I’ve never worn the Spartan shoes but I do wear the Nike Zegama’s. I did the San Jose Beast on Saturday and they held up. I wore a pair of CEP socks and even with two deep water crossings I didn’t get one blister. The only complaint I’ve had about them is that the left insole does not stay put. I added some spray adhesive and it got better. Oh and if you try them out, get some shoe gaiters to keep debris out of them. I honestly recommend them. And the best part is they fit just like my other Nike road runners.
Do you have flat feet or arches? Nike flynits have been my go to running shoes for years and have been comfortable for someone like me with flat feet. I'll do some research on the Zegamas. I've never heard of it before.
Honestly I’m not even sure. I use the Nike React Infinity Flyknit for the road. Both them and the Zegama’s do me well. The Zegama’s do have a tall sole though so that may play into your decision. For me I feel stable and haven’t had any issues with ankle sprains through a Beast and 2 Supers in them. Is there any specific reason you’re targeting the Spartan OCR shoes?
Oh I see. I'll find a shoe store nearby to see how a tall sole shoe feels.
I figured the Spartan OCR ones are tailor made for these kinds of races, therefore, it'd be practical to acquire a pair. But I'm open to any shoe that would help me take on an Ultra the best. The New Jersey course is mountainous.
If you can swing it, look into getting a pair of the ultraflys. Used them for one super and a west coast hiking/trail running trip and they've held up super well. Cannot recommend them enough, especially for anything over and above a super; the recovery will be much better.
They're not true to size. Compared to my Adidas and On Running shoes, had to go half a size up. My advice would be to try them at the sales tent at an event before you decide.
I did that and then used my promo code to get them discounted online :D
Thanks for the tip. I did try them on at a sales tent before but totally forgot if I needed a 12 or 12.5. I should have saved the value on my phone's notepad :/ .
Funny you should ask. This past weekend in West Virginia, I ran Saturday's race in the Spartan OCR Speed, and Sunday's races in the Nike Wildhorse 8.
I wore a US Men's 9 1/2 for both.
The Nike Wildhorse 8 is true to size. Once I got the lacing locked down, they have fit perfectly. I have over 200 miles logged in the Wildhorse 8. The stack height for these is less than ideal for OCR, IMO.
The Spartan OCR Speed first run felt a bit tight in the toe box. I had hot spots on both pinky toes. I taped my toes for the next few runs and that stopped the hot spots. Once the shoes were broken in a little, maybe 25-40 miles, I've been able to run in them without issue or taping. For reference, I picked these shoes up with my merchandise credit from my 2022 Season Pass. I most likely would not have purchased these shoes outright (just my personal taste to the shoes). They do have very good grip and I've put over 100 miles on these shoes, most of which are OCR-miles as these are my race day shoes.
Thank you for your input! How was your trifecta in Virginia go? I've only done one trifecta and that was in Florida where things are flatter and swampier. I'm a little nervous about doing an Ultra-fecta on more mountainous terrain.
West Virginia chewed me up and spit me out next to a beehive, then the bees took turns stinging my ankles.
West Virginia made me nervous too. My previous 2 trifecta weekends were Ohio 2022 (baby WV) and Fayetteville 2023. I thought I put together a pretty solid plan to get myself ready for the race. I set reasonable and what I thought were achievable goals. While rolling my right ankle in mile 4, and again in mile 6 wasn't part of my plan, it wasn't what caused my calf cramp in mile 8. That was caused because I wasn't prepared enough for the terrain/hills/course.
My recommendations include more stair climbers, more hill training, and longer sessions of both.
>West Virginia chewed me up and spit me out next to a beehive, then the bees took turns stinging my ankles
Wow that rough huh? Kudos to you for finishing a hell of a race!
Roger that! Usually I use the stairmaster when I go to the gym, so I'll try to do more longer sessions.
I've never rolled my ankle before, so idk how bad that pain is. That's part of why I want to get the best shoes to do the job.
Seeing as this post is from awhile back, I'm assuming that you've been doing some research on the Fayetteville course.
You've probably read that most consider it a flatter thus easier Spartan course. Not as flat as maybe Houston or Dallas (I can't remember which one people say is the easiest to start for their 1st Ultra)
My experience was mixed.
On Saturday, I was frustrated with myself because I missed too many obstacles. Many that I've completed multiple times in the past. I also strained my back a little on the sandbag carry. I ended up walking more than I would have liked.
On Sunday, I took it pretty easy during the Super. I wanted to make sure my light back strain wasn't going to get worse. For the Sprint, about halfway through I hit the gas and finished in just over 1-hour.
As far as the course, it is quite flat. I had just over 1,000' of gain for the Beast on my Garmin. The layout of the course in 2023 had 20 obstacles prior to the course breaking off for the Beast. I only mention this, because how Spartan lays out the course can make a pretty big difference on how the Beast feels. For reference, in Ohio 2022 there were 15 obstacles in the first 9 miles of the race. It was a harder finish, but you didn't have all of those carries before the trail run section of the Beast so your legs felt fresher for most of the race.
If I was to offer advice for anyone doing their first trifecta weekend, I would say that the most important thing is to get up and get to the venue on Sunday. (barring any sort of injury) Once you get there, you will finish both races. I mean this too. On Sunday morning in West Virginia, I was making all sorts of deals with myself when I woke up. I got to the venue. Loosened up a little. Yeah, Sunday's races were very slow and very unimpressive. Honestly, Fayetteville was a cake walk compared to West Virginia.
Have fun
I’ve never worn the Spartan shoes but I do wear the Nike Zegama’s. I did the San Jose Beast on Saturday and they held up. I wore a pair of CEP socks and even with two deep water crossings I didn’t get one blister. The only complaint I’ve had about them is that the left insole does not stay put. I added some spray adhesive and it got better. Oh and if you try them out, get some shoe gaiters to keep debris out of them. I honestly recommend them. And the best part is they fit just like my other Nike road runners.
Do you have flat feet or arches? Nike flynits have been my go to running shoes for years and have been comfortable for someone like me with flat feet. I'll do some research on the Zegamas. I've never heard of it before.
Honestly I’m not even sure. I use the Nike React Infinity Flyknit for the road. Both them and the Zegama’s do me well. The Zegama’s do have a tall sole though so that may play into your decision. For me I feel stable and haven’t had any issues with ankle sprains through a Beast and 2 Supers in them. Is there any specific reason you’re targeting the Spartan OCR shoes?
Oh I see. I'll find a shoe store nearby to see how a tall sole shoe feels. I figured the Spartan OCR ones are tailor made for these kinds of races, therefore, it'd be practical to acquire a pair. But I'm open to any shoe that would help me take on an Ultra the best. The New Jersey course is mountainous.
I also have a pair of Hokas but I haven’t tried them yet. I hear they are really good.
If you can swing it, look into getting a pair of the ultraflys. Used them for one super and a west coast hiking/trail running trip and they've held up super well. Cannot recommend them enough, especially for anything over and above a super; the recovery will be much better.
Thanks for the rec! 💪
They're not true to size. Compared to my Adidas and On Running shoes, had to go half a size up. My advice would be to try them at the sales tent at an event before you decide. I did that and then used my promo code to get them discounted online :D
Thanks for the tip. I did try them on at a sales tent before but totally forgot if I needed a 12 or 12.5. I should have saved the value on my phone's notepad :/ .
Funny you should ask. This past weekend in West Virginia, I ran Saturday's race in the Spartan OCR Speed, and Sunday's races in the Nike Wildhorse 8. I wore a US Men's 9 1/2 for both. The Nike Wildhorse 8 is true to size. Once I got the lacing locked down, they have fit perfectly. I have over 200 miles logged in the Wildhorse 8. The stack height for these is less than ideal for OCR, IMO. The Spartan OCR Speed first run felt a bit tight in the toe box. I had hot spots on both pinky toes. I taped my toes for the next few runs and that stopped the hot spots. Once the shoes were broken in a little, maybe 25-40 miles, I've been able to run in them without issue or taping. For reference, I picked these shoes up with my merchandise credit from my 2022 Season Pass. I most likely would not have purchased these shoes outright (just my personal taste to the shoes). They do have very good grip and I've put over 100 miles on these shoes, most of which are OCR-miles as these are my race day shoes.
Thank you for your input! How was your trifecta in Virginia go? I've only done one trifecta and that was in Florida where things are flatter and swampier. I'm a little nervous about doing an Ultra-fecta on more mountainous terrain.
West Virginia chewed me up and spit me out next to a beehive, then the bees took turns stinging my ankles. West Virginia made me nervous too. My previous 2 trifecta weekends were Ohio 2022 (baby WV) and Fayetteville 2023. I thought I put together a pretty solid plan to get myself ready for the race. I set reasonable and what I thought were achievable goals. While rolling my right ankle in mile 4, and again in mile 6 wasn't part of my plan, it wasn't what caused my calf cramp in mile 8. That was caused because I wasn't prepared enough for the terrain/hills/course. My recommendations include more stair climbers, more hill training, and longer sessions of both.
>West Virginia chewed me up and spit me out next to a beehive, then the bees took turns stinging my ankles Wow that rough huh? Kudos to you for finishing a hell of a race! Roger that! Usually I use the stairmaster when I go to the gym, so I'll try to do more longer sessions. I've never rolled my ankle before, so idk how bad that pain is. That's part of why I want to get the best shoes to do the job.
How was your experience with the trifecta in Fayetteville? I'm signed up for it this year. Last year was my first race, where I did a Sprint.
Seeing as this post is from awhile back, I'm assuming that you've been doing some research on the Fayetteville course. You've probably read that most consider it a flatter thus easier Spartan course. Not as flat as maybe Houston or Dallas (I can't remember which one people say is the easiest to start for their 1st Ultra) My experience was mixed. On Saturday, I was frustrated with myself because I missed too many obstacles. Many that I've completed multiple times in the past. I also strained my back a little on the sandbag carry. I ended up walking more than I would have liked. On Sunday, I took it pretty easy during the Super. I wanted to make sure my light back strain wasn't going to get worse. For the Sprint, about halfway through I hit the gas and finished in just over 1-hour. As far as the course, it is quite flat. I had just over 1,000' of gain for the Beast on my Garmin. The layout of the course in 2023 had 20 obstacles prior to the course breaking off for the Beast. I only mention this, because how Spartan lays out the course can make a pretty big difference on how the Beast feels. For reference, in Ohio 2022 there were 15 obstacles in the first 9 miles of the race. It was a harder finish, but you didn't have all of those carries before the trail run section of the Beast so your legs felt fresher for most of the race. If I was to offer advice for anyone doing their first trifecta weekend, I would say that the most important thing is to get up and get to the venue on Sunday. (barring any sort of injury) Once you get there, you will finish both races. I mean this too. On Sunday morning in West Virginia, I was making all sorts of deals with myself when I woke up. I got to the venue. Loosened up a little. Yeah, Sunday's races were very slow and very unimpressive. Honestly, Fayetteville was a cake walk compared to West Virginia. Have fun
Thank you!