Not sure when to reach for plated tempo shoes
Just to give some context, I'm a beginner runner, my Z3 pace range is 5:50min/km - 5:11 min/km, threshold around 4:52min/km and I currently have a 3 shoes rotation:
- Daily: Qiaodan Wind 4TR
- Tempo: Li-ning Feidian 5 Challenger
- Race: 361° Flame 5 Future
I'm using the Wind 4TR for everything that isn't a quality workout or a race, that's clear to me. But there are a few workouts, such as this fartlek session 5x 600m Z2 + 400m Z3 where I'm not sure whether it makes sense to use the Feidian.
In those sessions, reaching the target pace during the Z3 block doesn't require a really big effort and it's easier when compared to intervals where I need to reach threshold pace for instance. This makes me think if it's worth "wasting" the Feidian. At the same time, if I'm using the 4TR for consecutive days like easy run on Tuesday and tempo run on Wednesday, my rotation ends up being pointless I guess.
Also, I've seen people commenting about plated running shoes being harder on the body and requiring more muscle strength in general. This makes me want to reach out to the Feidian even less, but I'm not sure if this is a legit concern.
Does any of this make sense? When would you suggest reaching for the Feidian? Would a plateless super trainer make more sense for speed training at my current pace zones? I feel like I might just be overthinking the whole situation. Sorry if that's the case!!!
Posted Aug 28, 2026, 7:32 AM UTC