Marathon Weekend 2026

[jmasgat]

SAFD: I am mostly "shoe indifferent". I don't have strong feelings/reactions (physical or otherwise) to the shoes I run in. I am a neutral gait runner, and I run in Brooks Ghost, I train in Brooks Ghost, I race in Brooks Ghost. I have never raced in a "race shoe". At this point in my life, I am squarely and firmly in the camp of "if it aint broke, don't fix it". I have one pair right now, though in the past I have had 2 to rotate. Honestly, I'm oblivious to any difference.

I used to run in Nike Pegasus--but dropped that in a mild "consumer protest" based on their treatment of their sponsored female athletes. I once ran in New Balance--the Little Mermaid version of their neutral shoe. It was fine.

Will be interested to see how the Ghost 17s are. They have changed the drop and the cushioning. Will see in about 150 miles.

 

[Naomeri]

SAFD: I bounced around through several different shoe brands and types before settling into Brooks Ghosts. I have multiple pairs, and I cycle through them so I don't run in the same pair twice in a row. I also have a couple pairs of ASICS that I run in, but I prefer the Ghosts

 

[Barca33Runner]

SAFD: I will readily admit that I am an aesthetics first, functionality second guy. I prefer bright colors, preferably neon, and wild patterns. Not everything fits the bill, it’s more of a know it when I see it type of thing. I’d sooner cut off my feet than wear Nike Monarchs or the like.

That said, I am very particular about having a relatively wide toe box and narrow heel. I am also very sensitive to shoes that rub at my Achilles. Most of the Nike running lineup that appeals to me aesthetically I will no longer entertain as they tend to be too narrow across the board for this flat-footed hobbit. I’m basically 100% ASICS for race day with a couple NB for training runs. I’ve tried a couple Brooks to mixed results; pretty good on my feet but most of their colorways are very much in the “shoes a 70-year old NFL coach would wear with his Khakis” category.

 

[dobball23]

SAFD: My shoes for all runs (training runs, races, etc.) have been Brooks Adrenaline. I've had probably 20-25 pairs of them over the last ~5 years. I would like to try other shoes to see if I prefer another one for certain runs (i.e., races, long training runs, short training runs), but I've been mostly injury free (of course, I'm injured now!) while running in Adrenalines that I stick with them for everything.

Unfortunately, I've had a tough time finding Adrenalines for an affordable price recently! (~1 year)

 

[nancipants]

I also run in Brooks Adrenaline. I currently have four pairs I rotate through ((two 22s and two 23s). I took their shoe finder quiz online and it suggested a stability shoe with cushion, and then went to a running store for a fitting, and Adrenalines was the best option. Mostly, I am happy with them. However, I’ve been debating whether to try to find a “better” race day shoe, ie a shoe that makes me want to run faster, or to abide by “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” (With the exception of the huge blister I got on my heel during marathon.)

 

[Herding_Cats]

Gee, thanks for the call-out @camaker! It's true. I am finally officially in the market for new shoes because all of my 1080s are dead (or mostly dead) which leaves me with my plated supercomp trainers (that I'm hoarding for a theoretical distance I might actually race someday) and my NB (that stands for New Balance) Hierro (v8) trail shoes; those feel like a NB880, if anyone was wondering. It's a little sickening looking at the number of shoes that I will be throwing away in the next couple of months.

I've been team NB1080 for a 4 years, but they have apparently decided to make this into more of a "lifestyle" shoe than a running shoe in the last 2 versions that they've gotten too squishy, even for me!

Last year I tried on the Saucony Triumph 19 and didn't hate it, but it felt weird. I couldn't get Ghosts off my feet fast enough when I tried those. This winter I tried the NB Balos (the toe box squished the *tops* of my big toes/nails) and the NB Rebel v4 (too much squish.) I like a really wide toe box, and if my toes get squished together I pretty much hate it, so I always order my womens' shoes in a wide, and depending on the fit of the shoe, I'll order mens' shoes in an extra wide. New Balance seems to be the best about offering a wide variety of colors even in the expanded widths where other brands usually only offer 1 or 2, and those are usually black and or/white.

Oh. I also tried the saucony endorphin edge (another trail shoe) and it was awful. Very clunky and heavy, but the toe box was OK. Not enough to make up for everything else though.

DS2 wears the same size shoe as me, so I've tried out a few things I normally wouldn't (and unsurprisingly I didn't care for them) since they tend to be way lower on the cushion side of things. Those have included Brooks Hyperion, Saucony Ride, and Saucony Endorphin Speed 3.


I'm probably going to order a pair of Novablasts this week, but my local Fleet Feet of course doesn't have any in-stock.

 

[DisneyParrothead]

SAFD: I’m also a Brooks girl. I have princess feet and princess mechanics. I currently have two pairs of Glycerins, and one pair of Launches. I can usually find some good deals for Glycerins on Amazon and get last year’s model. I find them springy so maybe they’ve changed since @camaker had issues with them.

 

[MinnesotaDisneyFan]

Gee, thanks for the call-out @camaker! It's true. I am finally officially in the market for new shoes because all of my 1080s are dead (or mostly dead) which leaves me with my plated supercomp trainers (that I'm hoarding for a theoretical distance I might actually race someday) and my NB (that stands for New Balance) Hierro (v8) trail shoes; those feel like a NB880, if anyone was wondering. It's a little sickening looking at the number of shoes that I will be throwing away in the next couple of months.

I've been team NB1080 for a 4 years, but they have apparently decided to make this into more of a "lifestyle" shoe than a running shoe in the last 2 versions that they've gotten too squishy, even for me!

Last year I tried on the Saucony Triumph 19 and didn't hate it, but it felt weird. I couldn't get Ghosts off my feet fast enough when I tried those. This winter I tried the NB Balos (the toe box squished the *tops* of my big toes/nails) and the NB Rebel v4 (too much squish.) I like a really wide toe box, and if my toes get squished together I pretty much hate it, so I always order my womens' shoes in a wide, and depending on the fit of the shoe, I'll order mens' shoes in an extra wide. New Balance seems to be the best about offering a wide variety of colors even in the expanded widths where other brands usually only offer 1 or 2, and those are usually black and or/white.

Oh. I also tried the saucony endorphin edge (another trail shoe) and it was awful. Very clunky and heavy, but the toe box was OK. Not enough to make up for everything else though.

DS2 wears the same size shoe as me, so I've tried out a few things I normally wouldn't (and unsurprisingly I didn't care for them) since they tend to be way lower on the cushion side of things. Those have included Brooks Hyperion, Saucony Ride, and Saucony Endorphin Speed 3.


I'm probably going to order a pair of Novablasts this week, but my local Fleet Feet of course doesn't have any in-stock.

Agree. I used to love the 1080. I think the V12 was the last one I liked. The upper used to be so good, especially the heel of the upper. Since then it’s been a totally different shoe. So different I wouldn’t even think they would continue to call it the same name. I like the Supercomp a lot and have run several marathons in them.

 

[JediKnightXan]

SAFD:

I have three pairs of shoes right now,

Mizuno Wave Inspire 19s. Had these for a two to three years now. They are my treadmill shoes as if I take them outside now my legs just feel beat up. I do the majority of my weekday running inside though so these thing probably see most of my milage, no idea what my current milage on them is, but its a lot.

Adidas Boston 12. Picked these up at the outlets for about $90 a year or so ago. I have about 120 miles on these per my Garmin. These are my current long run/race shoes. I was pretty indifferent to them for the first 50 or some miles, but now I'm really liking these. I am somewhat hoping I can keep these going to the marathon, but that is probably a tall order. Maybe I'll get lucky and see some on sale again between now and then.

Adidas EVO SL. I have about 25 miles in these. I wish I had gone a 1/2 size up on these, as I occasionally get some rubbing, on just the left foot. Messing with the lacing and different sock types seem to have helped a bit. I see flashes of why this is such a popular shoe online, but I may be to slow for them. I'm hoping this will be like the Boston's and after another 25 miles will be better. (I actually went into the store for some Mizuno Neo Zens, but they didn't have my size so ended up with these.)

EDIT: Side story... I have Miznuo Wave Inspires because when it was time to replace my last pair of wave riders store didn't have them so I got these. I went to the local running store in town because they were having a sale, wearing those and they basically refused to sell my a non stability shoe because I walked in with one. Ended up walking out with some ASICS Gel Keynos. Returned them the next day. So I went to Fleet Feet who sold me what I wanted.

P.S. Does anyone have trouble posting on this site? It seems when I'm typing a post the ads on the side reload, and then it loses my place in the message and I have to select the text box again super annoying.

 

[fatmanatee]

SAFD: I literally just bought Endorphin 4 Pros to try for races! (Looks like they're winding down on this iteration btw, if anyone is interested) We’ll see how that goes when race season ramps up again. In the meantime I’ve been going with Gel Kayanos as my daily but am going to try to get back to Hoka Clifton once those are worn out.

 

[fatmanatee]

P.S. Does anyone have trouble posting on this site? It seems when I'm typing a post the ads on the side reload, and then it loses my place in the message and I have to select the text box again super annoying.

Yep, not at the moment but it's one of a few issues they've had with ads.

 

[MissLiss279]

SAFD:
I run (train and race) in ASICS Noise Tris. I’ve been using the last several years. They work well for me.
I do feel like the last version sizes are a bit off. My normal size 9 feels a tad small and the 9.5 feels too big. I have to really cinch down the laces on the 9.5s and the 9s - I don’t think I’ve really gotten any blisters so I guess that is still the right size, but I think their is not quite as much room in the toe box.

 

[jpholic]

Good morning RunDisney All-Stars! Welcome to this week's edition of Sundays are for Disney (SAFD). This week, let's talk about one of a runner's favorite topics: shoes. Everyone has different wants and needs from their shoes, so what are your go-to model(s)? Do you have different shoes for different types of runs? Do you rotate? Between models or within a model? If it's shoe related, it's fair game for this week's SAFD. Plus, I hear @Herding_Cats may be in the market for some new ones.

SAFD: I'm pretty simple with my approach to shoes. I've got self-proclaimed "Princess feet" that are finicky about what I can run in. So, for me, it's Brooks Ghosts for all my runs. Races, long runs, slow runs, tempo runs, it doesn't matter. I do, typically, have two pairs in service at one time and rotate between them to ensure they're "fresh" for the day's run. It used to be the Glycerin in that slot for me, but Brooks broke them with the 15s, making them too soft. I dread the day when they do that to the Ghosts and I have to find a replacement. To try and mitigate that risk, I keep several new pairs of my current shoe model in the closet and "buy behind the version". When a new version comes out, I buy the retiring version on clearance to save money. After a bit, I'll also buy one pair of the new version to audition. If they work well, I know I'm good to continue my pattern for at least another year. If they don't, the stockpile of the older version buys me time to look for a suitable replacement to switch to.

SAFD: I feel like Carrie Bradshaw and her Manolo Blahnik's.

Easily 30 pair in my closet and many more in storage bins. I am always on the hunt for a new pair. I keep a close eye on new releases/drop schedule. Current rotation below -

Race shoes - all three are heaven sent for my feet

• Saucony Endorphin Pro 4 (any race and Hyrox conditioning)
• Brooks Hyperion 2 Elite PB (half/full)
• Adidas Adizero Boston 12 (half)

Training -

• Asics Superblast 2 (these sneak into the race day rotation, but are distance days... they are just so dang comfy!)
• Asics MagicSpeed 2 (speed work and intervals)
• On Cloudeclipse (easy runs)

Why won't you let me love you! -

• Nike Vaporfly 3, people rave about these and I was so hyped but they just aren't my faves. I wear them on icky race days for anything under 10 miles because I spent the money and need some sort of ROI. lol
• Nike Pegasus Premium, A++ on style but not sure how this is a running shoe. It feels way more fashion/lifestyle. Kinda heavy.

 

[jpholic]

SAFD: I literally just bought Endorphin 4 Pros to try for races! (Looks like they're winding down on this iteration btw, if anyone is interested) We’ll see how that goes when race season ramps up again. In the meantime I’ve been going with Gel Kayanos as my daily but am going to try to get back to Hoka Clifton once those are worn out.

Let us know how you like the Endorphin's, they are my go-to race shoe. They just released today a couple new color ways. I snagged the Mutant in Mens.

 

[jpholic]

SAFD: I will readily admit that I am an aesthetics first, functionality second guy. I prefer bright colors, preferably neon, and wild patterns. Not everything fits the bill, it’s more of a know it when I see it type of thing. I’d sooner cut off my feet than wear Nike Monarchs or the like.

It me, fashion over function. Love bright colors and a good design.

 

[mmm_texas]

SAFD: I've been doing "barefoot" running for so long, without injury, that I'm not looking to change. I currently have 3 pairs of Xero Speed Force 2, which I really like, and I use them for both training and races. Basically some rubber between my feet and the ground, with a wide toe box.

 

[FFigawi]

SAFD: I have four main pairs of shoes in my running rotation, five if you count my tri shoes too.

Asics Kayano 31 - The Kayano has been my go-to running shoe since I started ages ago with the Kayano XI. They're not the lightest shoes around, but they're comfortable, fit my stride and form, and with a few exceptions, each iteration is better than the one before it. I use them for training runs of all kinds and races like the full at Dopey when I know I won't really be racing.

Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 - These are my shoes for tempo runs, intervals, and other forms of speedwork. Really comfortable, last forever, and an endangered species because I don't like the Speed 4s at all. There's one pair left untouched in the closet.

Saucony Endorphin Pro 4 - These are my primary race shoes for when I've got a bit of fatigue heading in. Lightweight, comfortable, and fast.

Asics Metaspeed Edge+ - My other pair of race shoes. Not as comfortable as the Pro 4, but faster. I wear these for races when I haven't swam 2.4 miles and cycled 112 miles first.

Asics Noosa Tri 13 - Super light, good water drainage, and only used for Olympic distance or shorter triathlons.

 

[Disneyhanna]

SAFD: I was a Brooks Ghost gal but something went wrong with the 15s (feel flat after less than 100 miles) and I've pivoted away from them. Endorphin speed 3s have been my speed shoe but I don't like the feel of the 4s. I've added the Novablast 5s to my rotation which are the perfect blend of cushion and spring for speed. They are so springy and bouncy that when I wear my Ghosts I feel like I'm running on Old Navy flip flops

 

[pluto377]

SAFD: I’ve always been a NB girl. I’m currently in 880. I started with 760 or 61. I tried Altra a few years ago but ended up not loving them. I’d like to try a new shoe but I have very wide feet. I wear a 2e in NB. Doesn’t seem like many other brands have wide let alone extra wide. Unless I’m missing something?

 

[matt and beth]

SAFD: I've been doing "barefoot" running for so long, without injury, that I'm not looking to change. I currently have 3 pairs of Xero Speed Force 2, which I really like, and I use them for both training and races. Basically some rubber between my feet and the ground, with a wide toe box.

I remember some random on a trail
race absolutely bear foot. Simply amazing