To set the context, throughout my duathlon season in 2011 and most of my tri season in 2012, I raced in the Nike LunarRacers. Back in 2011 when I was first becoming more serious about running/duathlon, I trained in the Nike LunarFlys (which would now be too built up for me, even for training purposes, but back then they were a good fit) so the natural progression on race day was into the significantly lighter but similarly neutrally built LunarRacers. I loved everything about the LunarRacers -- the time period and my experience spans all models from the original to the 2 -- except for the upper, which I found to wear down and even tear somewhat fast, and the tongue, which was made of the flimsiest material ever and thus would always sink down into the shoe and rub against my forefoot during fast transitions. So, for those two years, I literally spent an extra 10-20 seconds in transition dealing with the "pulling up" the tongue, and this held true regardless of what lacing system I was using.
Toward the end of 2012 I realized it didn't have to be this way, and that the time, energy, and stress cost of transition in the LunarRacers outweighed how much I loved the shoe (which I would still wear for an open road race any day). After seeking the opinion of some friends in the shoe industry and the Slowtwitch community, I tried out some comparable New Balance Options, the MR 1400 and the MR 1600.
I found the MR 1400 to be extremely comfortable and durable, and started using this for nearly all of my training runs. At a listed weight of just 7.1oz, the shoe was still really light, but felt more like a trainer than a racing flat. Some of this may have to do with the 11mm drop, so the shoe is indeed quite a bit built up. In any event, the upper and tongue had none of the problems of the LunarRacer, and although this shoe had a less cushioned feel, I was starting to really work my way into it enjoying the springy sensation off the road, and feeling like I found a solution with New Balance!!
Because I thought "lighter is always better," I went with a similar approach that I had done when I first came into the sport with the LunarFly/LunarRacer combo, and opted to order a pair of the MR 1400's lighter brother, the MR 1600. I raced a reverse triathlon in these bad boys and had one of the fastest and best feeling run splits [10K] of my life...so why not wear them off the bike a few weeks later at the HIM distance? Mistake! My shins and calves lit up wearing this, and simply could not handle the stress of such a minimal shoe after biking near threshold for 56 miles. Again, no problems with the tongue in transition, but just not enough shoe there for me at this distance, and I suffered my way to a slower than usual 13.1 off the bike.
So, 2013 rolls around and I am thinking that the NB 1400 would be my HIM shoe...until I hear that Nike is releasing a new version of the LunarRacer (3+) with a completely redone upper. Fast-forward to now, and while I only have a training run under my belt in the 3+, I can say that this shoe is basically everything I loved about the older version (light-weight but extremely cushioned ride) with a more durable upper and traditional tongue that - although in the comfort of my living room - didn't slip at all during a mock transition. I obviously still need to try these in a race situation before I can really say more, but for those of you on the edge, if you liked everything about the older versions except the upper (a la, me) then this could be the best thing since sliced bread...minus the price differential between the two, or refined crap in your sliced bread...but I digress...
So, all of that said, I am not yet convinced that I will explicitly race in the LunarRacer 3+ and certainly not for all distances. I think the best part of this process hasn't been discovering the perfect shoe, but rather, finding a trio of shoes that should meet all of my needs, can be mixed up, and also used with some specificity.
New Balance MR 1600: Lightest of the 3, and something like a 7mm drop. I'm not at all into any of that barefoot stuff, but you literally feel the ground in these shoes. Hardly any cushioning. I'll wear these for open running races 5K to 10K (maybe a half-marathon if I was willing to hurt bad in the lower legs for a few days post), and could see myself playing with these in multisport races with 10K or less total running (Oly and down and distance).
New Balance MR 1400: Although lists as 1oz heavier than the LunarRacer 3+, in my hands, there is no weight difference at all. I think the biggest plus to this over the LR 3+ is that there is a bit less cushion so you have more of a feel for the ground, and thus actually feel a bit springier while running. The con here in my opinion is the significant 11mm drop, which provides some comfort, but also left me wondering if a recent heel injury (more on this to come once it's fully behind me) had something to do with these shoes. If "feeling" springy is important and you are not a true midfoot striker (and/or need to protect calves) then I would say this is the perfect HIM shoe.
Nike Lunar Racer 3+: Initial reaction is positive, but like I said, I still need to race in these. In comparison to the MR 1400, same weight, much more cushioning (maybe too much, as my first run in these after being in the MR 1400s actually felt kind of clunky) and the lowest drop of the three (good for encouraging midfoot striking).
All 3: Durable uppers and solid tongues, likely fine in transition with any good lacing system. In conclusion, MR 1600 for short stuff and road races knowing my lower legs are going to take a beating, MR 1400 or LunarRacer 3+ for HIM distance...for those that don't mind a bigger drop but like a springy feeling, I'd say the MR 1400, and for those that want a very cushioned ride with little drop, the LR 3+. I still need to figure out which case optimizes my racing, and will certainly rotate these in training.
Hope this helped a bit!
