HELP!! Buying New Running Shoes!

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  • lishie_rebooted
    lishie_rebooted Posts: 2,973 Member
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    PHStevenson wrote: »
    Thanks guys. I just feel like 1.5 hr drive isn't worth it for a pair of shoes.

    It is.
    I've been in physical therapy due to the wrong shoes.
    Spending 1.5 hours driving plus however long it takes to find the right shoes, it very much worth it.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    I just love the runner's community. You are so supportive, and giving your best advice. I was all ready to contribute, and you all beat me to it.

    http://www.runnersworld.com/store-finder/SC

    Don't skimp on shoes, @PHStevenson , if you are going to keep running. You ankles will thank you. Your knees will thank you. Your hips, back, and feet will thank you.
  • Klhernandez81
    Klhernandez81 Posts: 62 Member
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    If there is one thing you do, go to a running store and get fitted. After not doing this, I ended up at the Sports Med Dr with shooting pains down my leg...and guess what she did, fit me for the right running shoes. Would have been so much cheaper and less painful had I just not run in the wrong shoes in the first place....
  • 7lenny7
    7lenny7 Posts: 3,493 Member
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    Option A: Go to Greenville, get the gait analysis done, get expert advice, try on a dozen pairs of shoes (See if they'll let you run in the parking lot to try them out when you have it narrowed down to 2 or 3 pair), ask them about their return policy, ask how to tell when you need new shoes so you don't get hurt again. Maybe even pick out a couple of pairs of running socks. Go home feeling great about doing the best thing you could to ensure your success as a runner and to prevent unneeded injury. Know that the $100 to $150 you just paid is money well spent.

    Option B: Ask some strangers on this forum what you should buy. Ignore 90% of the advice which tells you to go with Option A and settle on one or two brands mentioned, search the internet, find a cute pair that matches your shorts, HOPE the size you ordered is right, HOPE the model you ordered is correct for your gait, HOPE the geometry of the shoe works with your foot (toe box size, heel width, etc). Run for a couple of weeks in the new shoes (if they happen to fit well enough to do so) and HOPE that you don't find issues with them down the road, and HOPE that you don't need to send them back, possibly paying for shipping, possibly not even being able to send them back.

    I know which option I'd go with.
  • 7lenny7
    7lenny7 Posts: 3,493 Member
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    Hophead43 wrote: »
    I like my Alutra's! Go to a running store get fitted and then go to 6PM.com. You'll save a bunch of money. My shoes were $120 in stores and I got them for $55 on the site. They carry most brands. I also used to run in Asics, liked those a lot too.

    Seriously? Horrible advice. I'm a new runner and even though I now know what shoes I like, I'll go back to my local store and pay a few dollars more because their advice and support are worth a few bucks and I want to know that they'll be there for me.

  • palmettoadventurer
    palmettoadventurer Posts: 51 Member
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    I buy my running shoes online or on sale now, but that's because I've been buying the same model and brand of shoes for a long time. I wouldn't take up a salesperson's time and then not buy anything.
  • So_Much_Fab
    So_Much_Fab Posts: 1,146 Member
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    BrianSharpe wrote: »
    Hophead43 wrote: »
    I like my Alutra's! Go to a running store get fitted and then go to 6PM.com. You'll save a bunch of money. My shoes were $120 in stores and I got them for $55 on the site. They carry most brands. I also used to run in Asics, liked those a lot too.


    Bad advice, most running stores do more than sell shoes. Many of them offer learn to run clinics, offer free group runs, organize pace bunnies for races etc etc etc.....there's more to value than just price.

    If everyone followed your advice the local shops would all close down, what would you do then?

    Yep, yep, and yep. I would rather spend $50-$60 more on shoes to support my local running store - they do much much for the running community and if they were gone it would be a tragedy.

  • kjm3579
    kjm3579 Posts: 3,974 Member
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    I just had my feet checked at a local running store a few days ago and got a pair of shoes that so far I really like -- I wear 14-EEEE shoes so that limits my choices a lot and seem to lean towards Brooks shoes -- I got a pair from last years line on sale plus 20% off by being a member of a tri-club -- was worth my time and a little extra gas to go to the specialty store.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    PHStevenson wrote: »
    I know I underpronate so I know I need a neutral shoe. I just feel a little overwhelmed. Guess I will be making a trip this weekend.

    It will be well worth the money and time investment. Much more time and cost effective than buying shoes which aren't suitable for you and then having to pay money for rehab if you are injured and time being unable to run.

    As for cost a decent store will fit you with the right shoes not necessarily the most expensive shoes. I had a maximum budget in mind when I got fitted and the best pair for me ended up being about half my budget. You pay what you pay.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    I would say it's worth it.
    it will help your feet and knees and all your related joints healthy.

    plus they will help find the most comfortable shoes. I went in thinking asics but they were too stiff and tight around the middle so I went with saucony. I wouldn't have known that if I just tried to do it myself
  • fbinsc
    fbinsc Posts: 735 Member
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    You could buy online from a site like zappos that has free no question returns, using the runners world guide to help choose. Although you got a ton of replies saying go to a running store I'd bet most runners have never gotten a gait analysis done. I know I haven't.
  • nicca_jb
    nicca_jb Posts: 1,278 Member
    edited June 2015
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    When I started, I bought cheap shoes. My legs and feet regretted the decision immensely. A few months later I found a specialty running store and went to get a gait assessment and some help finding the right type of shoe. I've never looked back. It's SO WORTH IT! They assessed the gait, measured and took into consideration how wide my toes and heel are and where I land my stride, and of course considered my comfort and personal preferences.

    I personally wear Brooks Ghost 7s now. Out of sheer curiosity after having had the assessment and bought the shoes--and they let me try on almost everything in the store which would suit my gait--I checked online at the Brooks site to see if the 7s were recommended based on my answers to their quiz. I was happily surprised to find that they were the #1 option for me on that site, and pleased that my store had found the right shoe for me. (Note: they were not the most expensive option.)

    Long story short: take the drive, pay a few extra dollars. You will not regret doing so.
  • Gska17
    Gska17 Posts: 752 Member
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    Definitely make the trip as others have said! Until recently the closest store to me was 45ish minutes away. I happily made the trip because my sister (who works in a running store) told me it was really important. Good luck! :)
  • Morgaath
    Morgaath Posts: 679 Member
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    This guy is into ultra marathons, and does reviews on shoes...as well as everything else running.
    http://fellrnr.com/wiki/Shoes
    I love that he cuts shoes in half to shoe you what they are made of.
    Also if you click on the price in the review it will take you to a site that looks for the cheapest prices for that item on the web.
  • Bruceapple
    Bruceapple Posts: 2,026 Member
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    I like Brooks Beast, it is a heavy guy shoe.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    fbinsc wrote: »
    You could buy online from a site like zappos that has free no question returns, using the runners world guide to help choose. Although you got a ton of replies saying go to a running store I'd bet most runners have never gotten a gait analysis done. I know I haven't.

    You're probably right re: most people not bothering and there are also some relatively sophisticated online tools such as this one:

    myprecisionfit.com/test/welcome?lang=en_GB&noAnswerSelected=true&noMobile=#

    That said it seems like a bit of a false economy of taking a punt on buying something online which a person is not sure about and then returning them until they find the right pair (even if they were confident they knew what they were looking for to begin with) and then perhaps only discovering they aren't right a few runs down the line.

    Given the amount of time a person will spend running in their shoes before they need being replaced a couple of hours to go to a store is dwarfed in comparison. Maybe it could be considered to be the first training run ;)
  • anoopzpctr
    anoopzpctr Posts: 1 Member
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    Guy
  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
    edited June 2015
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    You might be able to get help 11 miles away - see this Google map for some possible stores.

    Yes you should definitely get some helpful advice from someone that can look at your feet, and your gait, in person. Best of all you can try different pairs and believe me that can make a huge difference.

    Take your old shoes with you.

  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    you NEED to go to a store and get evaluated and their recommendations.

    trust me. i fought it too. and suffered, then broke down and drove the hour for the store. and was sooooooooooooo much happier once i did!

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