I have a high arch and supinate with my right foot. My left foot seems to be neutral. Previously, I wore a size 8 in Brooks Pure Connect, size 8 in Nike Free 7.0 (2009), size 8 in Nike Free 5.0 (2014), and size 8 in 2016 Nike RN Flyknit. The Brooks Pure Connect was super comfy but my right pinky toe was livin' on the edge; I'm not sure how I didn't roll my ankle. Some inner fabric around that toe was annoying, as well. The Nike 7.0 Free was great for running but I was also cross training at the time, so it was great as a multi purpose shoe. The Nike Free 5.0 had some problematic material around the Achilles, where the material would bunch up under my heel and my ankle wanted to slide up out of that shoe. The Nike RN Flyknit was suffocating and the labels on the inside drove me nuts. Upon researching my newest running shoe, I wanted something breathable, minimal drop, and wide toe box. After much debate (and considering gel cumulus, gel nimbus, floatride, infinite, Kinvara, Pegasus, boost) I went with the Escalante Racer, size 8. I ordered it on a Monday and it came on Wednesday (no extra shipping services) and I live in the middle of nowhere. Upon pulling them out of the box, I was shocked at their light weight. The design is incredible. No annoying labels or seams. Excellent toe box, where I can actually feel and move each toe experientially inside the shoe while running. I did feel like there was more room than necessary between my toes and the upper fabric when walking, but that thought did not cross my mind when running. The laces are shorter than I'm accustomed to, but that can be cheaply solved. If anything, it may run 1/4 size bigger than my other shoes. I don't wear socks and I don't think the sizing difference is a big deal, especially for running. They are plenty breathable and (drumroll) not annoying, so I guess now I have no excuses not to run!
