Shoes for the novice runner

doomspark

"runner" here is something of a misnomer - more like "walker and once in a while jogger hoping to eventually be a runner"

I have no clue about shoes, except that I know good shoes are important when running.

I'm 5' tall, male, 191 lbs (more or less) down from 212, and wear a 6.5 E - yes, I have duck feet. I also apparently underpronate as it's the outside edges of my heels that wear down. I did some reading on a runner's website, and I'm also a heel striker, if that's the right terminology.

I would like recommendations for shoes so that I can slowly work up to running.

wolfchild59

Rather than self-evaluating, it would be best to go into a run shop and have them do an actual evaluation of your feet and how you run to be able to recommend the best shoe for you. I thought a lot of things about my feet and my gait, most of which I found out were wrong after my evaluations. Yes, plural. I went to all three run shops in my area that do the evaluations, all three independent companies from each other, and I got the same exact results and shoe recommendations from all of them. So I knew I could trust the results.

But I was wrong about my overall foot strike, about thinking that I over-pronated and wrong about what size shoe I should be wearing as a running shoe. And ever since I bought the pair of shoes that fit the best from the ones that were recommended I haven't had a single blister, no foot pain, and it reduced my calf soreness by a huge amount.

So my recommendation would be to go have it done by someone that really knows what they are doing. Once you get the results (whether they match what you think or not) you'll be able to get the right shoes for your feet and gait.

RAGGEDYANN1970

for my first pair of running shoes, i chose BROOKS. i LOVE them and they are still my fav. i never had never run in my life, wouldn't even run if there were a fire in the building.

laural007

If you are near a Swags Sport Shoes store you should go check them out. They will fit you in the proper shoes and let you walk their track to get a feel for your shoes.

sammniamii

A "running" based store would be best, they can tell if you need anything special or just normal, get you sized correctly based on brand and such not. They probably won't be cheap, but can be WELL WORTH the money.

Or you can do the silly way I did - went straight to "barefoot" runners - BUT!!!!! I warn ANYBODY that transitioning from normal shoes to "barefoot" is a MAJOR deal. You will be sore and achy for WEEKS, if you DON'T take the correct time to learn, you will probably HURT yourself. (I switched due to a medical issue w/ my feet).

But I wear Vibrams 24/7, for almost 3 years now (own 7 pairs) - they are ALL i wear unless I need to wear something different for work (steel toes).

Good luck and take things easy, don't expect to run your first 5k in less than a month - miracles don't happen that easily :laugh:

Amberlynnek

Rather than self-evaluating, it would be best to go into a run shop and have them do an actual evaluation of your feet and how you run to be able to recommend the best shoe for you. I thought a lot of things about my feet and my gait, most of which I found out were wrong after my evaluations. Yes, plural. I went to all three run shops in my area that do the evaluations, all three independent companies from each other, and I got the same exact results and shoe recommendations from all of them. So I knew I could trust the results.

But I was wrong about my overall foot strike, about thinking that I over-pronated and wrong about what size shoe I should be wearing as a running shoe. And ever since I bought the pair of shoes that fit the best from the ones that were recommended I haven't had a single blister, no foot pain, and it reduced my calf soreness by a huge amount.

So my recommendation would be to go have it done by someone that really knows what they are doing. Once you get the results (whether they match what you think or not) you'll be able to get the right shoes for your feet and gait.

^^^^THIS. Running stores will fit you for free and tell you WHAT kind of shoe you need based on your goals. They will never give you the shoe you find "pretty" or ones you have read about. They will give you the shoe your foot NEEDS. Not only will they analyze your form - a lot of stores now use computers to do this for the most accurate reading - but they will put you in a number of shoes and then re-analyze. That being said, I get a new pair of running shoes every three months and get re-fit each time. I let the expert know about any current injuries or pain, upcoming races and what I like about the last pair. So far, I always end up in the same shoe (my shoe is very custom and has a loyal following, I'm on my 19th pair) but I get put into upgraded versions. Additionally, I found out that I have a super high arch that can't be accomodated by just a shoe and needed ortho inserts that the running store was also able to provide. Running shoes should also be a half size bigger to accomodate swelling on longer workouts, which is another hard thing to pin down. I don't know where you live but try Fleet Feet - they're nationwaide and a major sponsor for many races. They have updated technology and the leading shoes, lots of discounts and even running groups for all levels. Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions. I do A LOT of running.

jmc0806

Definitely get some real advice but I love Brooks. I just switched yesterday from Brooks Beast (weigh a ton with lots of cushioning) to Brooks PureFlow2 minimalist 4mm drop shoes. I transitioned pretty easily since I just started jogging a month ago and never was really a heel-toe runner to begin with. I managed my first sub 30 5k time in them today after running a quick mile to try them out yesterday

iheartmy1dog

Proper running shoes are important... I would suggest going to a specialty store so they can tell you. Depending on how you run/how your foot hits the ground helps determine what type of shoe you need. And it also depends on where you run(road or trail running)