By Paul Freary
Having my own running store for over 20 years, spent the 10 years before that working for major shoe brands and spent several years as a sponsored athlete, I’ve never been short of a vast selection of running shoes.
Throughout most of these years, I’d use a specific shoe for easy runs, a different shoe for fast road intervals and (once they became available), a trail shoe for off-road runs.
In recent years having a selection of such shoes has become known as a ‘rotation’; a collection of shoes worn or rotated throughout the week, each with its own, sometimes rather niche purpose.
What is a Shoe Rotation?
Here I’ll explain the benefits of building a shoe rotation, where to start and what types of shoes to add to it as your running develops.
As you run more, you may naturally want more than one pair of running shoes. Running in different shoes on different days allows shoes to ‘recover’ between runs and dry out from both perspiration and wet weather conditions.
The cushioning foams used in running shoes become compressed when used and while this is only to very small amounts, giving it 48 hours can help the foam to recover to its original state fully.
There is also some evidence to suggest that running in different shoes reduces the possible risk of injury. With 26 bones, 33 joints and over a hundred muscles, tendons and ligaments in the feet, the slightly different movements of all of these parts encourage stronger and more flexible feet helping you as a runner.
Where Do I Start?
The size of your running shoe rotation will of course depend on your budget, but your first running shoe is going to be a training shoe, a model that you can wear for most of your running.
When choosing your first pair of shoes, it would be useful to visit a specialist running store. This store will most likely have a video gait analysis system and be able to advise you on the best first pair of shoes.
Gait Analysis is a method of recording you running on a treadmill to monitor how flexible your feet are and how they function when running. This is commonly referred to as ‘pronation’. You can read our detailed guide to video gait analysis here.
Shoe 1: Daily Trainer - Neutral
If you have a neutral foot strike a neutral daily trainer will be the best place to start. This shoe will offer good cushioning and allow the foot to function in its most natural manner.
With cushioning technologies advancing faster than ever in recent years, there is a great selection of shoes at various stack heights available.
Brooks Ghost Max
One of my favourite shoes of the past few months has been the Brooks Ghost MAX. This shoe offers a deep stack of cushioning as well as a rocker shape which helps encourage a forward ‘roll’ of the foot, making a great shoe for beginners.
Shoe 2: Daily Trainer - Support
Should your gait analysis recommend a more supportive type of running shoe to control pronation, then a support-type shoe would be required.
Pronation is the term used to describe the natural movement of the foot from striking the ground on the lateral (outside edge) of the heel to then ‘rolling’ inwards towards the arch.
If the foot continues to roll inwards excessively, then this is commonly referred to as overpronation.
The degree of ‘roll’ or pronation will dictate the best shoe to choose should your foot over-pronate and you can read in more detail here about support shoes and if you require them.
A very popular shoe that offers support and control for overpronation is the Saucony Guide 17.
Saucony Guide 17
In my running store, this shoe has surpassed all expectations in terms of sales and popularity during the first few months of 2024 since its launch.
Previous versions of the Saucony Guide have always been popular, but the latest version has proved to be one of the biggest sellers from the brand.
With a new high stack midsole and unique geometry, the Guide 17 does without traditional medial posts allowing it to be a softer riding shoe that’s lightweight but at the same time incredibly effective in controlling over-pronation.
Shoe 3: Racing Shoe
The next shoe to add to your rotation should be a racing shoe.
Even if you don’t have any desire to run in a little more competitive manner, a racing shoe is a lightweight model that can be used for faster-paced training sessions as well as races.
Carbon Plated Running Shoes
Since Eliud Kipchoge first attempted to run the first sub-two-hour marathon, the world of racing shoes has been transformed.
Carbon plates have been inserted into lightweight models with the promise of adding a little more ‘spring’ to our stride.
Nowadays every brand has a carbon-plated model in their range of running shoes, each promising more speed, better efficiency and a more responsive ride.
Kipchoge’s shoe of choice and the model which saw him go under two hours for the marathon is the Nike Alphafly, now in its third generation. It’s also the shoe that was worn by the late Kelvin Kiptum in claiming the Marathon World Record in Chicago in 2023.
Nike Alphafly 3
In my last two Berlin Marathons, 2022 and 2023 (2:39 and 2:40 respectively) I’ve chosen the Nike Vaporfly, preferring its slightly more flexible ride and less bulk compared to the Alphafly, but for my last marathon in Manchester in April this year, it was the new ASICS Metaspeed Sky Paris that I chose.
The third-generation Metaspeed shoe offers a soft, springy ride that’s super-responsive and very lightweight.
Shoe 4: Trail Shoe
If you run on the trails for most of your training, then a trail shoe will be your first shoe to go for, but for many people, a trail shoe will be great for that weekend run on their local trails.
Trail running is essentially anything that’s not on the road or tarmac. This could be grass, gravel, dirt tracks, fire roads or mountain paths, the variety of trails is endless and dependent on the weather it can change daily!
When looking for a trail shoe you’ll need to think about the type of terrain you run on most regularly and the amount of grip this terrain demands. If the trail is soft, you’ll need a shoe with deeper studs, whereas if the trail is firmer, then a shoe that offers a nice mix of both traction and cushioning would be a good option.
It would also be wise to consider the distance you cover on the trails as the amount of cushioning provided by trail shoes can also vary as much as the grip.
Generally speaking shoes with deeper grip will offer a little less cushioning as when more grip is required, the ground will be softer.
I personally recommend the Brooks Caldera 7 for those wanting a good all-around trail shoe thanks to its deep stack of Nitro foam and versatile outsole traction.
Brooks Caldera 7
If you want a little more grip for those wetter or muddier trails, shoes from VJ, a Scandinavian brand offer (as they claim) ‘the best grip on the planet’ thanks to their use of Butyl rubber.
Shoe 5: Tempo Shoe
Tempo running is generally anything run at a faster than normal, but not quite as fast as race pace. So an interval session or faster-paced run might be a great time to choose a tempo shoe.
While some will use their racing shoe here, you may want to reserve that model strictly for race day and those 100% efforts.
This is an ever-growing category with shoes such as the HOKA’s Skyward X, a max-cushioned, carbon-plated trainer offering a unique combination of cushioning and performance.
HOKA Skyward X
You may want to choose another carbon-plated model here and a shoe I find perfect for tempo running and intervals in the Brooks Hyperion Elite 4.
Brooks Hyperion Elite 4
Whilst the Hyperion is Brooks race day model, I find it a little too firm for my marathon race distance, but perfect for intervals and shorter, faster runs. The firmer ride gives me a more aggressive propulsion and I’ve used it regularly for intervals of between 1 mile and 5k.
For shorter intervals, I find the Nike ZoomX Streakfly a nice option. It’s super light and the ZoomX foam offers a soft and responsive ride. There’s no carbon plate, but for shorter intervals, I prefer its flexibility.
Nike ZoomX Streakfly
What Next?
With only seven days in the week, you SHOULD have enough shoes, with three or four pairs of shoes to cater to your weekly running needs. Of course, if running and shoes are your passion, you can never have enough, so what next?
Some runners will talk about a ‘recovery’ shoe. This would be a model simply for very easy runs the day after a harder effort. This type of shoe will usually offer a very soft cushioned feel to ‘soak up’ the impact and help tired legs. Something like a New Balance 1080v13 would be such a model.
Another addition may be a second pair of trail shoes. If you have a pair with general, all-around traction, perhaps a model with deeper traction will be an option or a Gore-Tex (water-proof) model for those wet days.
Then, with the advances being made in racing shoes, you’ll never be short of carbon-plated models to choose from.
One thing is for sure, the running shoe market has never been larger and offered as many models as it does right now. The vast array of models is great for competition, with manufacturers wanting to outperform each other in every segment.
So, what will be your ideal running shoe rotation?
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