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=The Best Running Shoe=
What constitutes the best running shoe will depend a little on what you're looking for. Right now, there are five shoes that I would consider to be 'the best' in their categories.
* '''Best Beginners All Round Shoe'''. The [[Saucony KinvaraAltra Escalante]] is my current favorite. It has plenty of cushioning for its weight, it has a very springy midsole, and it has a shape that's closer to the shape of a human foot than most shoes. It's a great shoe if you're for any runner, including those [[Starting to run]]. It's light, comfortable, and reasonably cushioned. It's also a fairly easy shoe to find due to its popularity. * '''Best Transition Shoe''': [[Saucony Kinvara]]. If you're moving away from a heavy, over-engineered shoe like the [[Asics GT 2000]], then the Kinvara is a great halfway house on way to one of the shoes below. It's useful to make changes gradually in order to let your body and biomechanics adapt. It will also help you get a feel for what direction you'd like to go – minimalist, optimal, or [[Maximalist]]. You may find that like me, you end up with several shoes in different categories for different lengths or types of run. * '''Best Maximalist Shoe''': [[Hoka Clifton]]. This is by far the best [[Maximalist]] shoe available. It's remarkably light and remarkably cushioned. So far, nothing else comes close(The [[Hoka Clayton]] is nearly identical and sold through other stores than the Clifton. )
* '''Best Optimal Shoe''': [[Nike Zoom Streak LT]]. There are lots of great optimal running shoes, which provide just enough cushioning with light weight and minimal frills. The Streak LT doesn't have the best cushioning-to-weight ratio, but it has a shape that's closer to the human foot than most running shoes and it's one of the longest lasting shoes I've found. Until recently, my favorite was the [[Asics Gel Hyper Speed]], which is a great shoe but doesn't last as long as the Streak LT, nor is its shape as good. The [[New Balance RC5000v2]] is a stunning shoe, providing more cushioning for its weight than any other I've tested, but it's hard to find and many runners want a bit more shoe. Other shoes to consider should include the [[Puma Faas 100 R]], and [[Pearl Izumi EM Road N0]].
* '''Fastest Shoe''': [[New Balance RC5000]]. The original RC5000 is amazingly light, offering just enough cushioning to make it efficient. It's the fastest shoe I've tested, and it would be my first choice for a fast marathon. It's hard to find, as is its successor the [[New Balance RC5000v2]], but if you can find it, it's well worth it.
* '''[[Maximalist]]''' (Minimum Drop, Maximum Cushioning). The minimal drop has been the hallmark of minimalist shoes, but these shoes also include lots of cushioning. At their best, these shoes can be like running barefoot on a cushioned track. Maximalist shoes offer lots of protection and comfort. They are great for longer ultramarathons where sore feet become a problem and for trail running where the cushioning makes it easier to ignore smaller rocks and stones. However, the extra cushioning may [[The Science of Running Shoes| increase the risk of injury]] compared with minimalist shoes and the extra sole thickness increases the stress on your ankle.
* '''Optimal'''. These shoes ideally have just enough cushioning to improve [[Running Economy]] without the weight penalty of the Maximalist shoes. These shoes are often called "racing shoes", or "racing flats", but I don't believe this term is appropriate any more. Many years go, a "racing flat" had little cushioning, but with the advances in materials science, these shoes are now surprisingly comfortable.
* '''Fast'''. These are the truly light shoes, weighing in at around 4.0oz or less.
* '''Minimalist'''. These shoes vary between the almost barefoot and those with a little more protection. I consider a shoe to be minimalist if it has insufficient cushioning to improve [[Running Economy]].
* '''Balanced'''. These are shoes that are part way between minimalist and Maximalist, but are too heavy to be considered Optimal.
[[File:ModifiedShoes.JPG|none|thumb|250px|Clockwise from the top: Nike Free 3.0 (early version) cut open more than most to form a 'running sandal', Saucony Hattori, NB Trail Minimus, Nike Free 3.0 and the [[Hoka Shoe Review|Hoka]].]]
With a few exceptions such as the Mizuno Curoris, I find that most shoes benefit from [[Shoe Modifications| cutting open the toe box]]. This allows the toes to spread out as you toe off, creating more natural biomechanics and preventing toe blisters.
=Shoes for Heavier Runners=
As a broad generalization, foot length is generally proportional to height, body weight is proportional to the square of your height, and foot area is proportional to the square of your foot length. This means that for a given BMI, the perceived cushioning should be about the same regardless of absolute weight, and you'll need more cushioning if your BMI is higher, and less cushioning if your BMI is lower. You may also need more cushioning if your feet are disproportionately small and less if your feet are disproportionately large. Of course, different runners prefer radically different levels of cushioning, with some liking an un-cushioned minimalist shoe and others a massively cushioned Maximalist shoe. But if you'd like to scale my reviews, I'm 5' 10"/180cm, I weigh about 140 pounds/64 Kg, which is a BMI of about 20, and take about a men's US 10.5/UK 10/EU 45 shoe size.
=Shoe Gallery=
Images of the shoes reviewed on this site can be found in the [[Shoe Gallery]].