#310 We Rank Our 5 Performance Trainers: Does Fit Matter More than Midsoles?

David and Matt dig into the mailbag, covering whether there are any drawbacks to running in just one shoe, advice on managing ligament injuries, and how height and weight influence the way runners interact with their footwear. They also field questions on shoe choices for HIIT and hybrid training, whether high-drop shoes still have a place, and recommendations for replacing the Saucony Tempus 2. Want your mailbag question on the next episode? Email us at [email protected]!Rabbit is the presenting partner of our podcast. You can use code DORSEPT10 to get 10% off your entire order of $50.00 or more. Note that the code is limited to one use per customer and can't be combined with other discounts. The code is active from 1st of every month to last day at 11:59PM PST, but don't worry because we'll be bringing you a new code every month. Shop now at https://www.runinrabbit.com.Our In For Testing segment is fueled by Skratch Labs! Get 20% off your first order from Skratch with code: DOCTORSOFRUNNING! https://www.skratchlabs.comChapters 0:00 - Intro 1:44 - In for Testing: Powered by Skratch Labs 22:08 - Are there any drawbacks to only running in one shoe? 26:32 - Any advice on managing ligament injuries? 29:12 - How does our height and weight impact how we interact with shoes? 34:48 - What shoes should I use for HIIT/hybrid training? 39:16 - Are high (8-12mm) drop shoes still ok? 44:08 - Recommendations for replacing the Saucony Tempus 2 50:04 - Wrap-up

What's more important: fit or performance? Nathan, Matt, and David rank five performance trainers based on fit, then weight in on how fit and performance work together to better help you figure out what shoes work best for you.Rabbit is the presenting partner of our podcast. You can use code DORSEPT10 to get 10% off your entire order of $50.00 or more. Note that the code is limited to one use per customer and can't be combined with other discounts. The code is active from 1st of every month to last day at 11:59PM PST, but don't worry because we'll be bringing you a new code every month. Shop now at https://www.runinrabbit.com.Our In For Testing segment is fueled by Skratch Labs! Get 20% off your first order from Skratch with code: DOCTORSOFRUNNING! https://www.skratchlabs.comChapters0:00 - Intro6:58 - In for Testing: Powered by Skratch Labs37:58 - Ranking five shoes by fit39:46 - #544:18 - #445:58 - #350:34 - #255:06 - #158:10 - How do fit and performance work together?1:05:24 - Wrap-up

Join David and Matt as they go on a free-wheeling conversation on where running is headed. They discuss whether Asian shoe brands are poised for a bigger presence in the US market, whether the trend of new-age foams making their way into daily trainers is a net positive, and which shoe has surprised them most in 2026. They close things out with a debate on where Yomif Kejelcha ranks among the greatest distance runners of all time.Rabbit is the presenting partner of our podcast. You can use code DORSEPT10 to get 10% off your entire order of $50.00 or more. Note that the code is limited to one use per customer and can't be combined with other discounts. The code is active from 1st of every month to last day at 11:59PM PST, but don't worry because we'll be bringing you a new code every month. Shop now at https://www.runinrabbit.com.Our In For Testing segment is fueled by Skratch Labs! Get 20% off your first order from Skratch with code: DOCTORSOFRUNNING! https://www.skratchlabs.comChapters0:00 - Intro0:43 - In for Testing: Powered by Skratch Labs32:24 - Are we going to start seeing more Asian shoes in the US?43:03 - Is the trend of new-age foams in daily trainers a good thing?51:59 - What shoe has surprised you in 2026?58:23 - Where does Yomif Kejelcha stand in the greatest distance runners of all time?1:09:01 - Wrap-up

Nathan, Matt, & David are here for our latest mailbag round. Matt shares some early thoughts on the Altra Vanish Carbon 3 and runs through more shoes currently in testing before diving into the mailbag. They tackle questions on how to actually sense your own running mechanics, what it means for your form to be "right," road shoe recommendations for knee pain while returning to running, and how to find new shoes after coming back from a long injury layoff. Want your mailbag question on the next episode? Email us at [email protected]!Rabbit is the presenting partner of our podcast. You can use code AUGDOR10 to get 10% off your entire order of $50.00 or more. Note that the code is limited to one use per customer and can't be combined with other discounts. The code is active from 1st of every month to last day at 11:59PM PST, but don't worry because we'll be bringing you a new code every month. Shop now at https://www.runinrabbit.com.Our In For Testing segment is fueled by Skratch Labs! Get 20% off your first order from Skratch with code: DOCTORSOFRUNNING! https://www.skratchlabs.comChapters 0:00 - Intro 2:48 - In for Testing: Powered by Skratch Labs 17:00 - Altra Vanish Carbon 3 first thoughts 21:18 - More testing shoes 35:42 - How to sense your mechanics? 42:10 - How can you know if your form is "right"? 50:34 - Road shoes to help with knee pain while returning to running 56:40 - Finding new shoes after a long injury break 1:02:36 - Wrap-up

Andrea and Matt kick things off with early impressions of the Nike Pegasus Plus 2 before diving into another round of Buy or Sell. They debate whether the New Balance SC Elite v6 is the best super shoe the brand has ever made, whether the Clifton Pro deserves the title of best Clifton, and if the Topo Specter 3 stands as the brand's best shoe yet. Want your buy/sell take on the next episode? Email us at [email protected]!Rabbit is the presenting partner of our podcast. You can use code AUGDOR10 to get 10% off your entire order of $50.00 or more. Note that the code is limited to one use per customer and can't be combined with other discounts. The code is active from 1st of every month to last day at 11:59PM PST, but don't worry because we'll be bringing you a new code every month. Shop now at https://www.runinrabbit.com.Our In For Testing segment is fueled by Skratch Labs! Get 20% off your first order from Skratch with code: DOCTORSOFRUNNING! https://www.skratchlabs.comChapters0:00 - Intro2:14 - Nike Pegasus Plus 2 first thoughts7:22 - In for Testing: Powered by Skratch Labs21:10 - Buy or Sell: the SC Elite v6 is the best super shoe New Balance has ever made30:28 - The Clifton Pro is the best Clifton35:20 - The Specter 3 is Topo's best shoe41:46 - The Specter Elite is better than the On Cloudmonster 3 Hyper for the marathon45:14 - ATPU is better than PEBA49:30 - Rockers are specific to certain foot strikes1:02:16 - The SC Rebel should replace the Rebel1:10:08 - Wrap-up

If you've been with us for a while, you know we're big fans of Topo Athletic. They're new releases: Specter 3 and Specter Elite have gotten some big acclaim, and for good reason. But, you might not know about their full line of shoes. Matt, David, and Nathan are here to break down their lineup, from daily trainers, to max cushion shoes, to minimalist options. Rabbit is the presenting partner of our podcast. You can use code AUGDOR10 to get 10% off your entire order of $50.00 or more. Note that the code is limited to one use per customer and can't be combined with other discounts. The code is active from 1st of every month to last day at 11:59PM PST, but don't worry because we'll be bringing you a new code every month. Shop now at https://www.runinrabbit.com.Our In For Testing segment is fueled by Skratch Labs! Get 20% off your first order from Skratch with code: DOCTORSOFRUNNING! https://www.skratchlabs.comChapters:0:00 - Intro2:04 - In for Testing: Powered by Skratch Labs20:50 - A history of Topo Athletic30:22 - Topo Phantom 4 & Atmos 234:36 - Ultrafly 6 & Aura44:34 - Cyclone 2, Specter 3, Specter Elite56:40 - Trail models1:10:44 - Minimalist shoes1:13:22 - Wrap-up

Our social algorithms are full of quick-fix suggestions from "experts" telling us how this one change to foot strike (or cadence or form, etc) will fix all our pain! But they're often too good to be true. Matt, David, and Nathan do some footstrike mythbusting, starting with a primer on what footstrike actually is and how it factors into injury risk. They work through several persistent myths such as that most elite runners are mid/forefoot strikers, that forefoot striking is inherently more efficient, that changing footstrike is an easy fix for pain and more.Rabbit is the presenting partner of our podcast. You can use code AUGDOR10 to get 10% off your entire order of $50.00 or more. Note that the code is limited to one use per customer and can't be combined with other discounts. The code is active from 1st of every month to last day at 11:59PM PST, but don't worry because we'll be bringing you a new code every month. Shop now at https://www.runinrabbit.com.Our In For Testing segment is fueled by Skratch Labs! Get 20% off your first order from Skratch with code: DOCTORSOFRUNNING! https://www.skratchlabs.comChapters0:00 - Intro1:01 - Reacting to Josh Kerr's new mile world record11:32 - In for Testing: Powered by Skratch Labs25:20 - A primer on footstrike35:30 - How footstrike influences injury risk39:36 - Myth: most/all elite runners are mid/forefoot strikers42:20 - Myth: forefoot strike is more efficient47:38 - Myth: changing your footstrike is an easy fix for pain reduction52:04 - Myth: footstrike never changes55:40 - How footstrike can influence shoe choice1:06:30 - Wrap-up

Nathan and Matt dig into the mailbag after sharing early thoughts on the New Balance SC Rebel and SC Elite v6 in this week's In For Testing. They cover a wide range of your questions, including whether unworn shoes age in storage, what makes a good all-terrain "safe" shoe, the biomechanical differences between forefoot rockers and toe-spring, and whether it's worth rotating flexible shoes with stiffer, rockered ones, and much more. Want your mailbag question on the next episode? Email us at [email protected]!Rabbit is the presenting partner of our podcast. You can use code SUMMERDOCS (for July) and AUGDOR10 (for August) to get 10% off your entire order of $50.00 or more. Note that the code is limited to one use per customer and can't be combined with other discounts. The code is active from 1st of every month to last day at 11:59PM PST, but don't worry because we'll be bringing you a new code every month. Shop now at https://www.runinrabbit.com.Our In For Testing segment is fueled by Skratch Labs! Get 20% off your first order from Skratch with code: DOCTORSOFRUNNING! https://www.skratchlabs.comChapters0:00 - Intro2:46 - In for Testing: Powered by Skratch Labs9:54 - Thoughts on the New Balance SC Rebel15:32 - New Balance SC Elite v621:32 - Do shoes age when stored without being worn?24:00 - Good all-around, all-terrain "safe" shoes26:34 - The difference between forefoot rockers and toe-spring, and their biomechanical effects34:50 - Is it helpful to rotate flexible shoes with stiff, rockered shoes?40:34 - Does everyone with low arches need stability shoes?44:46 - Can big toe stiffness cause arch pain?48:24 - Is there a shoe similar to the New Balance 860?50:20 - Super shoes with some stability53:04 - Best shoes with arch support56:14 - Wrap-up

Matt, David, and Nathan bring bracket-style competition to the podcast, seeding a 16-team field of flagship daily trainers — one from each brand — in an homage to the World Cup that just wrapped up. Tune in to listen to them pit these shoes head-to-head and see who's crowned the champion! We want to know who'd be in your bracket or who your champion would be. Email us at [email protected] is the presenting partner of our podcast. You can use code SUMMERDOCS to get 10% off your entire order of $50.00 or more. Note that the code is limited to one use per customer and can't be combined with other discounts. The code is active from 1st of every month to last day at 11:59PM PST, but don't worry because we'll be bringing you a new code every month. Shop now at https://www.runinrabbit.com.Our In For Testing segment is fueled by Skratch Labs! Get 20% off your first order from Skratch with code: DOCTORSOFRUNNING! https://www.skratchlabs.comChapters0:00 - Intro2:42 - In for Testing: Powered by Skratch Labs22:14 - Daily trainers: a bracket face-off24:40 - #1 Asics Novablast vs. #16 Diadora Cellula28:30 - #2 Hoka Clifton vs. #15 Mount to Coast R133:00 - #3 Saucony Ride vs. #14 Altra Experience Flow37:16 - #4 New Balance 1080 vs. #13 Topo Phantom 441:56 - #5 Nike Pegasus vs. #12 Adidas Supernova Rise47:50 - #6 Brooks Ghost vs. #11 Skechers AeroBurst53:12 - #7 Mizuno Waverider vs. #10 Puma Velocity Nitro56:30 - #8 On Cloudsurfer vs. #9 Salomon Aeroglide1:01:11 - Quarterfinals1:07:54 - Semifinals1:12:44 - The Final1:18:52 - Wrap-up

Matt and David take on another round of Buy or Sell! They debate whether brands should be creating multiple variants of the same shoe, adding specialty uppers to existing models, spinning off new lines from popular shoes, and making dramatic changes to long-standing favorites. They also weigh in on whether uppers matter more than midsoles before closing out with a couple bonus mailbag questions. Want your buy/sell proposition or mailbag question on the next episode? Email us at [email protected]!Rabbit is the presenting partner of our podcast. You can use code SUMMERDOCS to get 10% off your entire order of $50.00 or more. Note that the code is limited to one use per customer and can't be combined with other discounts. The code is active from 1st of every month to last day at 11:59PM PST, but don't worry because we'll be bringing you a new code every month. Shop now at https://www.runinrabbit.com.Our In For Testing segment is fueled by Skratch Labs! Get 20% off your first order from Skratch with code: DOCTORSOFRUNNING! https://www.skratchlabs.comChapters0:00 - Intro3:50 - In for Testing: Powered by Skratch Labs21:50 - Buy or Sell: Making multiple variants of the same shoe28:18 - Specialty uppers on existing shoes33:15 - Uppers are more important than midsoles36:16 - Creating new shoe models out of popular shoe lines44:47 - Dramatically changing a long-standing shoe51:08 - Mailbag: what causes black toenails?56:14 - Racing shoes to help with SI joint pain1:06:22 - Wrap-up