Nike Lunartrainers

If you're looking for a great pair of lightweight trainers that you can use for both racing and training it is worth looking at Nike's Lunartrainers. LunarTrainer+ weighs 250g so will not hold you back, and at the same time provides great levels of cushioning.

I can't give my personal opinion on these shoes as I haven't worn them, but they look good and Nike do make excellent running shoes. I have worn Nike Pegasus at various times over the last few years and have been pleased with them. I have also worn Asics DS Trainers, and it seems to me that the Nike Lunartrainer+ are similar shoes. Both are lightweight, but designed for both training and racing, and both have a similar stripped down cousin -- in Nike's case this is the Lunaracer+ that weighs in at 150g.

My conclusion: Lunartrainers look good, and I would expect perform excellently as well. They are worth trying on in the shop, and testing out. At £85 they are rather expensive, but this is the usual price you would pay for a similar shoe.

Mizuno Wave Rider

I picked up a good pair of running shoes when we were in the States in January. For a long time I ran in them mostly on the treadmill, but over the last month I've been running on the roads and across fields as well. For me they seem the ideal all-purpose shoe.

They are Mizuno Wave Rider 10. I think they cost around $60 to $70 in Orlando, which was an excellent bargain. The full price for the same running shoe in the UK is £70, so a good rule of thumb is if it costs £100 in the UK you can expect it to cost $100 in the USA. With the exchange rate as it is it's about half the price in America.

Mizuno Wave Riders are great shoes if your foot type is neutral, and you're looking for a good all round shoe. They provide excellent cushioning, and good heel to toe progression. You may be able to pick up some bargains at this time of year since Mizuno now have version 11 in the shops; you should be able to get a pair for around £50.