NEW SHOES!!! With 438 miles on my Brooks Adrenaline GTS 7, it is time to replace them – actually its is past due. This is almost double the mileage that I had put on the two previous shoes. I wasn’t experiencing any pain which is often an indicator that it is time to switch.

I raced a total of 25 miles in the shoes, racing tends to break down shoes faster than regular running. Since I messed up my knee in April 2006 I haven’t raced in true racing shoes since then. It is feeling better and I might start using racing flats again this year or next.

I last wrote about changing shoes in September, but I was wearing a new pair during the training cycle for the half-marathon which I purchased in December.

I didn’t spend a lot of time shopping around. In the back of my head I went into the Running Room thinking about changing brands of shoes. I’ve heard that it is good to change brands of shoes every once in awhile to give your feet a break and to change things up. I thought this would be a good time for that since I’ve worn the GTS 7 for the last 3 training cycles. The last non-Brooks shoe I wore was the Asics GT-2120. Here is what I think about the major shoe brands:

• Brooks – I’ve enjoyed every pair that I’ve owned collegiately and post-collegiate.
• New Balance – Wore them once for running and the back part of the shoe wore through and gave me nasty blisters on the heel.
• Saucony – I tore my Achilles in a Saucony trail shoe and wore them once more and got plantar fascitis shortly afterwards – coincidence? I think not. Someone told me they have a smaller heel box would could encourage both injuries.
• Adidas – Wore them a lot in college but the fabric tended to break down (tear) pretty quickly.
• Nike – Never been a big fan, guess I could try them out sometime!
• Asics – I’ve liked pretty much every pair that I’ve worn, but switched to Brooks for a more solid shoe.
• Mizuno – Never tried it before but I know some people who go way out of their way to get Mizunos.
• Reebok – Are you serious?

Did I leave any out? Yea, I guess I left out brands like Vasque and Salomon that focus primarily in the trail market. Never worn them at all, but I know some people like them. There is also a shoe called the Vibram KSO which is a barefooter’s shoe. An oxymoron I know but the “shoe” basically protects the foot from debris and provides a little traction. I tried them on and they are pretty slick, but not for me.

Ok back to my shoe purchase. This was my second trip to the Running Room, primarily because they are the closest specialty store to my house, just over a mile. And because they were having a sidewalk sale for last year’s shoes! Their sale was mostly Mizuno, Nike, another brand I forget right now. They had very limited selection so I was surprised when they had 2 Mizuno shoes in my size and stability level. They were both last year’s models so were nicely discounted!

I tried both on and left with a pair of Mizuno Wave Inspire 3. The clerk said that the main difference between this and the Brooks is the way the stability is designed and integrated into the shoe. The Mizuno’s are also a few ounces lighter. She highly recommended them and wears Mizuno herself.

I have worn them for 20 miles and feet are adjusting to them. They do fit a little differently than the Brooks. I’m not an expert shoe reviewer but I can feel a difference between the two. It is a little harder to compare since my last memory of the Brooks is in their worn down pre-death stage! I’ll keep you updated on my Mizuno progress!

[tags] Running Shoes, Brooks, Mizuno, Shoes [/tags]