What flats do you recommend for somebody who wants to do all their mileage in them?

I don't train exclusively in them, but the I have a pair of Aisics DS Racers and Hyperspeed 3s both with over 800 miles on them, and the new Tarther they released looks very legit as well. I'd look into Aisics.

I would second the DS Racer. Been training in them for awhile now and no problems. Includes long runs up to 20 miles.

Thanks for the recommendations so far. I thought the Tarthers looked pretty awesome in what I read about them online.

I've come to prefer more minimal flats, but can certainly vouch for the Hyperspeed's durability, at least Hyperspeed 2. Just summed up shoe mileage in logs for first time in years and was surprised to find I have around 700 miles on mine, which are still going strong.

And I don't feel so bad about the uppers on my Piranha (original version) being held together with duct tape; they're north of 400.

I've got 300 on a pair of Streak XC 2, and though the uppers seem fragile, mine are just about as good as new.

The free 3.0's are great, and really are like running barefoot once you take out the insole. An added bonus is that they last forever because the sole is made of a harder rubber. My pair is just now starting to go at 1100 miles.

I like the Adizero Pro, too, and that also seems to hold up pretty well.

I train in the Pearl Izumi Streaks and love them. If you're looking for something lighter, try the Nike Katana Racers.

A lot of the shoes mentioned here are not flats. Anyway, for basically minimalistic very lightweight racing type shoes, I like the Adizero Pro if you like to run in basically nothing or the adizero rocket if you want a bit more substance and don't like much heel to toe differential. If you can handle a 10mm heal to toe drop, there is the adizero adios (my current training shoe: working out quite well for me but I'll go to the rocket next pair since less heel to toe drop would be good for me).

nsmb, minimalist wrote:

I've got 300 on a pair of Streak XC 2, and though the uppers seem fragile, mine are just about as good as new.

How do the Streak XC 2's compare to the original Streak XC's? I've been doing all of my mileage in the Streak XC's for a couple years now and like them a lot. The outsole wears very well. I've had the upper blow out at my little toe on a couple pairs, but for the most part I can get many 100's of miles in a single pair.

Streak 2s seem to be very durable, and just a little more minimal than the Streak 1s. The upper is very nice, but the lower feels way too mushy. I'm hoping that the foam compresses after a few hundred miles... Good shoe, but I definitely feel that the sole needs to be less cushy.

FYI, I just retired my original pair of streaks after 1000 miles. I look to get about the same from the Streak 2s.

Running Bear: How do the Streak XC 2's compare to the original Streak XC's?

Hard for me to say - I had original Streak XC but that was a few years ago. My recollection is that the original seemed like a bit less shoe, and the 2 seems to have a bit more substantive sole below its "screen door" upper, but that could be more a matter of what I'm used to now vs. then - Streak XC was the lightest shoe in my stable, and the 2 is definitely more shoe than the Adizero PR, Piranha, and Wave Universe. Also the 2 has much more aggressive traction with the little waffles.