Similar shoes to the Brooks Launch

I don't know about the Free Everyday, but the Asics Gel Speedstar 4 is a fairly no-frills lightweight neutral shoe. The men's is 9.2 oz.

*stipe - What is the fit of the Speedstar 4 like? I normally need a narrower toe box (ie Skylons have worked well). Any other shoes you would equate the fit to?

Thanks for the advice on the Speedstar. It's nice, but it doesn't quite work. The transition is still a bit awkward for me thanks to the plastic bridge under the arch. Why more manufacturers don't eliminate that cutout I don't know.

Saucony will have the ProGrid Kinvara out May 1. It is a little lighter (7.7 oz), but will have a foam midsole with no plastic footbridge... Definitely worth checking out.

The earlier Speedstars were a little more open in the toebox. This version should hold the foot a little better, but I can't say for sure if the toebox will be narrower.

Have you looked at the Green Silence?

radiostar wrote:

Have you looked at the Green Silence?

The Green Silence is a racing flat- very different shoe.

Asics Speedstar and Saucony Kinvara are both much closer. Also look at the AdiZero Boston, Nike LunarElite, and the Pearl Izumi Streak.

All neutral, all between 9 and 10 oz except the Kinvara, which is lighter. I didn't name any Mizunos because they tend to have a much stiffer ride, and I know the Launch is a very soft shoe.

The Kinvara looks very cool. I might try out the Free Everyday in the meantime, but I'll definitely give the Saucony a spin in May.

Thanks all for the advice.

Thanks *stipe. Sounds like maybe I should just stick with the Launch for now. But you can add me to the list of people looking forward to the Kinvara.

Not trying to be argumentative...poster asked for similar shoe. Brooks categorizes both Launch and Green Silence under "competition" category on their web site.

Have also heard from a couple of runners who are trying the GS in the same manner as they use the Launch.

radiostar wrote:

Not trying to be argumentative...poster asked for similar shoe. Brooks categorizes both Launch and Green Silence under "competition" category on their web site.

Have also heard from a couple of runners who are trying the GS in the same manner as they use the Launch.

If you have any experience with the shoes, you'd know they're totally different. Brooks categorizes their spikes under "Competition" too, would you recommend them as a viable option?

Look at the weight, look at the midsole and the outsole. 2+ oz lighter, much flatter midsole (something the OP was trying to steer clear of), less durable outsole.

Sorry, I don't mean to come off like a jerk, but you're way off.

creed, I'm with you. I love the Launch as well. These days, it is a rare breed to have a shoe in that category w/o any of the plastic stuff. The only other shoe I have tried on lately that I would say is similar is the Nike Swift, but the Swift is much higher in the heel. The Zoom Start, which Nike stopped making last year was very similar to the Launch. I bought 5 pairs of those and use those in my rotation with the Launch. The Free everyday won't give you what you are looking for. You can still find the Start on ebay if you want to try them. Same weight, snug fit, and no plastic.

Hope that helps!

L

The Start looks interesting. I might take a chance on the eBay auction.

Any reason the Free Everyday wouldn't work?

Nike Run Avant. No plastic, very roomy toebox for when your toes are hurting. Might be the most comfortable running shoe I have ever worn. Lots of cushion and light. Only real negative is the upper has quite a lot of material and gets heavy if you run in the rain.

The Free Everyday is just a different shoe. Fits well, but has much less cushioning. I haven't found any of the Frees to be good for running really fast for a long time. They just aren't responsive enough for me. Doing sprints or hills in them are great, but longer, steady runs, they just don't feel like a really good lightweight trainer feels.

L