Shoes are probably the only piece of equipment that running entails—and strictly speaking, even that is optional!  After more than two years of running, here’s how my shoe collection looked like.

adidas Supernova Control 10 (Retired)

This is the first pair I bought after I started running after realizing that different shoes have different purposes, so basketball shoes may be used for running but they’re not the best one for the case.  This pair will always be special for delivering me through a lot of firsts, but after hundreds of kilometers it had to retire.

Despite its “retired” status, this pair is actually the most durable pair I’ve so far had.  In fact, the only “damages” it has are the hole in the left shoe, and the heavily worn out soles.  Everything else is still intact.

New Balance 811 (Trail, Retired)

This is my first trail running shoe for my first ever trail run.  It had been my partner for so many adventures in and out of the country.  Aside from the usual mud, it had even conquered surfaces covered in ice and snow.  Now retired after hundreds of kilometers (TNF100 included) and losing most of its tracks.

Asics Gel Kayano 13 (Retired)

The successor to my adidas Supernova, this was my most expensive (but shortest lived) shoes at the time!  I was forced to retire it pretty early after its seams stated bursting.

New Balance 681 (Retired)

This is my first daily walking slash running shoe.  It’s an entry level shoe that’s perfect as an everyday pair but good enough for that unplanned short run.  It had to retire after it started “smiling”—but not after registering hundreds of kilometers as well.  You may read my New Balance 681 review here.

Speedo Hydro Shell II (Aqua Shoes)

The shoe that helped me ease that transition from normal to minimalist shoes.  Believe it or not, I used this pair on the difficult trails of Bohol because of the river crossings, but haven’t used since because of my transition to minimalist shoes.  There’s currently not much occasion I can imagine using it, so for now it had to be “tucked away.”

K-Swiss K-Ona (Active)

This is my first lightweight running shoe which I wore for my first full marathon outside the country.  Because I loved how light it weighed I used it quite a lot but after hundreds of kilometers, it had already hinted for a retirement status.You may read my K-Swiss K-Ona review here.

Vibram Five Fingers Sprint (Retired)

This is my first minimalist shoes and my lightest pair ever.  It opened doors for me to real barefoot running (outside beaches) and because of regular use it’s now retired for running, but not as my gym buddy.  It’s the only pair in this list that I wasn’t able to use for races beyond 10K.You may read my VFF Sprint review here.

Merrell Trail Glove (Trail, Active)

This is my first trail minimalist shoe and had just seen its first trail ultra in Nuvali.  This is currently part of my active set for trails.  You may read my Merrell Trail Glove review here.

adidas ClimaCool Ride (Active)

This is the newest member of my collection and had just seen its first half marathon in Bonifacio Global City.  I originally bought it as my daily pair but as it turned out, it’s excellent for running as well.  At my current rate of use, I may see it retire before the end of the year!  You may read my adidas CC Ride review here.

* * *

This list however does not include my first ever running shoe, the Nike Zoom Air Elite, which sadly retired before my first ever race.  It was my first pair to retire because of so much mileage (mostly in the gym) and, like my first adidas pair, had just been worn out to retirement.  After all these years, I’ve yet returned to the brand, but I still remember how “perfect” it fitted.

* * *

I made this post to pay homage to the special retirees on this list.  Each one was special, each one shared memories and glories of the past.  As I finally tuck some of them away, this is my way of paying tribute to those special moments.  These shoes saw me from my first race all the way to my first ultramarathon, from the slowest to the personal bests.  I may no longer able to wear them for races, but they’d always be part of what brought me to where I am now.  And now, it’s time to make new memories with the new recruits.