What I'm Wearing Now - Shoe Edition

I have a pretty decent shoe rotation. Between working at a running store, being a shoe geek and being a Saucony Zealot, I have accumulated lots of shoes. Here's what I'm wearing now:

Speed Shoes:
The Kinvaras get most of the speedy mileage.

• Saucony Kinvara 5, 88 miles - my favorite shoe of last year, and this is my last pair of this model. They're nearing the end of their life, which is sad. I use them for speedwork and races mostly. I ran Parkersburg in them, and I ran last weekend's 14-miler in them. I may go back to using them for long runs again. 
• Saucony Kinvara 6, 153 miles - the update fits more snugly, so I don't like them as much. I wear them for speedwork, and actually I've been wearing them more than the 5s for some reason. I ran Athens in them. (Given how I liked the 5s for a recent long run, I may try these for next weekend's 10-miler.)
• Newton Distance III, 65 miles - I really like these shoes, but they're a size 8 and just a touch small. As long as there's no downhills, they're fine. They're very comfortable and lightweight, and I'm tempted to get the updated version (or buy the IIIs online at a discount). Because my speed workouts are getting so long, I am hesitant to wear them too much (but I did wear them for 9 miles recently).

Trainers:
The Zealots get most of the easy mileage.

• Saucony Zealot, 2 pairs (218 on blue and 102 on pink) - I've had the blue ones since spring, so they have a decent amount of miles on them. I've transitioned this pair to shorter easy runs.  I picked up the pink Zealots to use for long runs. This helps me avoid wearing the same pair of shoes two days in a row. They're more cushioned than the Kinvara, but still have a 4mm drop, which works well for me, but I don't feel as snappy with them (what does that mean?!). 
• Newton Fate, 66 miles - I don't adore these shoes, but they're good for easy runs. Because I'm running so much, I've added the Fate in because it's comfortable and doesn't bother me. 

For the Kinvaras, I typically get 200-250 miles. I still have a pair of coral 5s that are technically in the rotation, but they're around 200 and feel pretty dead. They're good gym shoes. My guess for the Zealots is that I'll get around 300-400 (likely on the lower end of that range). 

But I'm hard on shoes, your mileage may vary (haha). For my Brooks PureFlows, I got around 200 miles, and I know others who could get 500. It's all based on your running efficiency, size, terrain, etc. I'm not the smallest or most efficient runner, that's for sure. 

Shoes I'm interested in:
The Kinvara is the only definite. 

• Saucony Kinvara 7 - I'm looking forward to the update next spring. Even though I preferred the 5 over the 6, I still like the 6. They're changing up the foam (adding a special cushioning system that can only be described as similar to Adidas' Boost technology). Ideally the update would be a little more generous in the upper, particularly the midfoot.
• Newton Distance IV - I heard there is some dissatisfaction with the tongue on the update, but I am curious to see for myself. 
• Adidas Adios Boost - Speaking of Boost, I am interested in the Adios Boost, but the drop is 10mm and that concerns me. The shoe is so lightweight that it probably wouldn't matter.
• Brooks PureFlow 4 - I hated the third version, which is when I went to the Kinvara, but I am curious about the updated. I wouldn't mind a demo run. 
• Saucony Mirage 5 - Before the PureFlows, I ran in the Mirage, but (surprise, surprise) I didn't like the update (that's way back to version 2). I'm interested in the new version because I think a touch of stability might be good for me.
• New Balance 1400 v3 - Same goes for the New Balance 1400. The new ones look great, but the drop and lack of cushioning is a change for me that I'm not sure I want to deal with.
• Mizuno Sayonara 2 - I haven't heard great things about 3, but the 2 has its fans. I've heard that the toebox is more narrow in the 3, so the 2 would be the one for me. I've also heard that the 3 seems more like the Wave Rider, and I don't care for the Rider. Truthfully, the wave plate may not be for me, so it's unlikely that I will ever get these even though they're pretty cheap on Amazon.

Shoes, shoes, shoes

I have a lot of shoes now, and I've been running in most of them. I used to be a die-hard Brooks PureFlow fan, but I don't care for the update on the 3s. My 3s have 130 miles on them, somehow, and I also scored a pair of the 2s, which used to be my favorite shoe. Those have 115 miles on them.

They're not my favorite shoes anymore. My favorites are my Saucony Kinvara 5s and Newton Distance IIIs (I like the looser fit), but I thought I might need more cushion for the higher mileage. I got a pair of Adidas Glide Boosts, and they feel pretty good.

But I think they're hurting me.

I'm used to 4mm drops, and the Glide is 10mm. A weekly run in them is probably okay, but putting more miles on them seems to hurt my calves and, thus, my Achilles. It's very disappointing because I was hoping to use them to lengthen the life of my Kinvaras. I think I might want to run the marathon in them, but I wonder if I shouldn't try something with a little more cushion.

But I love the Kinvaras. I should probably stick with them for this training cycle. I think I know too much about shoes, and it's clouding my judgment, if that's possible. I'm sure I'm overthinking things (no surprise there). So I'll wear the Kinvaras for the River Run.

And I do have a plan for the River Run/18-miler.

Miles 1-5: very, very easy warmup (10:30s or slower, hopefully)
Miles 1-8 of the race: controlled and comfortably hard, around 9:10 pace
Miles 9-13.1 of the race: go for it and start dropping the pace, hopefully end with sub-8 miles

Cross your fingers! I'm taking today and tomorrow off, and I'll run/walk with the 5k group for its 3.5 miles Saturday morning. I should be well-rested and ready to go for Sunday, right?!