Enough cushioning, but low heels, neutral shoes. My last pair (5ft 11in, 165lbs) had 500 miles on them and I still had 100 miles to go, but it wasn't worth the risk of injury to go any further. I will contest my first Ironman with it. I hope to arrive around 3:20pm. I would probably use Kinvara or A6 for an open marathon. But they are too harsh and minimal for MI.