Good all-around shoe for daily training/ recovery/long runs? Please read entire post.

Question

I have a question about recommendations for an daily training/recovery/long run shoe. First, I want to provide some background info.

Male - 28, 6'3", 190lbs, typically wear sizes of 12 or 12.5 (US) - and rarely 11.5. Neutral runner with slight supination in both feet. Running 30-40 mpw. Primarily run trail races from half marathons up to 50kms. Easy pace is between 10:15-9:30 min/mi. Speedwork varies anywhere between 9-6:30 min/mi depending on the type of speedwork. Run 2-3 days on roads per week and 1-2 days on trails per week. 4-5 total days running per week.

Currently running in a full Topo Athletic line of Cyclone 2, Specter 2, Mtn Racer 3, and Pursuit 2. I was tired of pinky toe rubbing and went all in on Topo. I don't have a wide foot, but I like some rooms for my toes.

I really enjoy the Specter 2 for daily training and some long road runs. My only gripes with it is that I feel like it's not quite soft enough for me on recovery days and I think it needs a little thicker rubber on the forefoot (for the toe off).

I'm looking for a daily training/recovery/long run shoe (for the road) that is softer than the Specter 2, but not as soft as most New Balance shoes. I don't mind some stability elements for my long runs as my legs and feet get tired. Some of my previous do it all shoes were: Saucony Triumph 20, Saucony Speed 3, and OG Superblast. I found the Superblast didn't agree with me after 200 miles of use, because of hip and patellar issues. Once I fully rotated them out the pain went away in a week. I would like to avoid stack heights of shoes over ~40mm in the heel, that's about my limit.

Some shoes I have been considering: Mizuno Neo Zen, Asics Novablast 5, Saucony Hurricane 25, On Cloudmonster 2, On Cloudeclipse, Under Armour Infinite Elite 2, New Balance Fresh Foam X 880 v15, Saucony Triumph 22, Saucony Triumph 23, Adidas Supernova Prima, Topo Athletic Phantom 4, Topo Athletic Atmos, Topo Athletic Specter 2 (again).

Posted Sep 3, 2025, 6:23 PM UTC

05
Loading comments…