I was away from running for a few years because of PF in both feet. I have been back to it for about 4.5 months now. I have been doing some trial and error with some different running shoes. I have read a lot of good things about the Nike Pegasus 34. I need a fairly well cushioned neutral running shoe I can run some miles in.

I ran in the 33s and didn't really care for them, and according to this review, they are similar.

http://www.roadtrailrun.com/2017/05/nike-zoom-pegasus-34-review-minor.html

 

My complaints are the Mid-foot was too cramped, fore-foot, some but they did stretch, and the heel/ride was pretty firm-I'm a heel striker. They did have good transition and protection, making the feel fairly fast. The 10mm drop is nice for AT/calf  problems, and the arch is higher too, if you like more arch.

 

I went with the Ride 10 for a daily trainer, and put a 3mm heel insert to bring them up to about 10mm under load. I thought it was more roomy, not as firm, and felt more stable. But I did trim the fore-foot down about 1/8" to make the fore-foot foot-print smaller. Pretty well trimmed along the EverRun lable on both sides. 

http://www.roadtrailrun.com/2017/03/saucony-ride-10-review-what-daily.html#more

 

Of course everyone has a subjective feel when they try a shoe, but this guy has comparisons of other shoes, FWIW.

Thanks for the response. I think my PF issue the first time around was a result of trying to transition to minimal shoes too quickly. I’m done with that notion. I just want to run injury free. So this time around I’m opting for well cushioned trainers. I think you are right about it being subjective. I did try on the 34’s at the store and ran on their track briefly. That is by no means a real world test. I am also a heel striker. I was also looking at the Brooks Ghost 10 and the Brooks Launch 4. I read the heel to toe transition is a little clunky with the Launch so I have reservations about trying them out. Historically I have done well with Adidas Boston shoes which I’m currently running in. I’ve noticed though as I increase mileage I’m starting to have mild foot pain and AT soreness. I don’t have PF but maybe a precursor to it. Hence my search for something different.

I like the Ghost 10's.  Plenty wide enough and they are a pretty good high mileage shoe.  My 9's were retired around 400 miles or so and definitely don't look it.  Probably could have kept running in them but I decided to put the 10's in rotation and turn the 9's into work shoes.

I like the uppers on the 10's a lot more than when I used the Ghost 5's and 6's.

 

Here ya about the minimal shoes, low drop don't work for me. I ran one 12 miler in the Adidas Adios 3 and I felt my PF flare up? I got to thinking, maybe it is the plastic cross braces? I've noticed that in Asics shoes I've tried with the proper drop for me, and with the cross braces, I get flare ups too. Weird.

 

It's hard to find a shoe that clicks with you, and once you do, it's good to stay there if you have problems, IMO. My shoes can't be too soft or firm it seems, 8-10mm drop, and I need neutral.

 

The trade off with trainers is the weight. I use trainers on easy shorter days, and I go with something lighter on longer, speed work, and races. That way I'm still changing shoes-that might help with running injuries, but I stay constant on the drop with using a small heel lift to keep me around 10mm. Drop is one of the biggest factors that can make or break you, IMO.

 

I am currently liking the Saucony Ride-9 &10s for shorter easy runs, Break Thru 3s for trails and longer runs (waiting for the 4s in Jan), Nike Lunar Racer 4s (discontinued) for racing only, and NB 1400V5 for speed work/up tempo LRs.

You know that is interesting you mention the torsion bars on the adidas shoes. I know they give you that snappy heel to toe transition but maybe they don’t allow the foot to move naturally. I do suffer more when I run at slower paces in the Boston’s.

As I research shoes more it seems that even the elite runners wear normal stack height shoes for training. Mo Farah has worn Pegasus shoes  as trainers for years. I think as recreational runners we put too much stock in more minimal and lighter shoes while the elites are clicking away miles in their conventional stack height shoes. Shoe companies must love us buying into their newest technologies. Elites seem to care more about these technologies when race day comes.

I’m over all the minimal hype. I just want comfortable shoes I can log a bunch of miles in while staying injury free. I agree with you on heel lift. I think 10-12 mm is ideal. I did order a pair of Pegasus 34. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Double PF-er here too, who is also over low-drop as I find they almost always cause a flare.  I have both the Ghost 10's and the Launch 4's, AND I really like them both.  I think the Ghosts might be a little wider in the toe box, if that makes a difference to you.  My feet really feel "cradled" in Brooks.  I literally just rotate them for no particular rhyme or reason.  I also run intervals for probably 95% of my training runs as I find them to be kinder to my feet.  Come race day (I don't do many), I just play it by ear, often just walking through water stops.  But if necessary, I have no problem taking my typical :30 walk break.  My goal these days is pain management.  If I can get by with soreness vs. pain, it's all good!

Ok so I went on my first run with the Pegasus 34. I like them a lot. I couldn’t believe how much less pressure I felt on my AT. They are well cushioned. I ran 7 miles along the Charles River in Boston on a mostly asphalt path. My feet and legs have never felt better after a run. They can be snappy when called upon too. I ran the last mile in the 7:30’s just to test them out. They will be my primary trainers. I’ll use my Boston’s to race in. So far I think I made a great choice.

One observation on the sizing. I went 1/2 size smaller than my Boston’s and they fit perfectly. I am size 11 for my everyday shoes. I would normally go 1 size up for Adidas running shoes so size 12. The Pegasus run bigger so I went with a size 11 1/2. It gives me a little more room in the toe box so I don’t jam my toes on the downhills. I’ve had my own share of black toenails.

Ok so I went on my first run with the Pegasus 34. I like them a lot. I couldn’t believe how much less pressure I felt on my AT. They are well cushioned. I ran 7 miles along the Charles River in Boston on a mostly asphalt path. My feet and legs have never felt better after a run. They can be snappy when called upon too. I ran the last mile in the 7:30’s just to test them out. They will be my primary trainers. I’ll use my Boston’s to race in. So far I think I made a great choice.

 

One observation on the sizing. I went 1/2 size smaller than my Boston’s and they fit perfectly. I am size 11 for my everyday shoes. I would normally go 1 size up for Adidas running shoes so size 12. The Pegasus run bigger so I went with a size 11 1/2. It gives me a little more room in the toe box so I don’t jam my toes on the downhills. I’ve had my own share of black toenails.

Glad you like them!