Shoe Choice by Race Distance
5K - The runners finishing under 30 minutes pay close attention to their shoe choice. Generally it's a super shoe or a functional lightweight trainer that allows them to express their fitness. Beyond 30 minutes comfort becomes the priority.
10K - Under one hour the shoe choice could be critical. After one hour comfort is the priority.
In the two cases above critical is probably a super shoe and or one of the many "fast" training shoes. Comfortable could mean a new shoe on the market or it could be a shoe not even listed as a running shoe. The Converse Chuck Taylor is common in US races.
Marathon - Super Shoes rule the day at most marathons. Why wouldn't they? They are comfortable enough, feel fast and could be the difference between a PR and just missing. The chance is not worth taking for most runners. Spend the extra $260 for that all important marathon.
The Half Marathon - Super shoes still influence brand share, but they're not the sole driver. The half marathon is long enough for performance to matter, yet accessible enough that comfort still leads many purchase decisions.
Gothenburg Half Marathon A Case Study
Located on Sweden’s west coast, Gothenburg attracts runners from across Scandinavia—Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Oslo included. With over 39,000 finishers, it’s one of the most significant local races in Europe. Asics has cemented its position as the dominant brand here, increasing its share from last year and placing four shoes in the top 10 for both men and women. Unlike some brands, it didn’t rely on super shoes; the Metaspeed didn’t even appear in the top 10. For men only Hoka had more than one shoe in the top 10. For women Saucony had 3 shoes in the top 10.
So far, we’ve tracked half marathons in diverse markets—Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Portugal, Germany, Greece, Prague, London, Gothenburg, and Ohio. Upcoming races include marquee events like the Great North Run, Tokyo, and Valencia. These races are not just athletic events; they are clear, unbiased barometers of brand performance in each market.
If you are covering both high performance with your super shoes and pure comfort in your daily trainers the half marathon is a great place to measure comfort. Last year we watched the adios Pro gain steam in the marathons. That shoe gradually moved up the charts and this year it is often the most important shoe in a marathon. This year in comfort we are watching a similar phenomenon. The Asics Nova Blast is quickly becoming the comfort shoe of choice from the 5K through the marathon. The half marathon in Gothenburg gave us the clearest picture of who is wearing the Nova Blast and most likely what they wore in this same race last year.
