With Christmas soon approaching, there’s going to be a lot of brainstorming for gift ideas. Here, we’re going to focus on presents for runners, such as people who enjoy the casual turkey trot 5k, marathoners, track runners, and even professional athletes. Ideally, shoes would be the perfect gift, so let us discuss the best for every type of runner.
Let us begin with road running and cross country racing footwear. This category will be combined more or less, since these shoes have multi-use abilities.
Daily Trainers
- Nike Pegasus 41 $140: The mixture of foams make it perfect for daily use.
- Hoka Clifton 9 $145: Although the foam is very squishy, it will be great on the legs. This can also be a good recovery run shoe.
- Nike Invincible Run 3 $180: A thick, squishy shoe that is great for recovery runs but can also be used for daily running.
- Brooks Ghost 16 $140: It will last for many miles, and has a squishy foam that is comfortable for the majority of runners’ feet.
Workout/Tempo Run Shoes
- Nike ZoomFly 6 $170: Nikes newly released workout shoe with a carbon plate and mixture of foam that will make you get fast times. This shoe can also be used as a racing shoe as it is cheaper than most, although professional runners would use a lighter option.
- Adidas Adizero Boston 12 $160: This shoe contains Adidas’ best foam and carbon infused rods to make you feel fast. Like the ZoomFly 6, this can also be a cheaper option to a race day shoe.
- Nike Streakfly $170: This is a slim tempo shoe with soft foam that is multi-use, from intervals to races
Race Day Shoes
- Nike Vaporfly 3 $260: The most popular super shoes used in high school cross country races. It has a carbon plate and includes Nikes squishiest and responsive foam to make you run as fast as possible. This is usually used for distances of 5k – Marathon
- Nike Alphafly 3 $285: Nikes #1 advertised marathon shoe, used by professional athletes like Eliud Kipchoge, Jakob Ingebrigsten, and more. Has a carbon plat, Nikes famous zoom air pods, and their infamous zoom X foam. Race distances for this shoe go from Half Marathon – Marathon.
- Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3 $250: Similar to the Boston 12, it contains their best light-strike pro foam with carbon infused rods to propel every step. This is another popular shoe among cross country athletes. Can be used from a 5k – Marathon.
Cross Country Spikes/Flats
- Nike Dragonfly XC $160: The popular cross country version of the Nike dragonfly that has thicker spikes for muddy and uneven surfaces.
All the shoes above are great and can speed up your times, but it won’t happen automatically, you still have to put in the effort. Furthermore, let’s get into shoes perfect for running on the oval (track).
Sprints
- Nike Maxfly $190: perfect sprints with the zoom air propulsion and snug fit.
- Adidas Adizero Prime SP3 Strung $180: Adidas’ top sprint spike, their best foam for propulsion.
- Nike Zoom Rival Sprint $75: The best sprinting spike if you’re on a budget.
Mid-Distance/Distance
- Nike Air Zoom Victory $190: Contains air zoom bubble for more propulsion and less exertion. Best for 800m-1600m.
- Nike ZoomX Dragonfly $160: Great spike for anywhere between 800m-5k on the track. Used by many professional athletes as it is made with Nike’s best foam.
- Nike Zoom Rival Distance $75: The best spike if you’re on a budget, useful for any distance event.
- On Cloudspike 10000m $150: Even though the products title suggests the 10,000m distance as its best use, many collegiate and professional athletes use this from the 800m-10k.
Although there are many listed pairs of shoes, being spikes, trainers, or racing shoes, there are still many others that can be of best use to yours or someone else’s ability. It mainly depends on preference and how they feel to the person wearing them. To conclude, no matter what shoe a runner or athlete gets as a gift, it will be put to good use.
