What We're Wearing: Shoes (Brennan)
What shoe are you currently running in and what were you running in before this shoe?
I currently rotate between the Altra Torin and the New Balance 880v11. And sometimes I steal Asher’s Brooks Glycerin when working in the store ;) I’ve run in a variety of brands and models, but the Saucony Kinvara has been my most consistent shoe. I’ve had 6 or 7 pairs.
Altra Torin
What have you liked/loved about the shoe?
I alternate between the Torin and the 880 for my daily training: Torins for slower & longer easy days, the 880 for uptempo training runs and the occasional fast workout. The plushness and roominess of the Torin helps with protection and recovery, and the 880 is firm and bouncy without feeling too hard. And its toe box is surprisingly roomy as well.
Anything you don't like about the shoe?
A small gripe, but the 880 has a thick, plush tongue. This isn’t an inherently bad feature—many people prefer the padding—but I find it a bit snug and obtrusive over longer miles. The 860 and 1080 are good choices for New Balance daily trainers that have a thinner tongue.
Who would you recommend the shoe to?
Both of my shoes are geared toward runners with a neutral foot strike (though the wide base of the Torin can provide some extra support to overpronators). I also land on my midfoot when running. The Torin feels incredibly natural to me—it’s my smoothest running experience. The 880 has a quick toe-off, but I feel the impact a bit more in my midfoot.
New Balance 880s
What shoe are you planning on running in next?
I’ll likely return to the Saucony Kinvara 12. I stopped wearing them around the 7th or 8th iteration because of disappointment with durability and design changes, but I’m happy with the direction Saucony has gone now. They’ll replace my 880s.
What advice would you give someone who is looking to venture out and try a new shoe or brand?
I’m more conservative when it comes to trying new brands or shoes—it took me a long time to even entertain Hoka and Altra, though I’m a big fan of them now. I’d advise against researching shoes online unless you have a good knowledge of the technical details of running shoes and of reputable websites. There are a lot of junk running websites trying to get clicks for ad revenue or commission. Plus, it’s easy to get lost in running jargon. All the brands we carry have multiple and comparable models, so it’s best to go to a local store to figure out what type of shoe you need, then try on that type across multiple brands.