Doctors of Running Podcast · Doctors of Running

#263 Mailbag! Best Shoes for Haglunds? Anti-Ankle Rolling Shoes? We Found a GlideRide 3 Replacement!?

·1 hr 4 min·3 clips

The hosts narrow the answer to stable-neutral shoes like the Superblast 2, SC Trainer v3, and Hoka Mach X 3.

The episode starts in the familiar Doctors of Running rhythm: a bit of back-and-forth, and then a direct turn toward the real question. They spend time sorting out a shoe’s intended purpose from how it actually feels on the run. One thread focuses on a model that is stable and firm, but not really a natural pick for hard efforts. The panel keeps pressing on the gap between marketing language and actual pace suitability. That point opens into broader shoe comparisons. A steady theme is that a great daily trainer can still be the wrong shoe for workouts. They use the Cloudmonster Hyper as an example: a shoe they liked a lot as a daily trainer, but not one they want to go fast in. They also compare it with models like the Superblast and Cloudboom Max to separate branding from real use case. The conversation then moves to a listener question about Haglund’s deformity. Before talking shoes, they explain what Haglund’s is and when it becomes relevant. That keeps the advice grounded in mechanics instead of drifting into generic recommendation talk. The discussion stays close to fit, heel shape, and how a shoe meets an irritated back of the heel. From there, they widen the lens to shoes that may feel better for Achilles irritation and a steadier ride. The episode also circles back to a familiar replacement problem: what to wear when a favorite model is no longer the obvious answer. The Shift comes up as the shoe one host may be putting on a pedestal because of a memorable long run in it. That attachment is part nostalgia and part a clear memory of what the shoe did well for one runner. The hosts are careful to note that those preferences can raise a shoe up unfairly. They also leave room for the idea that a shoe can be good without being fast in the way its name suggests. The tone stays practical and comparative rather than promotional. Throughout, they keep turning shoe feel into use case, pace, and runner type. It comes across like a working session from people who have actually run in the models they are discussing.

As heard by us

Practical running advice on injury return, shoe feel, and real-world use.

This episode keeps its focus on the practical side of running: how to come back from injury with less strain, and how to think about shoes without drifting into sales talk.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want shoe answers for a cranky heel or an Achilles that does not like drama.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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