My Best Shoe of 2019

My best shoe of 2019 was the Hoka Rincon. Great, great shoe! Love that it is lightweight and still nicely cushioned. I've used it for long runs, easy days, tempo runs, and races. It is simply a fun shoe. Responsive and light...it wants to go fast. It fits true to size, but slightly tight around the toes. Not bad, but certainly no extra room in the toebox. Traction is OK. Durability is a bit sketchy, but I've run over 100 miles with no real issues. The outsole looks like it is wearing away a little, but no worse than it was at 50 miles. It seems to wear quickly (at least cosmetically), then stays about the same. Will I get 250+ miles? Probably. Maybe not much more. With a reasonable price tag (~$115) it is a good value. Raced a nice half-marathon in the shoe and it performed admirably. Not sure I'd take it to the full marathon distance--probably would want a little more cushioning. I'll continue running in the Rincon next year. Will definitely buy another pair.

My runner-up for 2019 shoe of the year is the Skechers GoRun Ride 8. Another great shoe, lightweight, cushioned (firmer than Rincon), with a nice fit. The Ride 8 is finding it's place in my rotation as the day-to-day trainer. I've run a marathon in it too and it handled the task fine. It simply works. Not as "fun" and lively as the Rincon, but a solid shoe for easy running, long running, and even racing longer distances. Likely more durable than the Rincon. At $120, it's a bargain.

Next year I hope to race in the Nike Vaporfly Next%. At $250, it better be good! Rincon and Ride 8 will be my go-to training shoes, while the Vaporfly will be reserved for fast longer races (half and full marathons). Looking forward to 2020!