Bestowing SECRET Knowledge Upon the Runners Who Watch This Video 

Appreciate that, bro! Those insta influencers are doing too much. Sometimes you just gotta simplify things haha

Thanks for sharing, Robert! The main problem is a lot of people come in already dead set on getting a hoka because they are everywhere. Same with On. The existence of other brands doesn't always occur to them. If that "poke" is finally fixed they will be right up at the top. They'd be insane if they didn't.

Tom, thanks so much for sharing that with me and that means so much! Running is a love/hate relationship for me. Literally, a few weeks ago I seriously considered quitting. I hope you stick with it and enjoy all the highs and lows of the sport. I am planning on a return to pittsburgh next year and hope to see you there. More vids to follow, of course!

@@zachsalek love it! See you out there man. Made it into A corral last year so next year I’ll wiggle up to the front and say what’s up lol.

@@tomfolino7704 I hope to see you there healthy and ready to suffer haha!

This is really interesting to hear and thanks for sharing! I just try to make a point to give customers other options next to the hokas. The Brooks ghost max is the best for that, haha! I am excited for hokas upcoming year.

Hey there! I’m going to be straightforward and tell you I don’t see myself as a coach or guru in any way. I don’t feel comfortable or trust myself in telling others what to do. If you have general questions or want to know why I do what I do for myself I’ll gladly tell you.

A little too iconic 😂

Sorry to hear that. I can’t say for certain but normally people who get the “poke” get blisters on the medial part of their foot. Is that where you got them? They’re certainly not for everybody

@@zachsalek yeah, behind the ball of my foot under my big toe. Some other shoes give me blisters there occasionally but they were GNARLY with Cliftons

@jeffzie151 yep, that can happen in that shoe. What became your alternative shoe?

@@zachsalek RN it's mostly Boston 12, 1080v13 and Craft Nordlite Ultra. The Nordlites are incredible, I don't see why they haven't caught on.

@jeffzie151 damn I’ve never even heard of those but will have to look into. Your lineup is looking solid though!

hey, zach! the "poke" hits about 50% of people that try on the clifton based off of what I have seen. Even I don't really understand fully what is happening because i see people with much wider feet than me not feel it at all. it's kind of weird and has to do with the last of the shoe hugging the medial arch. I have medium arches that are on the higher side and am not sure if there is a correlation between arch height and feeling the poke (though, it would be interesting to look into that). i get it in the speedgoat as well which makes sense because it's essentially the clifton but trail version haha. if you don't feel it, no need to worry!

Appreciate that, thank you!

Thanks for the kind words and that's awesome to hear you are getting into the sport! I can tell you that the three brands that sell the best at our stores are hoka, brooks and asics. The only brand that I think is objectively "bad" at its core is altra solely because the average person cannot wear a 0 mm drop shoe (including myself). However, to some people, that is all they can wear. We don't do commissions at our store but I have no idea how it works elsewhere. Were you recommended those shoes by a specialist? I use the term "specialist" loosely because anyone can learn what I know pretty easily. The only edge I have is seeing in person how hundreds of people are affected by any particular shoe model. The NB 880 v13 is sort of a jack-of-all-trades neutral shoe that didn't sell like the brooks ghost or hoka clifton, though, it's a good shoe. Not great, just a safe option, in my opinion. I just bought the Hierro v8 actually and really like the cut and cushion as well so it's my speed as it also seems to be for you. To make a long story short; however, experiment with different brands. I rotate shoes from almost every mainstream brand now -- max cushions, mid-level, tempo, super shoes, trail shoes, etc. I always tell people to pick the shoe that feels the best and make sure that they have space for their toes up front. Mostly pulling neutral shoes unless they need decent correction. I've noticed most stability shoes are becoming more tame in their medial structure which is good. Far too many people wear shoes that are too snug and even more wear shoes that simply do not work for them because they would rather wear the next big thing (yes, I'm harping on On Cloud who in my opinion makes maybe two respectable running shoes but is everywhere). I think versatility is really important as well so I wear shoes ranging from 4 mm to 12 mm.

​@@zachsalek That's great, thanks very much for getting back, there's some important info there that is hard to come by. As you say, there seems to be a lot of shoes sold by fashion and/or beginners picking the shoe worn by experienced runners they see, rather than what is actually best for them. I'll try and sum up my experience as quickly as possible - probably 9 years ago I picked up some Asics from a decent running shop after treadmill analysis, they were 'motion control', but I also wanted a more neutral pair to progress in to and rotate with and loved the NB 1080 v5. I didn't like the idea of 'fixing' issues by adding support, I wanted my body to have the freedom to get stronger by itself... anyway... I ran 9 minute miles for a couple of months, when I should have started at about 12 or 13, my achilles tendons flared up so I stopped. The 880 seem to be the closest equivalent of the 1080 from yesteryear, the new 1080 seemed a little too cushioned for me (not that I tried running in them), I was a bit worried I'd just get stuck in 'comfy' shoes forever and wanted a bit of feel, but maybe I'll pick up some up to rotate with as their price drops. I think the 880s are working so far, I also like a wide toe box, so have them in 2E, which is another reason to go for them, as some brands seemed so thin and don't commonly offer wider options, not sure how true that is? I've just run my first ever 5k only 2 hours ago! A truly blistering 39:33, and I've not had any tendon issues thus far this time around. So long as I don't get carried away, the 880 and Hierros should probably do me for another 4 or 5 months and then I'll have a rethink about lower drops or more cushion for long runs etc. Just in case you're interested, I tried some Cliftons, I'm sure they would have been fine, but they had what felt like a ridge across the base of the toes that I wasn't sure I'd get used to. I also wanted to try some Inov8s, but they seemed so stiff that I didn't bother. I've subbed to keep an eye out for you vids, so keep up the great work with the channel 👍

@@tomr200199 At the end of the day, it's very easy to get swallowed up in the details of things and overthink. A lot of people come in here and think one shoe is going to fix every one of their problems. It's important to be able to discern the discomfort that comes with the sport and actual discomfort coming from a shoe that may actually be causing you issue. Youve got great taste in shoes (not me being biased or anything haha!) -- NB and Asics are my favorites. It sounds like you and I are different in that you like being able to feel the ground a bit more whereas I like cushion and LOTS of it. The newest generation of the 1080 is the second softest shoe I've ever worn. Compared to the old one it's night and day. The 880; however, is much firmer and has a more responsive feel. NB fits very weird too. Generally, I find them fitting bigger than most brands but the 880 tends to fit a little smaller for whatever reason. Congrats on the 5k, by the way! Think of the literal billions of people that have never ran one, never will, and can't even wrap their heads around doing one. As long as you're healthy you have the leisure of trying different things. Only when certain injuries pop up is it a good idea to consider the drop of a shoe. For instance, I have a history of achilles issues so higher drop shoes like the 880 (8mm, I believe) are good for it. On the other hand, i have sciatica in my right hip so low drop shoes like the ghost max and NB 1080 v13 help me there. That clifton needed a lot of work in the toe box and the general last of the shoe and it appears to me they finally addressed it. Same thing with the bondi, too. We'll still have to wait and see. Thanks again for stopping by and chatting. Im rendering a video as I type this.

@@zachsalek Cheers Zach, it's been great, and I'm just so thankful to be able to run after my previous experience. I feel I won't be doing any runs longer than about 5 miles for some time, but when I do, perhaps then will be the time to try the new 1080s and Cliftons etc. In the UK I feel we're a bit behind you in the availability in being able to try and buy a lot of these shoes. Onwards and forwards, ATB!

Cheers to you too! And honestly 5 miles is a healthier amount than doing consistent 10 mile runs etc. your knees and other joints will thank you for it. I never really thought about availability in the Uk. I have an Indian friend and he said India really only sells Reebok and under armor.

Word.

I agree with the toe box thing being a big complaint. I talked to the rep about the rincon as well and he said it will make a return. that was the lightest shoe we carried for a while and it was my favorite hoka shoe. i'll probably be joining you with the experience flow in a few months haha!

@@zachsalek Three runs into the Flow, it's a really firm shoe. I'm not sure if I'm going to like it.

@@thewalls7770 It's definitely firmer than what I usually wear but I'm probably going to get it solely because its my first chance to actually wear an altra that doesn't kill me haha! Love the toe boxes, too