I am looking for a good shoe to wear when I run a half marathon in November. I currently alternate between a mizuno wave inspire 10 and asics kayano 20 as my trainers and I have a pair of asics ds racers that I use for speed workouts and 5-10k races. I like them but dont think my calves will hold out for 13.1 in them. I am 6-3, 210 , moderate heel striker and look to run under 1:55. I ordered a pair of sacony A6 to try out but if anyone has any suggestions I would appreciate
Hi Andrew
Asics Kayano is an excellent choise for running half marathon races. It is well cushioned and great for running on hard surfaces. I'm a heel striker to and I run in Asics Nimbus which is kind of similar to Kayano.
Remember running a half marathon is different from running 5 and 10k. A half marathon is 17k of transportation and 4k sprinting.
It is important to find a running shoe that fits you well and that you feel comfortable wearing. You will discover this on the road.
You can read more about running shoes for marathon and half marathon on my blog.
http://halvmarathon.net/running-shoes2-2/
Hope this was helpfull and that you will achieve your goal of running under 1:55.
Have a great half marathon experience
Jesper
A6 is a great flat and if you like that consider the Nike Zoom Streak LT.
If you need a bit more support for you calves, the streaks might not be the best. Check out the LunarRacer. It has a bit more heal then the streak and still lightweight enough for a half.
http://www.runningwarehouse.com/Nike_LunaRacer_3/descpageMRS-NLR3M7.html
I ran a marathon in the asics hyperspeed which are less structured than the asics ds racers. My calves were ok. Go for the asics ds racers.
If you are 6'3" 210 I would stay away from the Streak LT. Great flat up to a half-marathon but at your weight you need a little extra cushion. I would say maybe the New Balance 1400.
If the DS Racer isn't going to give your calves the support they need for a long race, the A6 is MOST DEFINITELY a step in the wrong direction.
It is lighter, more flexible, less cushioned, and on a lower heel to toe drop than the DS Racer.
The DS Trainer (which in its current 19th edition is a fabulous shoe) seems like the logical choice. It's a fast feeling shoe that has decent forefoot cushioning, a small post, and a high enough heel that it should get your calves through the distance without trouble. But it is much lighter and more responsive than both the Inspire and Kayano, so it should give you the more aggressive feel that you want for racing.