The Beast

I decided this week that it was time to buy new running shoes. Most folks say buy new shoes every six months or every 500 miles, which ever comes first. My six month mark was last month, but I had a couple of weeks where I could not run for health reasons. So I waited. This past week, I could really tell my shoes had lost their effectiveness. There were allowing me to pronate way too much, especially late in my run and on my right foot. So time for new shoes.

I went to my favorite running store, The Runner's Factory in Los Gatos. This is where I had bought my previous shoes. They had spent a lot of time with me trying on different shoes, running in them, and watching how my feet and ankles reacted to the shoes. My old shoes were Brooks Addiction 6. They had really worked well for me, and I thought I would probably get the same kind today. Not surprisingly, Brooks has replaced the Addiction 6 with (what else) the Addiction 7.

I was going to try out the new Addiction 7, but unfortunately The Runner's Factory did not have any in my size (11EE.) They offered to order them for me. I figured I would give some other ones a try, and if nothing else seemed good, then I would order the Addiction 7.

When I bought the Addiction 6, I had also tried Brooks top shoe for overpronators like me, The Beast. I didn't like how heavy it felt on my feet. Today I tried on the newer version of The Beast. It felt a lot lighter than the old Beast. Even better, it seemed to have a lot more cushioning than either the old Beast or the Addiction 6. So I decided to go with The Beast.

I gave them a good run on my usual route, later this afternoon. I was very pleased with them. They definitely prevent overpronation, and the extra cushioning made me feel like I had some extra spring in my step. They still feel a little heavier than the Addiction 6, but I think it's a good trade-off.