Best running shoes
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My last pair I got on sale for $75 Cdn. Decent Asics that have really worked for me. But I was in SportCheck last night and nothing really interesting on sale.
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acorsaut89 wrote: »First, cheap running shoes will not give you the unique support you need for your feet - they aren't designed that way.
I would disagree with this. All of the brands that I listed upthread have three different price ranges, the main difference in the lower cost shoes being that the materials and construction drive the price. You'll still get a motion control shoe, or a neutral shoe, or a cushioned shoe.
The main impact of the cheaper materials and constructions are resilience. The shoe won't last as long, and will need replaced.
@Tacklewasher has identified a distance life of c500Km from a pair of shoes, to me that's way too low, but it does depend on the shoe. I'll generally expect c600 miles (900-1000km) out of a pair. That may be branding, it may be running gait and build. I'm 160-165lbs, and run largely trails wearing Inov-8 low drop neutral shoes. If I had a need for cushioned shoes I'd anticipate a shorter mile life.
My favourite shoes for middle distances, 13-26mi, have no cushioning. The biggest driver that will age them is the outsole being worn down, and given they've got 8mm lugs in the sole that's more likely to happen before the structure breaks down.
Those cost me £80 so c $120 US
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MeanderingMammal wrote: »acorsaut89 wrote: »First, cheap running shoes will not give you the unique support you need for your feet - they aren't designed that way.
I would disagree with this. All of the brands that I listed upthread have three different price ranges, the main difference in the lower cost shoes being that the materials and construction drive the price. You'll still get a motion control shoe, or a neutral shoe, or a cushioned shoe.
The main impact of the cheaper materials and constructions are resilience. The shoe won't last as long, and will need replaced.
@Tacklewasher has identified a distance life of c500Km from a pair of shoes, to me that's way too low, but it does depend on the shoe. I'll generally expect c600 miles (900-1000km) out of a pair. That may be branding, it may be running gait and build. I'm 160-165lbs, and run largely trails wearing Inov-8 low drop neutral shoes. If I had a need for cushioned shoes I'd anticipate a shorter mile life.
My favourite shoes for middle distances, 13-26mi, have no cushioning. The biggest driver that will age them is the outsole being worn down, and given they've got 8mm lugs in the sole that's more likely to happen before the structure breaks down.
Those cost me £80 so c $120 US
Just to dogpile this. There's a clear difference between an inexpensive(low end) Saucony/brooks/asics/Altra and "cheap running shoes" like Champion or Walmart store brand.
If you're one of the fortunate ones whose knees/ankles will stand "cheap running shoes" great!!.. For most of us, quality has a price tag, but even quality brands have less expensive lines and sales and coupons I've paid as little as $50(US) for a pair of Brooks... and as much as 140 for the same shoe from the same model and line.0 -
MeanderingMammal wrote: »@Tacklewasher has identified a distance life of c500Km from a pair of shoes, to me that's way too low, but it does depend on the shoe. I'll generally expect c600 miles (900-1000km) out of a pair. That may be branding, it may be running gait and build. I'm 160-165lbs, and run largely trails wearing Inov-8 low drop neutral shoes. If I had a need for cushioned shoes I'd anticipate a shorter mile life.
It will be interesting to see what kind of life I get out of my next pair. I bought the one's I'm retiring last April or so (Garmin shows my first run April 1, but I think I had used them before understanding why I needed to add them as gear, so it could have been early March). Anyway, I've had them about a year. I was about 260 a year ago, so I'm curious if I will get more mileage weighing less (~210 now and still losing slowly). At the same time, I'm going to run more.
My knees and ankles are fine, just my shin that hurt after my last run. But even Strava sent me a note I'm getting close to 500K and might want to look at new shoes
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stanmann571 wrote: »MeanderingMammal wrote: »acorsaut89 wrote: »First, cheap running shoes will not give you the unique support you need for your feet - they aren't designed that way.
I would disagree with this. All of the brands that I listed upthread have three different price ranges, the main difference in the lower cost shoes being that the materials and construction drive the price. You'll still get a motion control shoe, or a neutral shoe, or a cushioned shoe.
The main impact of the cheaper materials and constructions are resilience. The shoe won't last as long, and will need replaced.
@Tacklewasher has identified a distance life of c500Km from a pair of shoes, to me that's way too low, but it does depend on the shoe. I'll generally expect c600 miles (900-1000km) out of a pair. That may be branding, it may be running gait and build. I'm 160-165lbs, and run largely trails wearing Inov-8 low drop neutral shoes. If I had a need for cushioned shoes I'd anticipate a shorter mile life.
My favourite shoes for middle distances, 13-26mi, have no cushioning. The biggest driver that will age them is the outsole being worn down, and given they've got 8mm lugs in the sole that's more likely to happen before the structure breaks down.
Those cost me £80 so c $120 US
Just to dogpile this. There's a clear difference between an inexpensive(low end) Saucony/brooks/asics/Altra and "cheap running shoes" like Champion or Walmart store brand.
If you're one of the fortunate ones whose knees/ankles will stand "cheap running shoes" great!!.. For most of us, quality has a price tag, but even quality brands have less expensive lines and sales and coupons I've paid as little as $50(US) for a pair of Brooks... and as much as 140 for the same shoe from the same model and line.
Bought 2 pair of Champions for $38 Cdn total. But these are mucking around shoes, no way could I run in them.0 -
So hard to answer. I have to try them on. My personal favorite is Asics, which I buy at Kohls usually. You can get good sales, especially with a 30% off coupon. (Disclaimer: I'm not a serious runner. I run on the treadmill. If I was a hard-core, serious outside runner, I'd visit a store that specializes in running with salespeople that will watch you run and help you try them on. I'd pay more money, in other words.)0
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Have to echo others' responses to go to a dedicated running store to get fitted. Definitely ask about the type/category of the shoe as well, not only the make/model, which will give you more flexibility when shopping and if the given brand you get fit for discontinues or significantly changes the model such that it no longer works for your gait. It's getting more common where Big box stores like Dick's Sporting Goods may have a treadmill where they advertise they'll "fit" you for the right shoe but their employees likely won't have the same level of expertise and I would think they could lean towards recommending a bigger-name brands they advertise like Nike, Adidas or Under Armour where your stride could benefit more from a more niche running brand that they may not even carry(no direct experience with this, just speculating). I'm really cheap and don't think I've paid more than $80 for a pair of running shoes but once or twice, especially if you're not picky about color and can find a previous model. Some brands like Asics and Saucony have outlet stores in my area (Cincinnati) with wide selections of shoes at discounts and I've also had good luck at DSW and trolling slickdeals for clearance deals over the years. My wife, who is far more of a runner than I, likes to always have a backup pair of her beloved Mizuno Waveriders in reserve so she can switch as soon as she starts to feel some calf soreness; that's her cue to break out the next pair and usually happens around 250 miles. Her stride economy is also atrocious. Literally, your mileage may vary with how long a shoe lasts based on a number of variables; shoe brand, type, gait, running surface, etc.0
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My personal favorites are Brooks Ghost. I didn't like the 9 as mush as past models but now I love my ghost 10. Cant get them for 80 though unfortunately.0
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OP - best of luck with the CT5K program. Really loved it. I think walking shoes would be fine for the first 2-3 weeks but definitely when the runs get past about 5 minute segments you may want to have broken in a pair of running shoes. It's fun to read everyone's answers and I personally have found that when I go try on shoes (at Academy) I just grab a whole bunch of different brands in my size and bring my old pair with me (and socks of course). I sit down with about 5-10 boxes and put my old shoe on one foot and a new one on another. Its really easy to pare down the candidates that way. Then I start comparing one to the other. I don't look at price because I want it to be strictly based on judgement. I came away last time with a pair of Saucony and Mizuno. The latter was really cheap and neither was expensive (over say $100). However I can sort of tell that the Mizuno are not built to last as long as the Saucony so you kind of get what you pay for with running shoes in that respect if you are going to be doing it a lot and adding distance. And don't be afraid to look at trail or cross training shoes in the mix as well.
Now I used to be a Brooks and Nike gal but lately my favorite brand/style of Nike's gave me a shin splint and the Brooks feel too downhill to me. So, although I would love to be loyal to a particular brand or style of shoe, it seems like the companies are CONSTANTLY changing and the brands are never the same when you need another pair. I have been a runner off and on for maybe 40 years. I also wouldn't recommend stockpiling more than a pair or two of something you like because I have found that the materials actually break down from age vs usage and have seen some good shoes just disintegrate even not used due to age. Like the tired which blows out after 50 miles usage but is 10 years old sort of thing.
Good luck and please come back and tell us how you are doing and what shoes you liked and why. It's all really personal and even if you go to a running store and get a specialist to help, do NOT go away with something you dont like the best because they don't have to run in them, you do. 0 -
It seems as though my question is was misunderstood. I was simply looking for brands of shoes so I can figure out where in my area to get them. I always knew I would have to get fitted. Until I begin the serious running phase I will stick with my walking shoes. I have been sedentary due to health reasons for nearly 3 years. Here goes nothing C25K! Thanks everyone for their input.
Okay.
In no specific order
Brooks
Asics
Saucony
Under Armour
Mizuno
New Balance
Not a fan of Nike
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Also.... be sure to select moisture wicking socks.
I like the brand called DeFeet0 -
Motorsheen wrote: »It seems as though my question is was misunderstood. I was simply looking for brands of shoes so I can figure out where in my area to get them. I always knew I would have to get fitted. Until I begin the serious running phase I will stick with my walking shoes. I have been sedentary due to health reasons for nearly 3 years. Here goes nothing C25K! Thanks everyone for their input.
Okay.
In no specific order
Brooks
Asics
Saucony
Under Armour
Mizuno
New Balance
Not a fan of Nike
I missed this post when I made my reply. I've run in Adidas, Saucony, and currently use Mizunos (as does my wife as previously mentioned). I have Under Armour training shoes for lifting and really like them, However, I tried a pair of their running shoes, and while nice and comfortable, that model (although runner's world categorized as similar to the adidas model I wore for 2-3 pairs) didn't provide enough stability in the upper for my taste and have been relegated to generic sneaker-wear. I have one friend who is smitten with Alta, a number of my college running friends were Asics and Saucony fans, and my brother-in-law runs in New Balance. Second vote to @Motorsheen's comment about good socks, my preference is Under Armour but I have Saucony socks that are a close second. Places like Marshall's and TJ Maxx usually have some to choose from as reasonable prices.0 -
Also.... keep in mind that makes and models change over time.
I used to run exclusively in asics until I noticed a change in the upper.
I made the swith to Brooks, Mizuno and Saucony.
It's an okay idea (for me anyway ) to switch up brands and styles for different runs and conditions.1 -
Motorsheen wrote: »It seems as though my question is was misunderstood. I was simply looking for brands of shoes so I can figure out where in my area to get them. I always knew I would have to get fitted. Until I begin the serious running phase I will stick with my walking shoes. I have been sedentary due to health reasons for nearly 3 years. Here goes nothing C25K! Thanks everyone for their input.
Okay.
In no specific order
Brooks
Asics
Saucony
Under Armour
Mizuno
New Balance
Not a fan of Nike
And I only run in Nike. I also dislike some of the favorites above.
As you can see there's no one brand that is best or worst. Get shoes made for your gait and your body will be much happier.
Good luck.0
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