wish I could run now. I still have pairs of version one and two, with both still being some of my favorite racing shoes ever. Version 3 upgrade to Boost and downgraded everything else, a trend that continued for years after. It was only at version 8 that I (we) was (were) interested enough to try them for review. While a drastic improvement compared to the prior disappointing versions, it still sat in an odd place where the moderate stack height of Lightstrike Pro was not snappy enough to justify moving away from the newer Adios Pro series. After similar designs in the last 3 versions, the Takumi Sen 11 finally brings something new to the table. A truly bouncy midsole, lighter ride and comfortable upper that is somewhat reminiscent of the originals finally bring the Takumi Sen series back to a place that many should pay attention to in an age of overly tall racers.

rabbit High Country Trail Shoe Review (2025)

rabbit High Country Review
By  David Salas

 

After years of delivering high quality apparel for both the roads and the trails, rabbit has expanded into footwear. They have a road running daily trainer by the name of Dream Chaser that is in its second iteration. The High Country will be the first trail shoe from the company. They have deep roots in trails, and having a solid trail running shoe option feels like a natural and organic transition. 

The Monday Shakeout: Long-Term Care of Tendons in the Aging Runner

The Monday Shakeout: Long-Term Care of Tendons in the Aging Runner
By Matthew Klein

This week Matt continues to share his research and clinical experience about aging runners and tendon health

We Rank Our Favorite Race Distances and the Shoes We’d Use for Them | DOR Podcast #256

 

 

We Rank Our Favorite Race Distances and the Shoes We’d Use for Them
Doctors of Running Podcast, Episode 256

Nathan and David team up to talk all things racing! They rank their favorite distances to race and what shoes they'd race them in. Also, with the elite track circuit in full-swing, they talk about their favorite races to watch. Finally, they wrap it up with a couple questions from our mailbag. 

Brooks Hyperion Elite 5 Review (2025)

Brooks Hyperion Elite 5 Review
By Matthew Klein

 

Despite a strong history of racing shoes, Brooks has struggled to put out true super shoe for years. Those who started running before the super shoe era will remember the Brooks T Racer and Racer ST series that were incredibly popular over a variety of distances. While neither were the lightest shoes on the market, their comfort and speed still made them competitive racers. When companies began to debut super shoes, Brooks introduced the Hyperion Elite series. Unfortunately, it took them 4.5 versions to finally debut a shoe that truly performed and fit the definition of a super shoes (super foam, plate AND maximal geometry). The lack of a super foam had kept the Hyperion Elite series as an overpriced, stiff and sub-par racing series until the Hyperion Elite 4 PB introduced DNA Gold, a true PEBA foam. Although we did not test it, it was a welcome change to finally see the company put the pieces together for a true super shoes after so long. The Brooks Hyperion Elite 5 is their first full, non-half-year update, super racing shoe. Featuring a tall, rockered geometry of DNA gold and a ride classic to Brooks, this shoe finally hits the pavement able to compete with others. Whether it is fully up to speed is worth talking about. 

Mizuno Wave Rider 29 Review (2025)

Mizuno Wave Rider 29 Review
By Matthew Klein

 

The Mizuno Wave Rider is a legacy shoe series. It is among shoes like the Brooks Adrenaline, ASICS Cumulus, Nike Pegasus and more that have been around for decades. Unlike the drastic changes seen in the other shoes, the Wave Rider has remained fairly consistent until recently. For years, it was the lightest of the daily training shoes, thanks to a massive cut out and the wave plate providing the cushioning instead of a midsole. When the minimalist phase began lower heel drops, the Wave Rider continued its 12 mm drop. It was a consistent shoe; a firmer, snappier, lighter trainer that thanks to its stable neutral nature made it a favorite during DOR's early days. Like all things, eventually change occurs. As Mizuno as progressed incredibly the last few years, their midsole foams, geometries and designs have drastically changed. Those changes now come to the Wave Rider 29, making it the first of its kind to go to a 10mm drop along with a softer midsole and a full ground contact outsole. The essence of the Wave Rider is still there thanks to a new lower weight but how it rides and feels is drastically different from prior versions. How this will work for long-time Rider fans is worth talking about. 

The Monday Shakeout: What is The Best Running Form?

The Monday Shakeout: What is The Best Running Form?
By Matthew Klein

This week we discuss the biomechanics behind what optimal running form really looks like. While many people think it looks a certain way, the evidence and experience suggest that having a variety of ways to move is better than limiting it to one. 

Talking with ASICS about the New Blast Shoes | DOR Podcast #255

 

Talking with ASICS about the New Shoes
Doctors of Running Podcast, Episode 255

On this special episode, Nathan is joined by Paul Lang, ASICS's Senior Manager of Global Performance Footwear, to talk about two brand new models to their "Blast" line of shoes!. Coming September 1 are the Sonicblast, a brand new PEBAX-plated trainer, and the Megablast, both featuring their new FF Turbo Squared foam! These new additions join the team-favorite Novablast and Superblast models to round out the Blast family of shoes. Nathan and Paul discuss how ASICS plans, designs, and tests their shoes, the specific features of the two new shoes, what's next for ASICS in the upcoming months, and more.

ASICS Megablast Review (2025)

ASICS Megablast Review
By Nathan Brown

 

The ASICS Megablast is a new addition to the Blast family, as a more energetic counterpart to the Superblast. The Megablast features a full-thickness midsole of ASICS newest foam (FF Turbo Squared), providing a highly responsive and lightweight running experience... and maybe ASICS most fun training shoe to run in to date. 

Altra Torin 8 Review (2025)

Altra Torin 8 Review
By Andrea Myers

 

The Altra Torin is a higher stack daily trainer that features Altra's classic wide toe box fit and zero drop. The only Altra road shoe that has a higher stack and zero drop is the Via Olympus 2 at 33mm. The original Torin was released in 2013 with a 28mm stack height and a weight of 8.6oz for a men's 9. The shoe has gradually gained stack and weight over the years, now 5mm taller and 1.5oz heavier. While I enjoyed the midsole of v7, I found the toe box to be much tighter than what I would expect from Altra. I was pleased to find that Altra reverted to its more classic wide and high volume toe box in v8, and was excited to get some miles on it.

ASICS Sonicblast Review (2025)

ASICS Sonicblast Review
By David Salas and Nathan Brown

 

ASICS has had massive success across their versatile Novablast and Superblast lines. This year, they will be rolling out two new models to accompany the Blast lineup. These will be the Sonicblast and the Megablast. The Sonicblast draws inspiration from the Novablast and is geared toward having a more responsive ride that holds at faster paces. This will also debut the new ATPU based midsole FlyteFoam Turbo². This ATPU is more training biased and less compliant than the FF Leap counterpart in the racing models. 

The Monday Shakeout: Types of Running-Related Injuries

The Monday Shakeout: Types of Running-Related Injuries
By Matthew Klein

This week we define what an injury is, in the context of running, risk factors for developing one and the basics of what to do to reduce the risk of them.  

Buy or Sell? Doping Should Lead to Lifetime Ban? Shoes Need to Be Lower Stacked? 2024 Was Better!? | DOR Podcast #254

 

 

 

Buy or Sell? Doping Should Lead to Lifetime Band? Shoes Need to Be Lower Stacked? 2024 Was Better!?
Doctors of Running Podcast, Episode 254

Time for another round of Buy or Sell, where we force ourselves outside of our "it depends" comfort zone and make things black & white. David, Matt, and Nathan get together for hot takes only. They argue about performance enhancing drugs, max, stack shoes, the state of Nike, and much more. We want to hear your hot takes too! Leave a comment or email us at doctorsofrunning@gmail.com.

Nike Vomero Plus Review (2025)

Nike Vomero Plus Review
By Matthew Klein 

 

Nike has a new system in place for their training models. Their icon models, the Vomero, Pegasus, and  Structure, will continue with updates that keep them true to form. These models are separate depending on what Nike thinks runners want in the form of cushioning, responsiveness and support. The Plus and Premium models are differentiators of these icons, with the Plus seeming to be the ZoomX, faster model and the Premium being the ultra max stack height, insanely bouncy and cushioned ride. I was initially nervous about trying the Vomero Plus, a supposed replacement to the Nike Invincible series that I never got along with. After a solid 100 miles in this shoe, I have walked (run) away impressed at the evolution. While not a shoe for everyone, the Vomero Plus has surprised me as a far better, more balanced Invincible.

Most Read Reviews of 2025 So Far at Doctors of Running

Most Read Reviews of 2025 So Far at Doctors of Running
By DOR Editorial Team

Today we're taking a quick look at the reviews that YOU have been tuning in for most at Doctors of Running. It's always interesting to see both the shoes that always stand out year to year among runners and the new favorites that sneak into the scene and make a big splash. 

Between Two Feet: Hoka Rocket X 3 and What Happens When There's Too Much Stability | DOR Podcast #253

 

 

Between Two Feet: Hoka Rocket X 3 and What Happens When There's Too Much Stability
Doctors of Running Podcast, Episode 253

Matt & Andrea are back with another installation of Between Two Feet, where they contrast their different experiences in a shoe. In this edition, they share another polar experience they had with the Hoka Rocket X 3, a super shoe that features a surprisingly good amount of stability. See why these two feet felt differently about this new release.

HOKA Arahi 8 Review (2025)

HOKA Arahi 8 Review
By Matthew Klein

Like many recent Hoka shoes, the Arahi series emerges with a complete overhaul in its eighth version. The long standing standard stability shoe of the Hoka line-up, the Arahi has been known for its unique J-frame stability set up. Essentially a medial post that ran the entire length of the shoe with a small wrap around the lateral midfoot. This feature provided medial support from the heel to the forefoot, something most companies only extended into the midfoot. The relatively lighter weight for a training shoe also set the Arahi series apart, with many people using the original versions as long distance racing shoes before the era of super shoes. While still a stability shoe, the Arahi 8 moves in a slightly different direction than its prior version: the J-frame is exchanged for a more central H-frame, the stack height increases, the weight increases and the sole softens. The Arahi stays in line with current trends, making it a slightly softer, more central daily trainer.