If you are training for a marathon, or indeed any other race, the bulk of your training miles will be run at an easy pace. Race day might be haunting your dreams from the moment you sign up, but training for a marathon, particularly your first, largely involves running slowly. The goal is to gently build up the amount of time you spend running, until 26.2 miles doesn’t seem so daunting.
To support that, you will therefore need a good pair of everyday running shoes that suit you. Then, you might also want a pair of “fast” shoes for race days — perhaps a pair of carbon-plated “super shoes”. And finally, you might think about shoes designed to boost your recovery. Sounds like a lot to invest in? No need to worry. Right now, you can save up a lot of money on running shoes in the Amazon Prime Day sale.
It’s important, of course, to choose the right shoes for you. If you overpronate or underpronate (or supinate), you might need a pair with extra support in the right places. It is always worth having your gait analysed at a running shop to check, even if you buy online.
Of course, running isn’t just about the shoes. There’s a lot of other kit that you can invest in, and we have reviews of everything from the very best Garmin watches to the top treadmills for home training. And don’t forget that an important part of training for a running race is to build your strength with resistance training. You can also help your running by cross-training on another piece of cardio equipment
Everyday running shoes
When it comes to training for any race distance, it a generally accepted and sensible rule of thumb that 80% of your miles should be easy, with 20% (at most) harder. These harder efforts might include interval training or tempo running.
So for the majority of your runs, you need a pair of shoes that are best suited to easy-paced miles, and which will offer you enough cushioning to protect your muscles and joints from impact, without feeling heavy or too slow.
Some people like to buy two pairs of such shoes, different models or different brands, and rotate between them. The initial outlay might be more, but you should get twice as long before you need to buy another pair. The idea here is that the slightly different mechanics of the two different pairs might just help stave off an overuse injury from doing the same thing in the same shoes, over and over again.
If you are a neutral runner, then one of the best all-purpose, all-rounder shoes for your everyday training is the New Balance 1080. Now on its 14th version for a good reason, this is a comfortable, well-designed shoe that offers great value for money, and should see you through hundreds of miles of running.
It has plenty of cushioning but is still pretty lightweight, so that you never feel the cushioning is weighing you down. Indeed, although this is designed as a “high mileage” everyday running shoe, the 1080 is light and responsive enough that it can also cope with you picking up the pace on a tempo run.
With a plush upper that hugs your feet without weighing them down, this is a shoe that feels incredibly comfortable from the moment you first slip it on. It has enough grip to cope with wet pavements and even some light trail (such as gravel paths in a park) and wears extremely well.
Other everyday shoes
Race day shoes
Since the introduction of carbon plates to running shoes with Nike’s Vaporfly 4% in 2016, the world of race shoes has been transformed. But what super shoes once offered only to elite runners is now mainstream at amateur races, too. The point of the carbon plate is to act as a kind of spring, driving you forwards — and evidence certainly suggests that they can benefit amateurs too.
Amateur runners wearing supershoes can get benefits in running economy, compared to running in traditional shoes. Strava data also shows that runners in super shoes tend to complete races 4-5% faster than those in normal shoes, even when adjusted for training and ability.
All of which means, for the amateur, that if you really care about that marathon race, and you can afford them (super shoes are more expensive than other running shoes) then it might well be worth paying for a pair. But with every brand claiming theirs is best, which one?
In recent years, Puma has revolutionised its running shoe lineup, redesigning everything from everyday shoes like the Deviate Nitros to its latest carbon-plated racer, the Fast-R Deviate Nitro Elite 3.
Puma has shared research on just how much its shoe can help you on race day. A study, conducted at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, by the same professor who conducted the original study on the first super shoe (the Nike Vaporfly) says that the Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 provides a 3.15% improvement on the previous Puma version (the Elite 2).
That might not sound like a huge figure, but for a four-hour marathoner, a 3.15% saving would equate to taking over 7 mins 43 secs off your time, without any extra effort. In fact, of all the 15 different shoes tested, the Fast-R 3 was found to have the best running economy.
So what are they like to run in? If you have worn super shoes before, you’ll be familiar with that “forward momentum” feeling that the carbon plate gives you. If you haven’t, it takes a little getting used to, though many are soon addicted to the feeling.
These shoes may look super high-stacked, but they weigh in at a featherlight 147 g/170 g (womens US 7.5 and mens 8). The upper is — again, as is common with racing shoes now — very thin, with a barely-there tongue and minimal padding. Sure, it won’t offer the same security and comfort as a standard training shoe like the NB1080 v14. But you won’t find a super shoe that does.
What you will get is a shoe that seems tailor-made to marathon pace running. That feeling of running on a springboard makes runs just seem easier, and staying on target pace for a marathon more achievable.
Like all race shoes, the main drawback is potentially two-fold. Firstly, some runners do find that the very different mechanics that super shoes encourage may lead to different types of aches and pains. Secondly, they are expensive. But if you save them for race day, can afford them, and really value that PR, then they will be worth it for you.
Other race shoes
Recovery shoes
Recovery is an important part of training. It’s not just time off — it’s when your body adapts and recovers from the efforts you’ve put it through, making you a better runner. View recovery not as an absence of running, but as a positive part of your training. That might include taking stretching seriously, and doing strengthening exercises for any aches or muscle tightness you are prone to.
You can also use a foam roller to help reduce the symptoms of DOMS (the pain and stiffness you can get after a workout). Studies show that while their effect on performance itself may be negligible, rollers certainly can help relieve pain from sore muscles. You can read our full guide to foam rollers here, and also check out our guide to the best massage guns.
Recovery can also include another, rather different pair of shoes.
OOFOS recovery shoes are designed to help your recovery by giving you support all through your foot, from the heel to the forefoot, but with a lovely cushioned bouncy comfort. They look a little like a pumped-up slider, with a big wedge of cushioned foam to support your tired and aching feet.
There is absolutely nothing better than unlacing (possibly with help) after a marathon and sliding your feet into a pair of OOFOS. It feels like giving your a feet a big “well done” hug. But you don’t need to save them for race day, because these are robust shoes that you can wear after your long runs, hard efforts or just when you feel like you need a little foot TLC.
Their proprietary foam absorbs 37% more impact than your standard post-run sliders, and they cradle your arches but also promote a more natural foot posture. Many runners with plantar fasciitis have, anecdotally, found them helpful too.
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