Ever had a shoe that everyone recommends only to finally try it out and be disappointed? How is it that one person can love a shoe and someone else loathe it? Matt & Andrea dive into how and why we feel things about our running shoes. They take a look at how biomechanics, gait, shoe construction & geometry, and more impact how we perceive the ride, speed, comfort, and softness of a shoe. They also compare & contrast their thoughts on a handful of specific shoes like the New Balance Rebel V4 and the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash 2.

Check out our friends at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Skratch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and save 20% on your first order with code DOCTORSOFRUNNING!

Chapters

• 0:00 - Intro
• 1:48 - How do biomechanics influence how we perceive shoes?
• 8:40 - How the Preferred Movement Pathway can inform shoe choice
• 16:26 - The effect of perceptive sensitivity
• 22:42 - How shoe geometry & construction impacts how it feels
• 31:34 - Thoughts on the Puma Magmax
• 38:58 - Thoughts on the New Balance Balos
• 42:25 - Thoughts on the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Flash 2
• 48:28 - The importance of getting the right size shoe
• 52:54 - Thoughts on the New Balance Rebel V4
• 55:58 - Andrea was right about the Saucony Endorphin Pro 4
• 59:34 - Wrap-up

We all know the hype shoes, the one that are all over our social feeds, but what about the underdogs, the ones that fly under the radar? On this episode David and Nathan get together to talk about their top underrated shoes of the year so far. Afterwards they talk about some of their favorite shoes to use outside of running, and the shoes that give them the best "value" (do with that term what you will).

Check out our friends at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Skratch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and save 25% on your first order with code DOR24!

Chapters

• 0:00 - Intro
• 3:44 - Top 5 underrated shoes this year
• 9:03 - #4 Underrated
• 14:28 - #3 Underrated
• 16:52 - #2 Underrated
• 23:18 - #1 Underrated
• 31:32 - Shoes we love outside of running
• 40:08 - Most valuable, bang-for-buck shoes
• 51:08 - Wrap-up

If you've been following Doctors of Running for a while, you know we love a good heel bevel. For many of us (especially Matt), it can make or break the experience of a shoe. Matt & David get together to take a deep dive on heel bevels. They look at what it is, how it effects motion and mechanics, and explore some specific examples (everything from the Brooks Ghost Max 2 to the Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 2).

Check out our friends at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Skratch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and save 25% on your first order with code DOR24!

Chapters

• 0:00 - Intro
• 1:47 - What is a heel bevel?
• 9:16 - How do heel bevels influence motion?
• 16:05 - Some examples of shoes with differeing bevels
• 24:31 - How foam properties influence bevels
• 26:07 - Some extreme bevel examples
• 29:46 - Designing the ideal heel bevel
• 36:58 - Wrap-up

On this special edition of the podcast, Matt & Nathan get together to discuss dad & family life. They share their daily routines, family rhythms, and how running fits into it all, especially in the face of big recent life changes. As always, there's a little shoe-talk thrown in as they discuss New Balance's latest update to the venerable 860 and Nathan's recent experiences sizing up in a few shoes.

Check out our friends at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Skratch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and save 25% on your first order with code DOR24!

Chapters

• 0:00 - Intro
• 2:44 - New stability methods and the New Balance 860
• 9:41 - When it's branching out from your normal shoe size
• 13:59 - Matt's new life changes
• 23:36 - Nathan's work/life routines
• 28:16 - The benefits & challenges of fitting running into family life
• 35:42 - Finding your priorities as life stages shift
• 45:47 - Wrap-up

Mailbag–time for more of your questions! On this episode, Andrea tackles a bunch of footwear and training queries. Learn more about heel bevels, the effect of soft shoes on hip mechanics, shoes after ACL surgery, adapting to the heat. and more. Plus, she shares her unique experience as a former professional cyclist and current bike-fitter on how to replace or supplement easy running with bike rides.

Want your question answered? Email us at doctorsofrunning@gmail.com.

Check out our friends at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Skratch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and save 25% on your first order with code DOR24!

Chapters

• 0:00 - Intro
• 2:56 - Andrea's current favorite shoes
• 9:16 - The effect of heel bevels on stability
• 14:24 - Shoe suggestions for Hyrox
• 19:08 - Shoes for metatarsalgia
• 23:30 - Trail shoes with no heel counter
• 25:15 - Shoe suggestions while coming back from ACL surgery
• 31:04 - Can softer/bouncier shoes cause hip pain?
• 35:48 - Heat adaptations as you age
• 42:07 - Replacing easy runs with cycling
• 47:29 - Wrap-up

Time for another edition of "This or That" where we pit two opposing concepts (shoes, training, recovery, nonsense) against each other and force ourselves to pick a side. On this episode, Nathan, David, and Matt debate...well...pretty much everything: super trainers vs. training companion shoes, running in the heat vs. the cold, long racing vs. short racing, LeBron vs. Caitlin Clark, and even California geography. If you're looking for needlessly hot takes, we've got 'em.

Check out our friends at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Skratch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and save 25% on your first order with code DOR24!

Chapters

• 0:00 - Intro
• 5:18 - 2023 shoes vs. 2024 shoes
• 16:04 - Saucony Ride 16 vs 17
• 19:10 - Marathon vs. Half marathon
• 24:44 - Running in 0º or 100º
• 28:50 - Santa Barbara is Southern California or Central Coast?
• 34:22 - Foam rolling vs. percussive massage
• 38:50 - Supertrainers vs. training companions
• 44:19 - SC Trainer v3 vs. On Cloudmonster Hyper
• 47:16 - Only racing 5Ks vs. marathons
• 55:04 - Only road running vs. only trail running
• 56:54 - Rockered vs. flexible shoes
• 59:05 - Lebron vs. Caitlin Clark BQ-ing
• 1:03:06 - Running at the Olympics: no golds but three medals or only one gold in three races
• 1:05:51 - Top 2 starting shoes: Pegasus, Ghost, Cumulus, 880, Wave Rider, Ride 17
• 1:12:30 - Wrap-up

If you know DOR, you know we love talking about stable neutral shoes. On this episode, Nathan and Matt take a look at some of their favorite stability shoes of 2024. They start at the basics, defining "stable neutral" and giving some guidance how to know whether you could benefit stability in a shoe. Then, they pair up shoes like the Brooks Ghost Max 2, ASICS Superblast 2, New Balance More v5 and more for some compare/contrast

Check out our friends at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Skratch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and save 25% on your first order with code DOR24!

Chapters

• 0:00 - Intro
• 2:13 - Defining "stable neutral"
• 4:12 - Assessing your need for stability in shoes
• 6:14 - Components of stable neutral shoes
• 14:09 - Brooks Ghost Max 2 vs. On Cloudrunner 2
• 21:53 - On Cloudmonster Hyper vs. New Balance More v5
• 26:46 - adidas Terrex Agragic 3 vs. Hoka Speedgoat 5
• 31:00 - Brooks Hyperion Max vs. Hoka Skyflow
• 34:08 - Hoka Skyward X vs. ASICS Glideride Max
• 40:44 - Wrap-up

Today's episode is all about the long run, one of the most critical, and most fretted over, parts of a runner's training. David and Matt get together to share their expertise on surviving and thriving on those long days. They discuss the physiological and mental benefits you gain over a long run, as well as the risks as you build up to it. Of course they share their favorite shoes and give guidance on how to pick what to put on your feet. Finally they give strategies on adjusting your runs in extreme heat or cold, and how to build back to a long run after dealing with an injury.

Check out our friends at ⁠⁠⁠⁠Skratch⁠⁠⁠⁠ and save 25% on your first order with code DOR24!

Chapters

• 0:00 - Intro
• 2:16 - What's the point of a long run?
• 5:36 - The benefits and risks of long runs
• 20:00 - What makes a run a "long" run and how do you build to one?
• 28:20 - How should you pace your long runs?
• 31:06 - Picking your shoes for your long run
• 41:58 - How do you adjust your long run for extreme weather?
• 52:54 - How do you come back to a long run after injury?
• 58:38 - Wrap-up