Do flats last longer than trainers?

Probably varies quite a bit from person to person, but as a rule I get a lot more mileage out of flats than I ever got out of trainers. My Nike Streak XCs usually give me 800-1000 miles. I have to say my favourite flats, Adidas Adizero PR, weren't good for much more than 200 miles, generally.

I'm now in ASICS Pirahnas, found 'em at a local running store for 39 bucks. On top of that, my wife gets a 10% military discount. Can you believe flats for like 35 bucks?!? Me neither...

how was the condition of the upper of the shoe? did it rip or break in any places?

I've gotten up to 2000 miles out of my flats--Nike Waffle Racers. They really have no cushioning to compact (what wears out at 400 miles on trainers). I replace them when the uppers start to tear away from the soles.

durability? wrote:how was the condition of the upper of the shoe? did it rip or break in any places?

Mr. Obvious wrote:

I've gotten up to 2000 miles out of my flats--Nike Waffle Racers. They really have no cushioning to compact (what wears out at 400 miles on trainers). I replace them when the uppers start to tear away from the soles.

wow. out of curiosity, how long did it take you to put 2000 miles on a pair of waffles?

Eight or nine months, I think. I think it is possible that I could get more miles out of them but I do a lot of my running on trails and I feel that involves more lateral movement and slipping that tends to stress the upper.

Mr. Obvious wrote:

I've gotten up to 2000 miles out of my flats--Nike Waffle Racers. They really have no cushioning to compact (what wears out at 400 miles on trainers). I replace them when the uppers start to tear away from the soles.

Where do you get these trainers and how much?

I am totally fed up with shoe soles full of air, gel and foam crap. I want thin shoes that have HARD RUBBER on the soles. Do all the shoes mentioned here so far have this?

Mr. Obvious wrote:

Eight or nine months, I think. I think it is possible that I could get more miles out of them but I do a lot of my running on trails and I feel that involves more lateral movement and slipping that tends to stress the upper.

How long would they last on the roads? I've had one pair of waffles, that I think were trainers. I ran 10 miles in them in 59 minutes, then mistakenly left them in front of the apartment I was in at that time to dry, and someone ran off with them.

J.R. wrote:

Where do you get these trainers and how much?

I am totally fed up with shoe soles full of air, gel and foam crap. I want thin shoes that have HARD RUBBER on the soles. Do all the shoes mentioned here so far have this?

I tend to buy them in bulk on closeout. I think last time I bought I got six pairs for about $35/pair. A quick google search shows them available for about $45.

Yes, I would describe them as a hard rubber sole, comfortable mesh upper, not much more to them than that.

So would lightweight trainers/racers like:

Asics DS Racer

Brooks Racer ST

Mizuno Musha

Would any of these last significantly longer than trainers, or are these not comparable to the Nike Streak and the flats that you all are talking about?

Could the racers listed above easily go for 500+ miles or would their mileage life be done around 400 like trainers?

Mr. Obvious wrote:

I tend to buy them in bulk on closeout. I think last time I bought I got six pairs for about $35/pair. A quick google search shows them available for about $45.

Can you suggest good places to look for them?

Yes, I would describe them as a hard rubber sole, comfortable mesh upper, not much more to them than that.

That's exactly what I like.

Do they come true to size? I've got kind of a wide foot in front.

Interesting question. These days, I do most of my running in a pair of very light (under 6 oz.) flats that I've had for maybe 16-17 years. I have no idea how many miles I've put in on them, they've been through the washing machine countless times, and they barely hold together. But I like the feel of them. Conversely, highly-cushioned training shoes usually feel dead much quicker, and running feels harder and less enjoyable (with more little aches and pains) if I continue to run in them. I think a big difference is that the flats allow my feet to do a lot of the work in cushioning footstrike. Also, my form seems much better in flats.

Eastbay is a good place to look for shoes.

I think the waffle racers are true to size in length. They do not have the largest toe box, so if you have a wide forefoot, they may not be the shoe for you.

A's #: do you happen to know what kind of shoes they are, or where I could find anything similar?

Mr. Ob: thanks for the feedback.

I suggest Runningwarehouse.

With the 15% discount code, CP15, most of their flats are very cheap.

I recently ordered the Musha 2 and the Adizero Mana 5 and Adizero Rocket for around 130$ total.

Free 2-day shipping, and free returns so you can order more than one size and see which fits better.

J.R. wrote:

A's #: do you happen to know what kind of shoes they are, or where I could find anything similar?

Nike Niobe. I think that they were produced by Nike in about 1993-94. Here are some pictures: