With many people planning for the first wave of 2024, there are going to be a lot of running shoes being bought over the next few months. In this video (also the podcast) we chat through our top choices for marathon shoe rotations in 2025.
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00:00 – Intro
00:34 – Easy day picks
06:18 – Training shoes
13:03 – Race day shoes
19:56 – All-rounder picks
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Hey Tommy from the Run testers in this Video we're talking about Marathon shoe Rotations so we're going to be picking The shoes that would be our top choices For running a marathon so that includes Easy day shoes daily shoes and the shoes That we'd actually used for race day This video is also part of the podcast So if you're planning on listening to The podcast don't watch this video right Let's dive in and see what we all have To say All right guys it is coming up to the End of January a lot of people are Preparing for marathons going up in March and April uh so this is probably a Good time to start talking about what Shoes we would pick up um for that Marathon training box so we're not just Talking about the the the race shoes That you're going to pick for for the Big day but shoes that you're going to Use over the next three months we've Done this a few times we talked about um Rotations um but we've had a lot of new Shoes in since the last time we've done That so Um let's start with uh Mike do you want To start um if you were to pick your uh Rotation what at the moment what would Be your easy day shoe for marathon Training I know you're not training for A marathon but you were uh well I still I still am working to a rotation as I
Would as if I would be doing a marathon So still be kind of utilizing my shoes In that way so in terms of the easy Shoes that I'm using I would go to at The moment is the skyex H skyex and I am Actually using the balance 1080 v13 not The v14 I much prefer the Comfort side Of things with those shoes uh gives me Enough in terms of protection I know That you know there's going to be very Stable for me shoes personally um and I Know Comfort is going to be the priority For me so the shoes that I would kind of Be grabbing and actually I mean Super BL Blast 2 would be in there as well I Think you know in terms of me you know Particularly picking up my mileage and Having a shoe very that's very easy to Do that with that's a shoe that I found You know that I've been grabbing the Most for those types of runs and like Getting more kind of time on my feet um So those are the kind of ones that I've Been turning to with a view you know That you know if I was do mouth those Are the shoes I'd still be using anyway So okay you got one pick what's your Easy day shoe Uh at the moment a 1080 v13 is the one I Still I still grab for I know it's not The it's not the newest version but it's Just the one that I love the weight of It I love the way it feels I love the Comfort side of things I think the 1080
V14 is a good shoe I just you know it's Just worked a little bit better for me And I know what I'm going to get from That shoe um when I go out on it yeah And what sort of distance would you go Up to in the uh 10v 13 I mean to be Honest where I'm you know I wouldn't go Kind of you know my longest longest runs I think like 10 11 12 mil I feel Absolutely fine running in that shoe and That's kind of where I'm at at the Moment so for me it's perfectly fine you Know I think the biggest difference for Me the 108 v14 is I'd probably feel more Comfortable going further than that in That shoe but I think for me in terms of Where I'm at and where my kind of long Runs are at the moment I mean he's Absolutely fighting so okay Nick easy Day shoe what you get one pick you can You can took through some ofs but um What's your one pick for people doing uh A marathon in this year for easy day Shoeses at the moment people or for me Question uh well what would you what What are you going to pick what based on Your running basically just I think I Really have like a like a dedicated easy Day shoe anymore I just think they've Got so good The Versatile shoes that I'd Probably be using those for easy runs And then other runs as well so like I Think if I was going to recommend go and Get one easy day shoe for people I I
Really rate the so hurcan 24 I think It's a very impressive shoe all around But I think probably my e runs that kind Of thing I wouldn't use uh a shoe as big As that I just don't tend to use those Kind of shoes that much when it comes to My the pick my shoes I'd probably be Looking at something like super blast or The HX 6 kind of thing those are shoes That I just really like using a lot for That kind of run just yeah the easy runs Here and there and then if I'm doing Anything like V if I was doing lots of Long Easy runs I would get something Like the Hurrican like that but none of My long runs are ever just always easy There always a progression element to Them so I do prefer picking up uh Picking up something that's got a bit More versatility myself glycerin Max Would be another one very very much up There I was just looking at kind of a um Kind of an actual General easy day shoe For marathon training I think it's one Of the best marathon training shoes out There with that nice rocker nice stiff Ride but yeah it's hard to say what I'd Pick like you know I want to pick the Super blast but if I if I'm actually Talking about the rotation I'd have a Marathon training a dream rotation the Super blast will be the shoe I'd be Picking out for all those kind of Runs well I'm the opposite to you most
Of my runs are easy runs I'm training For marathons at the moment um so I Would Um we've had quite a few new shoes in That are that you would probably put Into that category of easy day long run Shoes things like the um the gel nimbers 27 uh the Brooks GL 22 but that neither Of those has really sparked my interest I've not really enjoyed those very much Definitely not for long runs so I think I would um I mean I'm still I'm Obviously going to say the more V5 Because I love that shoe um comfort a Nice comfortable ball Pace that's that's That's what I get out the more V5 um but I would say I mean stuff like the uh Muno Neo Vista which is you know around A shoe you could use for other stuff I Would use it for easy runs as well um Yeah there lots of PL Cho I would I Probably just wouldn't pick a plated Shoe for easy run like again if it was You know Nike zoomly 6 is an incredibly Comfortable shoe just relaxed easy runs And again it does that job really well But probably I'd like to have not a Plate free shoe when it comes to just Pure easy stuff yeah the hurricane is a Very good choice cuz you because you can You take off a lot of different people For that and you you got no concerns About stability or anything it just uh Just a it's just one issues that it is
Just a big block of comfort but actually Has a bit more it than most shoes in That category I found Anyway okay let's Do training shoes Mike you got one Shoe what you going for what what you're Suggesting is is the shoe that would you Use for all of your faster sessions if You training for a marathon I think you Know I think for me and what I've you Know what I've kind of used I think will Probably work for a lot of people and It's one that I kind of picked out and In my kind of you know favorites from Last year is the the rebel V4 the new B Rebel V4 for me that's the one that I've Been back out in when I've wanted to do Some slightly more Up Tempo um sessions You know I think it just works very well I think I like the fact it has the Elements of the upper the Elite there so From a kind of fit point of view it Feels really good you know great for me And you know I think for me that is a Shoe that I think will work for a lot of People first and foremost and I think The experience of using that for kind of More Tempo sessions um I think you know That that's a great shoe and I think That work for a lot of different people Okay any others that people might want To look At I mean you you got to put the Mac um In there as well I think the Mac X2 as
Well those you know those are still very Solid um shoes in that category you know Price-wise value-wise I think you're Getting you know a lot out of those Shoes as well super last do would be in There as well because it could do a lot Of that as well so you know it's more Expensive very hard to get a hold of but If you could get it that would be a shoe That could work for that maybe not your Very fastest stuff but I think you know If you were looking for an allinone shoe To do that some of that then that would Be another shoe to look at I Think yeah go on then Nick and this is Going to be quite different for you Again I imagine so this is again yeah I'm going to I'm going to push I'm going To annoy people here but I I I I have my Pick again what I've got access to loads Of shoes here so I G to be honest and Say the one that I do use the most Marathon trading but then I'll give some Probably more sensible picks but I do Think the H yell X1 is the best marathon Training shoe ever made probably wow I've done my last year you know Marathons every time I've got a really Big hard long run P shoe I pull on you Is fast really fast it's a racing shoe It's very very fast but it is I think a Bit more stable and comfortable and Protective some of the you know the Racing shoes you always bounce back
Really well the next day and the ride is Just unbelievable it's just so nice to Run with that shoe a lot and so I have Done I've done I think about 360 km in That shoe now just um all in marathon Training the old race here and there but It's just the dream marathon training Shoe you know that session uh I I talk About it separately to this in the audio Part of the podcast but he said I did a Long session at the track yesterday 10times 1K 10 times 400 I did that in The clo at the back end of last year and Yeah it was it was dream in that so I do Think that's amazing it's obviously very Expensive it's a car racing shoe people Don't want to train in that all the time There are some amazing obviously played Super trainers out there I think for Marathon training in particular I think Nike zoomfly 6 might just Edge out the Max2 and the Sak and Doin speed 4 which I think are slightly faster shoes but Zoomfly is so comfortable so good for Those marathon training sessions where You're really doing Flatout reps you're Doing maybe a lot of reps with shorter Recovery and that's the kind of you know The thing it really comes to its own and Then plate three uh shoe I've been using A lot recently is the Adidas adzer evos SL which is an incredible shoe great Value the opposite to the Hocus yellow It's an unplated low stack simple shoe
That's less than half the price and you Know pretty much as good it's an amazing Shoe just maybe not hasn't quite got That I think the protection you get for Long runs from clo but yeah that's an Amazing shoe as well but yeah honestly I Like I say the proofs in the marage I've Got access to every shoe here but I've Done more miles in this yellow than I've Done in any shoe probably ever except For the so original soing endorphin Speed 4 yeah but I suppose the training That you're doing you're you're you're Doing long runs that have quite a lot of Fast sections in like the whole long run Might be a fast run for you yeah and Then you know I'm doing a lot of doubles So you want to do the the first you know The doubles the threshold doubles Usually so the pace isn't crazy but you Got to recover for the next one so I'll Put on the C because I know that I Rebound better in that shoe you know and Then I'm good again for the and then I Might use the Adidas Evo ASL for the Afternoon run where you know it's less About you know quick recovery more about Enjoying the run at that time you know They're both really enjoyable shoes just Very different ends of the spectrum I Think those are two standout options for Sure with something like the zoomly Splitting the difference in the middle As slightly more realistic plated shoe
Maybe than C although might be able to Find it the new one's coming out soon And you know there might be a better Racing shoe but it's hard to imagine a Better fast training shoe than C X1 even Though that's not what it's designed to Be well I destroyed my uh C X1 after 40K Uh so just incredible I just don't know How you do these things I was I was so I Was so upset I really I like you I love That shoe and I wish I'd used it for Valencia Marathon um I think for me it Is more of a marathon shoe than a than a Training shoe um but yeah I think uh Yeah I definitely would put as a Training shoe but I I do love that shoe Got to stick some Shu on it in a bit see If I can I'm excited building this Rotation have to say I think at the Moment I've got a couple of shoes well Over 200 quids if I can my racing Sho Might have been my cheapest Sho yeah uh all right well I'm going to Go uh Tren shoes is a tricky one most of My training is when I do marathon Training I'm not doing ridiculously long Fast runs most of my long runs are Relatively slow they will have some Faster sections in but I'm less bothered About them being really fast what I'm Bothered about his consistent pace and And still a bit of comfort so that's Where the super Blast 2 comes in for That um but still shoes likeo W um no no
Muna Neo Vista that's the sort of shoe That I think that would work really well For for me because it gives you the Energy to go out and maintain a pretty Good Pace I'm not going you know full Pelt in when I'm going to do those Marathon training sessions but um I Still want a shoe that's going to help Me go a bit faster so I definitely go For something like Neo Vista even the um The balos uh which I haven't picked up For a while actually that's a good one For me for those sorts of runs as well Yeah um but uh I suppose the tricky Thing if you're talking about your Training shoe for a marathon some people Do I probably most of my speed speed Stuff in a marathon training block is Tends to be the interval type stuff the Shorter stuff whereas the the longer Ones are actually not really that fast Um so I need a shoe that's going to be You know pretty good at those as well if I'm picking one training shoe um and I Think shoes like the Neo Vista probably A little bit better for me um than the Balos and the super Blast 2 for those Shorter faster sections interesting yeah Um so yeah I think I think I'll go if I've got one pick sadly I'm still going To go for super plus 2 all Right just just because it just does a Lot a lot of stuff um but yeah okay Let's go into the big one then the race
Shoes Mike so we spent a lot of time talking About the C X1 and this is probably Where I would be turning to for it I Think of all the shoes that I've used at My kind of marathon pace in my long runs Last year this is the shoe that I Enjoyed the most it's it's fun it's Lively but it's still very stable and I Think a bit like Nick has said it I mean I don't feel like my legs are wrecked After using this shoe and I feel like It's it's the idol Marathon shoe the Laces are terrible we know that you know We all kind of recognize I didn't know This until I race at the weekend three Times I had to stop and do my laces up Oh Tom they fixed it in later versions You know the ones that they sell now Don't come with those Laces yeah yeah um yeah so for me that Would probably be you know when I turn To my the new one comes out hopefully if I can get a hold of that that's probably The one that I'd be going for um but you Know I think there's some really strong Ones that I've really enjoyed I've Actually been back out and doing some Running back at the SC Elite V4 and I Think for a lot of people that would be A shoe that would work very well for People I think it's a very accessible Shoe very stable shoe still has enough About it I think to be a good shoe over
That Marathon distance and I think that Can work for a lot of people and then The d8 N the pum DV8 Nitro Elite 3 is is A fantastic shoe cost less than you know Most of those Marathon shoes we're Probably going to talk about and it's Fantastic you know I love that shoe you Know it's a added bonus that it's Cheaper than the competition you know From a midell point of view outo the fit Of it it's it's a fantastic shoe and I Think that's going to serve a lot of People want a really nice fast Marathon Shoe yeah I reckon that the pummer That's actually another shoe I've used a Load lately I think it's basically a Winter training essential at this point That having a shoe with Puma grip for me And that shoe in particular has just Been so important for you know it was it Was about it was one or Subzero for About a week and a half here wasn't it So I had to do two or three you know Hard workouts on the track Double Days On greasy on icy roads and like that and Just everything was in the Puma because It was you know I did a progression 30k In it just because it was the only sh You would be gripping reliably the whole Way while still being super quick so Yeah that's another one I stick in my Trainer section as well as well as Racing okay so uh Nick you're actually Doing a marathon pretty soon so um what
What what are you going to go what what Out of the picks at the moment are you Going to go for well uh I mean my Favorite shoe last year was the aex Met Speed Sky Paris I have to use that shoe Anyway in Seville because aex sort of be The place very kindly when I you know my Way but I couldn't get a spot so they Because they sponsor so I am using the Ax but I think given what happened last Year I used it for my PBS over marathon And half marathon it's the shoe I'd be Using any way until something new comes And knocks off his perch if something Does like I do think I Reon at this Point it is we're splitting hairs Actually between most of these complex Shoes it's the one that feels the best For you I know some people who just much Prefer the feel of someone like an alpha Which is a lot squigger than the Met Speed Sky Paris and would go for that And I think that's probably the other One I think is right up there in terms Of performance and then the pummer is Incredibly good as well the on cloud Boom stri Al less is very very good but The aex you know again that's another Shoe I've got almost 300K on one that One of them got a fresher one for the Marathon and yeah I think you can't beat It the combination of lightness and Bounce and speed and everything it's I Know you're not such a big fan of to
After Valencia but um yeah that's that's My Marathon shoe for sure yeah it's It's Tricky with some of those uh like Valencia if I was a bit fitter I might I Might have liked it but um no I I think I definitely feel a big difference Between something like the CEO X1 and The Met speed Sky Paris um and I much Prefer the ride of the the c one I just I like the bigger like bit bigger base On it and just a bit more to that foam For me I need a little bit more softness Um but I think uh for me uh well keep Bang about H cx1 obviously there's a new Version coming out soon which um Hopefully can get a hold of cuz that Might if that if that's good I think is Probably going to toss up between that The uh Puma D Nitro Elite 3 and maybe The Sak endorphin Elite two um once We've had a chance to test them um but I Can't think of it yeah apart from H cx1 And I haven't had many good complex Shoes over the past 12 months that I've Really been impressed with apart from The pummer and the the cx1 London I've Got quite a few I'd love to do the Marathon in like I've been going hard at London it's two months after Seville It's got chance to bounce back and I Want to something not the ax cuz I've Used them for two hard marathons then so The cell X it's the stupidest the cell X1 2.0 is right up be inter B because it
Is I think it is a lot lighter and it Seems a bit more aggressive and racy and It's whether they still retain that kind Of magical bounce whilst doing all those Things would be very interesting but That's the one that's probably top of my Mind that I want to use at London at the Moment I would love to use the Puma but My um I just cut a bit long for me and That's fine for training but on a race Day I wouldn't want to have a shoe that I think I had a bit too much room in it Just yeah get get into my head so I Think yeah at the moment if the yell X One 2.0 lose up to that but I'd also Just like to go and do a marathon in the AL 3 because I do think it's my second Favorite kind of marathon racing sh I Just haven't run a marathon in it yet And I've I've run marathons in all the Out flies in every VAP fly to date so I'd like to keep that track record going You're not going to take out alone and Get the pro evos I'm not going to get The pro evos I uh I have problems with a Shoe that's so inaccessible so although You know at some point they all be like That I fear and I I don't think that's The way to go there were there were many Times in uh Dubai cuz Dubai they have every every shoe Available um they had every every size Of the pro evos um I think it's because Even
Though there there's quite a lot of Runners around there it's not the same As like the US and the UK there there There's not loads of people buying the Latest Run shoes so they just massively Stock up and then they've got loads of Them they're not getting sold out but Yeah I was so close to buying them and Then I'm quite glad it didn't cuz after What happened with the uh Hilo X1 if I Ripped the back off of that and they They've got an even lighter pepper ring Of rubber on the aole so i' definitely Shed a tear if I you get them you can Get them here if you want they're on Sport shoes I think just there sitting There now yeah we should say actually All of us none of us have mentioned the Adios Pro 4S none of us have tested it Very tricky to get samples out so um we Haven't made kieran's tested it I think He likes it apart from the fact it Ripped his toes off but um his to off But uh does sound like a very good shoe By all accounts but it's very hard for Me as someone who takes this very Seriously too seriously and you know Fast enough to want the faster shoe to Buy a second tier shoe from a brand or Use a second tier shoe from a brand I Don't like that idea but I think Probably within a few years that will be The case of every brand potentially they Will have some kind of elite own
Issue hopefully Not okay uh lastly let's just uh If they only listeners planning to do a Marathon coming up and they only want to Buy one shoe and they're not planning on Building a rotation maybe they this the First time in the marathon they don't Want to go crazy uh what shoe would you Pick Mike I don't want to say super blaz Because it's just so difficult to get a Hold of I mean that's probably the one That I would say but it's you know it's Not accessible for a lot of people So I think you know for something to get You comfortably through that distance The glitering max I think Brooks's shoes In general in that range from a comfort Point of view uh you know take a lot of Boxes so I think maybe that would be a Good one there'd be enough in the ride I Think for a lot of people to so if you Were doing your first then that would be A very kind of safe bet I think so That's probably one that I would Probably consider I think of the ones I Think are going to work for a lot of People mhm what about if uh it's Somebody who did want to had been Training for marathons in the past does Like running but only wants to buy one Peru for the whole training block I mean I think the if you could afford The pummer I think the pummer could
Handle some training I think there's Enough there to handle some training and Also give you enough on race day and to You know to make sure you have a a good Day in that shoe so I think that would Probably one and it you know it is still Expensive but it is cheaper than the Alternatives and I think it's not a less Issue because of that go then Nick one Shoe for everything for beginners and Then maybe intermediates uh beginners a Brooks Glycerin Max is definitely one That came to mind for me it's expensive I basically would go and try on the Glycerin Max the glycerin 22 from Brooks Or or the ASX Nimbus and just basically See if you like the lower drop rocker of The max or if you prefer the higher drop Of something like the Nimbus or the G 22 And then pick between them based on that But the G Max is definitely a good shout And then if you're someone who is going To do a bit more speed work and wants to Run fast on the day but needs one CH for Everything I'd get the Nike zom fly six I think it's really comfortable but Pretty fast okay I'm going to surpr you Here I'm going to say Evo SL oh Evo is good I just don't think it Was one I'd pick for fairly new Runner I Well I I did think that I I think it's Probably a little Bit um lack of stability if you used to Running in a more stable shoe but I I'm
Really enjoy that shoe for easy runs and I'm mainly doing easy runs at the moment Um so you're you're like similar weight To me though so that's my my thing I Think you maybe slightly heavier Runner You might want Something bit more bit more stack and Kind of width and support it's amazing Shoe that's one Sho I consider for Myself I to pick one shoe for everything For the whole Marathon block but yeah I Probably position that more against like The Zoom fly than against something like The the um the if your if it's your First marathon yeah Yeah I would go for something like the Super plus 2 but I don't think I think The super plus 2 tends to be a the shoe That a rotation buyer would would buy It's not the shoe you just buy one like That's your only shoe cuz if you're buy One shoe you're not going to buy 200 P Shoe you might as well you know that's The glycerin as well glycerin Max as Well isn't it you're going to buy one Shoe but I think that is proving 180 Isn't it yeah yeah Yeah It's Tricky there's a lot of good Options EV is definitely a good option Yeah yeah yeah okay oh I think that I'll Do is for uh for Marathon shoes um let's See if we actually end up using all of These over the next well we've got a uh We've got our full round up coming
Haven't we where we pick our pick uh so Obviously this I'm not telling don't do a li don't go Yet go super blast hocus yellow X1 That's an insane rotation that is what I'm kind of using but would not say to People go do that and in the video Coming up we will you know we'll Actually have the slightly more Journalistic picks where we actually you Know think about this is this is just This is just pure insight into the Lunacy of Thees yeah yours me and Mike are pretty Pretty comfortable whacking the super Blast thing constantly That's have to ban that from dropping The super blast like yeah super last why Not but yeah we got a video where we'll Take into the account the ideas of you Know slightly more slightly more normal Approach yeah yeah although you can be Sure we'll be recommending the superl in That Video load and to buy loads and de buy Loads of them all in Te teal as well That teal Super right catch you guys later yeah See lat right that's it from us on this Video thanks a lot for watching don't Forget to like subscribe click that Little bell and if you go to the cat Below you can find L to our podcast Which comes out a couple of times each
Month and if you listen to this version Of the podcast you get about 20 minutes More of us talking about new shoes and Training and things like that thanks all For watching catch you next time
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