Shoe Wars Episode II: The Boring Update Post

This is probably a more boring post than usual, but a reader asked for an update on my review of the Adidas adiZero Tempo 4 now that I've been running in them for a few months.  Since he/she was anonymous, I wasn't sure if he/she would see my reply.

I've run two races in my Tempos, an 8K and a 10K, both of which I got some new PRs that were faster than what I thought I was currently capable of. I feel faster in them than I did the Supernova Sequence.

All that said, I also have a new pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12s that seem to be winning the "shoe war". They have more support than the Tempos and while they're not as light they are noticeably lighter than the Sequence.

I've had good runs and bad runs in both pairs, I just think the Adrenaline have been a better match for me...kind of the best of both worlds of lightness and support. If you need a stability shoe, I recommend the Adrenaline. If you don't, I think the Tempo is considerably more breathable and a little lighter than the Adrenaline and a lot lighter than the Sequence. When I had my ITBS flare-up, my Dr. recommended a stability shoe, which ended up being the Sequence. I feel like the Tempo doesn't have enough stability for me and my ankles are rolling more in them. I still want to run some long runs in the Tempos and some short, fast runs in the Adrenaline, but my overall plan is to use the Adrenaline as my primary long-run/training shoe and the Tempos as my short race shoe. 

I'll try to keep the mileages roughly equal over the next couple of weeks and write more updates if my opinion changes.

First Miles: Adidas adiZero Tempo 4

I tried out the new shoes tonight. I'm not sure yet if I like them.

(They're so purty with their sparkly laces.)

They feel comfortable on my feet, and they're noticeably lighter than the Supernova Sequence, though that didn't translate into a faster pace.

On the negative side, they're noticeably less cushioned. I definitely feel the road more than I do in the Sequence 4's. It's been so long since I ran in anything besides a heavier stability shoe (the Sequence 2 or 4), that I can't really tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing...it's just different. At a few points during my run, I felt some twinges in my knee, but it's too early to tell if these things are inviting my ITBS back into my life or if it was nothing. My knees feel fine now.

It's hard to evaluate shoes right now, because my calves are just a mess. I had tightness and soreness in both of them, although neither one is as sore as the right one was on Tuesday. The Tempos aren't the magic elixir that is going to swiftly revive my running career, it seems, but I'm going to use them in the 8k and then try to put another 3-5 miles on them on the boardwalk on Monday morning. If I hate them after that, or feel that they're going to shred my IT band or ruin my calves (even worse) I'll probably return them.

I do have a known option, though. It turns out Charm City Run had ordered a a pair Sequences for me (I misunderstood and was under the impression they'd call if they could place the order), and they arrived at the store today. I could exchange the Tempos if I don't like them, or I could keep both pairs and do most training the stability shoes and save the lighter shoes for shorter training runs and races. Hopefully I'll have a better idea by Monday morning.

The Supernova Burns Out

It's the end of an era. It's time for new shoes. After another run in which there was just no spring at all in my step right now, and while I don't think my shoes, with 526 miles on them, are the main problem, but every little bit helps, right? (I did run approximately 5 miles today in approximately 48 minutes -- I'd forgotten to charge the Garmin and didn't have my watch.

After two marathons, 5K, 10K, 1-mile, and 5-mile PRs, the age of the Supernova Sequence has passed. According to our salesperson at Charm City Run, where we were picking up our packets for the Kelly St. Patrick's Day 5K, Adidas has discontinued the model, but there were other shoes I could try with similar stability/cushioning.

(I've had a pretty good run with the Adidas Supernova Sequence.)

After initially saying that I'd try to order a pair of Supernova Sequences, I reversed course and said I would try some similar models. Our salesperson brought out two models, the Brooks Adrenaline and the Adidas AdiZero Tempo, and said that both should have cushioning and stability to the Sequence. The Tempo felt very light and looked very well ventilated, but the insole was very flat, which I'm used to as a longtime Adidas user. The overall design and the flatness of the sole reminded me of my Sequence 2's. (They actually very much resemble a pair of Glides I bought but returned without wearing when I was first diagnosed with ITBS.)

The Adrenaline actually seemed more similar to my current pairs of Supernova Sequence 4's, but felt like it had more cushioning in the heel and toe than any pair of running shoe I've ever owned.

I'm reluctant to change since I feel that I've had good luck with Adidas (which perhaps is not so true), and so I went with the AdiZero Tempo, since the sole felt so much like what I'm used to. I also thought the ventilation of it would make it a bit cooler in the summer -- which might help offset the extra warmth from the knee-length compression socks that I now have to wear.

(The winner.)

That said, I am a huge fan of Brooks. My favorite running shorts, shirts, and jacket are all Brooks. If I have bad luck with the AdiZero Tempo, I'll probably give the Adrenalines a try next.

New Shoe Revue: Adidas Supernova Sequence 4

When you're a running blogger who's currently having a bit of writer's block, new shoes are a godsend. Not only did I review my old shoes, a pair of Adidas Supernova Sequence 2's (While I prerfer to use roman numerals, Adidas does not), I can now blog about my new kicks, a pair of -- you guessed it -- Adidas Supernova Sequence 4's.

My approach to footwear has always been, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." So I went through three pairs of Supernova Glides until I broke. I don't blame the shoes for my IT band problems -- I suspect a lack of proper stretching was mostly to blame -- but it was recommended I try something with a little more stability. Hence, the Supernova Sequence. I'd put almost 500 miles on the Sequence 2s with no recurrence of IT band problems, so when Chris and I stopped at Charm City Run to pick up her packet for the Baltimore Women's Classic, I inquired about a new pair. They didn't have any Sequences, but were glad to order them for me at no additional cost once it became apparent that I didn't want to try any other brands.

I'd seen a picture of the Sequence 4's in Runner's World, and they were cool:

I'd never had a pair of running shoes this funky looking, but I figured that these were also probably the newest models, and that I'd probably end up with Sequence 3s or another pair of Sequence 2s, which would be fine.

It turns out that my new shoes were indeed Sequence 4s, but just not in quite as wild a color scheme:

I don't care that much about what my running shoes look like (I had two pairs of Glides that were ugly yellow things) but I do think these are cool.

They're clearly based on upgraded, perhaps even alien, technology. The pro-moderator is much more pro-moderational than that of the Sequence 2:


And look at this, this isn't just the inside of the top of the shoe, it's "GeoFit!"

I'm mocking my new shoes a bit, but I'm doing so with love. You see, these are the first pair of Adidas since my very first pair of running shoes (Ozweego Running Classics that I got at Value City) that I actually thought felt really soft and comfortable when I tried them on in the store. I've also disliked each pair of Glides and the Sequence 2s for my first couple runs with them, but then loved them once they were broken in a bit and I got used to them.. However, I felt very comfortable in my first run in the 4s, a cool, overcast, but very humid10-mile slog through Mt. Wolf this morning.

Hopefully, that's not a harbinger of doom. I'm a bit worried that since I like them so much right out of the box, that 2 weeks from now I'm going to hate the Sequence 4.

But I don't think so.