Hi, I’m Chris Dawnovan, free lance personal trainer, health coach, and martial arts practitioner. I’ve worked with “Tough Mudder” participants as well as “Spartan Race” runners over the past two years, and great reliable footwear is a MUST in not only these events, but in your every day training needs. You need a shoe suitable for off season training as well, so these shoe suggestions shouldn’t be used for the event itself, but for your regular workout routine whether at home, at the gym, or runs at your local park and track fields. Have you ever went running just to get 10 minutes or so into your run and feel aches and pains in your joints or feet? That’s caused from running in improper footwear. Before I became a personal trainer or had any idea what I was doing, I would run in Timberland or steel toed work boots, because I thought the weight of the shoes would increase the challenge to the workout, not knowing that every step I took could be causing me serious damage to my joints and or nerves. Here I will offer my suggestions for a comfortable, safe, and supportive running shoe, capable of carrying you between seasons without the immediate wear and tear.
The Merrell brand is a personal favorite of mines. These shoes are extremely comfortable, very affordable, and surprisingly durable. Right out the box you can take this shoe and fold it in half, but it will not wear down on you easy at all. I’ve ran on concrete, treadmills, mud, grass, kicked heavy bags, sprints, hurdles and more, and the shoe is still just as comfortable as when I first bought them. They’re light as a feather and really matches the natural curving moments of your feet as you run. I personally score this shoe a 9 out of 10. Again, I only suggest these as off season training shoes for tough mudder. Though they are water proof and shockingly durable to be such a light shoe, they simply weren’t designed for such a extreme event, so only use these for your everyday training routines. Of course, there is no reason to just take my word for it, read other customer’s reviews in the link above by clicking the picture. I can say confidently, that you will not be disappointed in the Merrell brand.
The ASICS brand seems to be doing wondeful as well. I know a lot high level distant runners using this brand and giving them amazing reviews and kudos. Ive even seen runners wearing this brand out on the beach sands in LA. I asked why and was told:
1) It protects from the sand’s heat on the feet
2) The shoe is so comfortable they forget they are wearing them.
I personally haven’t tried this brand yet, but even some of my clients who are very new to running or any form of exercise for that matter, say that they never want to take the shoe off. I admire the design and style of the shoe as well, so this particular shoe will likely be my next purchase. I look forward to updating you guys with my thoughts on the shoe after trying it out personally. For further info feel free to click the link above and read buyer’s reviews and ratings on Amazon.com.
Last, but not least, the New Balance brand (which is mentioned as a suggested brand for the event, just not this particular shoe however). Now in my personal opinion, I believe Nike is more of a stylish shoe then a actual athletic shoe. I find a lot Nike’s and Jordan’s to be extremely overrated, highly uncomfortable during exercise, and comically over priced. What I have noticed however, all the seriously focused and dedicated athletes I grew up around (Not the ones seeking popularity and attention) such as basket ball players, football players, and track team runners would do most of the time, if not all the time, train wearing the New Balance brand. So, I decided to try a pair myself and I must say, they do wonderful in extreme training conditions. What I appreciated about New Balance shoes the most, is the amount of traction and grip that the shoes have. I feel as if the world is my treadmill. The world just seems to move under my feet if you will. No slippage or sliding, and a very solidly structured shoe that maintains a surprising amount of comfort all for a reasonable price. For this particular pair, I am really a fan of the ankle support and slick design. Again, by all means, take a look at other customer reviews within the link within the picture before you give them a try yourself. But these are my 3 hand selected brands of choice I would suggest for all you Tough Mudders and Spartan Racers out there. Feel free you leave your questions, thoughts and comments below. I hope this information will assist you well in making your purchases for off season training shoes for tough mudder. Happy running everyone. Chris Dawnovan