Buying running shoes
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tabbyblack13
Posts: 299 Member
I was wondering what do people do to evaluate if the running shoes they are buying are good enough while at the store. I would like to start running but every time I have bought running shoes my feet hurt a lot. This is really discouraging to me.
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I hear good cushiony insoles help, with a nice snug but comfy fit. I'm on the hunt also.. But I would go with some gel or some type of insole0
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I get fitted for my shoes at a proper running store. They will watch the way you run and walk and judge the proper shoe for you based on your gait (the way your foot lands). This is very important, because if you are not fitted with the proper shoe it can do more harm than good. Improper running shoes can lead to injury.0
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I was wondering what do people do to evaluate if the running shoes they are buying are good enough while at the store. I would like to start running but every time I have bought running shoes my feet hurt a lot. This is really discouraging to me.
As above, it's well worth getting fitted at a proper running shop where they can look at your existing shoes, look at your gait and potentially test your landing and push off cycle. They'll then come up with recommendations on appropriate shoes.
In practice what I now do is stick with the same model, rather than getting rechecked, but I'm running four pairs of road shoes in parallel at the moment.0 -
The closest stores are D*i*c*k*'s sporting goods and Big 5 and those are about 2 hrs away. Are those good places to go for running shoes?0
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No idea I'm afraid, I'm a Brit
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The closest stores are D*i*c*k*'s sporting goods and Big 5 and those are about 2 hrs away. Are those good places to go for running shoes?
I don't believe that D's has running analysis available, are there any specialty running stores? I know one of the chains is Fleet Feet, I got my gait analysis and recommendations there.0 -
Unfortunately, no. Are there any running groups or clubs in your area? They might know where to go. I was surprised after I started looking for stores, that there is one within a 15 minute drive of me. It took me 6 months of looking and I had already driven quite a ways, over an hour, to go to what I thought was the closest store and had bought my shoes there.The closest stores are D*i*c*k*'s sporting goods and Big 5 and those are about 2 hrs away. Are those good places to go for running shoes?
Two more things:
- Bring your old running shoes with you. The wear on your old shoes could help the people at the store see better how you run.
- Only use your running shoes for running. Once you "retire" them you can use them for whatever, but while they are your running shoes, use them only for your runs.0 -
I did a search for running stores and kept getting gun stores. I think the online yellow pages is broken.0
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****'s will watch you, at least here they have a treadmill to watch you on. If it ends up coming down to it, you can use Runner's World shoe selector.
http://www.runnersworld.com/shoe-finder/shoe-advisor0 -
I ended up going to D*ick's sporting goods and got a pair of Asics gt2000. I used them today for my first training session. My feet were sore but only towards the end. I'm hopping over time I will get stronger.0
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I've never really run in my life before. I always preferred walking/hiking. I just finished week4 day 2 and am having pain in my knees. Week three was ok. I don't have running shoes and was wondering if running shoes would help. I'm doing all of the workouts on the treadmill so far.0
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Running shoes have a lot more cushion then walking/hiking shoes. Your knee pain can be caused by not having enough of that cusion since you are putting more force on your knees and feet. I would look into getting a pair and I would also check with your dr to make sure there isn't anything else that is causing the pain.0
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I just went through the fitting process at 2 running specialty stores. I am just getting off the couch so to speak but the c25k is my goal. So no running experience whatsoever.
Runners world shoe selector - may work well for someone who has some experience and knows a bit about running shoes. For me it did not work. I walked into a store armed with the shoes it suggested and none of them were right. Not because it is a bad tool but because I did not give it the right information.
Running store 1 - was a joke. Everything a couch potatoe fears about going to one of these stores. When I finnaly attracted a sales person I explained where I was in my fitness and what I wanted to achieve. She points to the most expensive shoe on the wall and says this one has lots of cushioning. That was it. No looking at my foot, my walking anything. I left without shoes.
Running store 2 - Everything you could ask for and then some. Intimidated from the first store I declined any help the first 3 times I was asked. Then the sales person changed tacts and just struck up conversation. 2 hours later and 11 pairs of shoes I found something that worked for me. The sales person was the one who ruled out 9 of the pairs of shoes just by watching me walk/jog. The shoes that ended up being right for me felt incredible. Everything about them felt natural on my feet. They were also nothing close to what I had been given for recomendations from the running world selector.
Point being running stores are not going to be the end all unless you find the right one. But when you do it is worth the drive. For me it was 1.5 hours but I will be back to them again for sure.0 -
I was lucky to have a good store near me. I have really wide feet and the shoes I ended up with have plenty of room for my toes. I have mild pronation, so shoes with too much support were ruled out. They also showed me how to tie them to eliminate the bit of slipping I had on the heel. I would have been overwhelmed by the choices without their help. The pain in my knees and shins went away with the new shoes.0
