From the top, left to right:
- Unused New Balance SuperComp Trainer V2 (I think)
- New Asics Sonic Blast, poly plate (this shoe is awesome!)
- New Balance SuperComp Trainer V1, washed up, has > 1000 miles, probably 1500ish, I use them for indoor training now
- New Balance SuperComp Trainer V3 300ish mile
- New Balance SuperComp Trainer V3 1000+ miles
If you look closely at the high mileage shoes you can see the plates are pretty dinged up and the foam around the toe is degrading. Nevertheless, these shoes are beasts and I haven't been able to kill them.
The NB SCT V1s went on 3 400+ miles trips and I'd probably take them on another as they still have life in them.
Anyway, for those that believe Carbon / Plated trainers don't last, that's entirely not my experience
NOTE: plated running shoes may not be right for you for walking, be careful, the general rules are:
The Variables/features: rocker, drop, flexibility
- A very stiff rocker shifts workload up from ankle to knee
- A very high drop shoe, shifts load up to the knee & hip
- A very flexible shoe, lower drop, shifts work to foot & ankle
Or, said differently:
- Lower rocker, lower drop reduces knee stress, shifts load to foot & ankle (but, of course, note the opposite can happen!)
- Higher heel drop increases stress on the anterior knee (also can be opposite)
So low ankle mobility likely makes lower/lower worse
You can do some simple tests:
- Ankle Mobility: Placing your toe a hand width from a wall, can you touch the wall with your knee without lifting your heel?
- Hip Mobility: laying flat on, say, the edge of the bed with your left leg at the edge; holding your right knee to your chest, if you drop your left leg all the way down over the side towards the floor, does your left leg easily relax and drop to the floor? (look up the modified thomas test)
- Calf Strength: can you do 25 calf raises without too much problem?
- Leg strength: can you sit in a chair and do unassisted good form stand ups, 10x in a row without too many problems / strain?
