Running Shoe Brief

Research brief + verified shortlist for the half-marathon block. See Half-marathon-plan and Health/mobility.

The brief (pasted into Perplexity, 2026-09-13)

Role: footwear specialist researching one specific athlete's running shoe.
Use current 2026 models only, cite sources with links, prices in HUF.

ATHLETE — 23M, 172 cm, 84 kg, Budapest (HU market).
- Feet: flexible flat feet with overpronation. Limited ankle dorsiflexion
  (knee-to-wall: 4 cm left, 6 cm right; normal 10). Tight gastroc/soleus,
  bilateral calf-achilles tightness in the first 2-3 km of every run.
  Left lateral ankle: peroneal (fibularis) tendon irritation.
- Current shoe: Kiprun Jogflow 190.1 — fine to 4 km, then foot numbness
  (suspected lace/midfoot compression, possibly narrow last).

RUNNING — Novice. 3 runs/week, easy 6'30"-7'00"/km, avg HR 135-155,
cadence 156-168 spm, flat asphalt city routes. Current max 6.5 km,
building +1 km/week to 21.1 km on 29 Nov 2026. No speed work.

MUST-HAVES (justify each against the profile)
1. Max-cushion STABILITY daily trainer. Not motion-control, not neutral,
   not plated racing.
2. Drop 8-12 mm (higher drop lowers dorsiflexion demand; no 0-4 mm).
3. Generous stack for 84 kg over 21 km, wide base.
4. Roomy toe box + midfoot volume; a 2E/wide version must exist.
5. Accepts a removable insole (possible orthotic).
6. Moderate rocker OK or desirable for limited dorsiflexion.
7. Durable for ~150 km in 3 months plus winter.
8. Budget ≤50,000 HUF preferred, ≤65,000 max; sales or prior gen fine.

OUTPUT
1. Ranked top 5, one-line reason each.
2. Table: model | version year | category | drop | stack | weight |
   wide option | price HUF | Hungarian retailer with stock.
3. Best pick + runner-up, with an explicit paragraph on why it solves
   the 4 cm ankle, the flat feet, and the numbness.
4. What NOT to buy for me, 3-5 items, and why.
5. How to measure my foot, EU size per model, whether to size +0.5.
6. Whether stock insoles suffice or custom orthotics are needed.

Verified lab data (RunRepeat, checked 2026-09-13)

Model	Drop (lab)	Drop (brand)	Stack heel/forefoot	Midsole
Brooks Adrenaline GTS 25	10.2 mm	10.0 mm	36.1 / 25.9 mm	34.5 (softest)
Hoka Arahi 8	11.3 mm	8.0 mm	39.4 / 28.1 mm	35.8
ASICS Gel-Kayano 32	9.3 mm	8.0 mm	39.9 / 30.6 mm	41.3 (firmest)
ASICS GT-2000 14	8.7 mm	8.0 mm	36.9 / 28.2 mm	36.9
Saucony Guide 19	6.0 mm	6.0 mm	31.4 mm forefoot	—

No Adrenaline GTS 26 exists yet (404 on the review database) → GTS 25 is the current generation.
Perplexity's spec table checked out against these numbers. Its drop labels were accurate, including the Arahi 8's lab-vs-brand 11.3 vs 8.0 discrepancy.
Note: the Adrenaline is the softest foam of the group despite being the cheapest pick; the Arahi's advantage is stack height, not foam softness.

Assessment of the Perplexity output

Correct: measured drop figures, the Guide 19 rejection (6 mm is genuinely too low for a 4 cm knee-to-wall), the wide/2E emphasis, the "+0.5 EU for long-run swelling" call, and "stock insole first, orthotics only if pain persists 4–6 weeks".

Wrong / over-claimed:

Gel-Kayano 32 was ranked #3 despite being listed at 65,000–75,000 HUF — above the stated budget ceiling. Should have been replaced (NB 860v14, Puma ForeverRun Nitro 2).
"Why it solves your 4 cm ankle" — no shoe creates ankle dorsiflexion. Higher drop + rocker only reduce the demand for it. Mobility is the only thing that moves the 4 cm.
The numbness fix is unproven — the free test (relace to skip the midfoot crossing) had not been run at time of writing.

Worth keeping: both top picks use guidance stability (Brooks GuideRails, Hoka H-Frame) rather than a hard medial post. Guidance is the right flavour here — hard posting pushes the foot laterally and adds load to the peroneals, which is exactly the irritated tissue.

Decision

Brooks Adrenaline GTS 25 in wide (2E) — best overall: highest drop of the stability trio (10.2 mm lab), softest foam, GuideRails, orthotic-friendly, wide last.
Runner-up Hoka Arahi 8 wide — if the Adrenaline feels firm or the fit is wrong; more stack (39/28), most rockered.
Rejected: Saucony Guide 19 (6 mm drop), ASICS GT-2000 14 standard width (narrow toebox re-creates the numbness), neutral max-cushion, plated racers, low-drop stability.

Buy list — verified live 2026-09-13

Shoe	Price	Retailer	Stock
Brooks Adrenaline GTS 25 wide (2E)	55,490 Ft	futashoz.hu	In stock — sizes 42.5 / 43 / 44 / 44.5, listed "Stabil – pronáló · széles lábfej"
Hoka Arahi 8 (gravel)	54,390 Ft	runnie.hu	Listed

Open items

Measure both feet — evening, standing, heel to longest toe, use the larger, then +0.5 EU.
Relace the Jogflow first (skip the midfoot crossover) — free test for the numbness cause before spending.
Try both wide models on in a shop, ideally after a run (foot already swollen).
Stock insole first; no orthotics until 4 weeks in the right shoe doesn't settle it.
Needed before the next 8 km long run.

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