Spring is in the air and a runner’s thoughts turn to… New Running shoes, of course!

Every year the running shoe companies churn out new versions of old favorites and roll out a few new styles and concepts for us. 2015 is now different.

I’ve been running in Brooks Adrenaline for over 10 years. When I first started running I had toe and blister problems. I switched to Brooks because they had a larger toe box. That change relieved 90% of my foot problems.

Why would I look at anything else, right?

The shoe companies aren’t spending millions of dollars on research and development just to keep engineers and designers on staff. They do it because material science evolves. New discoveries are made and new principals applied to shoe design and manufacturing.

Many people recommend that you switch out your shoes for your weekly runs. Different shoes put pressure on different parts of your feet, have different support and will feel different on your feet. Change is good and sometimes you discover your new favorite shoe.

Swap in your new shoes on shorter runs and wear your current shoe for longer runs. As you become more comfortable and confident in the new shoe, the new shoe can be your long run shoe and the older shoe can be for your shorter runs.

Many people have told me that new shoes do not need a break in period. This may be true, but you should go on short runs with your new shoes until you know how your feet will react to them. The best shoe for everyone else could cause you a world of problems. You don’t want to discover this on a 20 mile long run.

Adidas Ultra Boost

I recently tried on the Ultra Boost. The shoe is very different from what I currently wear.

Energy-returning boost™ in the midsole gives these men’s running shoes a soft but not too-soft feel. They have a breathable mesh upper with a bootie-like fit and feature a grippy rubber outsole that’s built to log miles. – Adidas

The shoe fit tightly in the toe box area with the mesh material gripping the knuckle of my big toe. The front of the shoe is all mesh without any of the strips that go from the lace structure to the toe of the shoe. These strips probably gave some structure to the toe box and kept the shoe away from my toes.

The heal of the shoe is also unique. The cup for the heel is split in the back with the center inch or so made of a mesh fabric. I only went out for a short run but it felt like the shoe may fall off. When I sat down and pulled on the shoe, it was obvious the shoe wasn’t going anywhere.

The tongue of the shoe is integrated into the upper. I’ve never seen this before. Many shoes have a tab to run a lace through and hold the tongue in place. This is an innovative approach to holding your tongue.

Because this shoe is so different from anything I’ve worn before, I’d love to try them on a longer term basis. It would be interesting to see how they feel on my daily run and a long run.

Adidas and the BAA just announced a new store on Boylston Street in Boston. It’s a new retail concept for Adidas and looks really cool. It’s called Boston Marathon RUNBASE. If you sign up for their mailing list you get a 15% discount. I have no affiliation with Adidas or the BAA.

2015 Running Shoe Guide:

2015 Running Gear Guide: Road Shoes

from Competitor.com. You can also check out their complete 2015 Running Gear Guide for information on everything you need for running.

From Runner’s World I have their

Runner’s World 2015 Spring Shoe Guide

Under Armour seems to be coming on strong. A friend gave a good review of the Speedform Gemini shoe. He writes his reviews after running 50+ miles in a shoe. A real runner with real opinions.

These shoe guides have plenty of names that you are familiar with and some that you may not be. I’m constantly surprised by new names, or new to me anyway.

Hope you find what you are looking for.

Run Well my Friends!

Andy