Which shoes for...

CharleePear

I have a myriad of old injuries, mostly badly rehabilitated as the public health system failed me. Some including weak and "grinding" knees, uneven hips from breaking my right leg and my back in two places. I have been to one of those specialty shoe places but they wanted to sell me $300 running shoes. I barely run, I do some HIIT, walking and cycling for my cardio. I tend to overpronate even while standing. My question is, do I need to find some way of being able to afford expensive shoes or is it unneccessary?? And what shoes would you recommend. I don't work so money is tight.

Maleficent0241

With your injury history, you should really think about visiting an orthopedist. You may need specialty insoles. Since money is tight, I understand that may not be an option. Do you remember the brand and model they recommended? If I knew that, I could give you some comparables that would get you in the ball park for less money (still need to try them on though). Or, you can try and find last year's model on closeout online. $300 sounds insanely expensive. Like, I have never heard of a running shoe costing that much. The most expensive "luxury" shoes I could find were in the $200 range.

CharleePear

With your injury history, you should really think about visiting an orthopedist. You may need specialty insoles. Since money is tight, I understand that may not be an option. Do you remember the brand and model they recommended? If I knew that, I could give you some comparables that would get you in the ball park for less money (still need to try them on though). Or, you can try and find last year's model on closeout online. $300 sounds insanely expensive. Like, I have never heard of a running shoe costing that much. The most expensive "luxury" shoes I could find were in the $200 range.

Oh I live in NZ, the price of everything is like that, hiked up a lot. It's not ideal. Yeah I had looked into going to one but as you said, the price isn't in my budget. I wish I could find the card they wrote it down on, I kinda let myself lose it cos I was thinking, I can't afford that. I know they were Mizuno somethings.

Maleficent0241

Wave Inspire, Wave Prophecy, Wave Creation, Wave Rider, Wave Alchemy, Wave Elixer.... any of those sound familiar?

You can also try this out: http://www.myprecisionfit.com

Let us know what it suggests for you.

CharleePear

Ooh that was really good. It suggests the Wave Nexus 5.

I think I was suggested the Inspire. I think it was just under $300 at the store I looked at (I round up in my head, one of my budgeting things I do).

Maleficent0241

Okay, so in the same class as the Nexus/Inspire:

Asics GT-1000 series and 2000 series.
Brooks Adrenaline and Ravenna
Nike LunarGlide or Zoom Structure
Adidas Supernova Sequence

There are more with New Balance, etc. but I am not really familiar enough with their lines. Did you try on the Mizunos? How did they fit? Odds are, if they fit you well, your next best bet would be the Asics or Possibly the Brooks. No guarantees of course, so definitely try stuff on.

Your other option would be to go with a neutral shoe (they have recommended a moderately supportive shoe for overpronation), and use a pair of good aftermarket insoles like Superfeet. I find that to be a generally more expensive way to go in the long run, but sometimes it really is the best option for people.

With nearly all of these shoes, models get minor updates every year (rarely anything crazy, but it does happen) and the previous year then gets discounted. If you can find your size in an older model, you can save a lot of money. Normally I wouldn't suggest getting help with shoes and then purchasing somewhere else, but if it's all you can afford, I get it. Once you have tried some stuff on, online stores usually have stock on older models. I have no idea how much shipping and duties are going overseas, but some of the online retailers like Running Warehouse do indeed ship internationally. It may be cheaper to buy online than in person, especially if they are marking up the shoes that much where you live! Was that really $300 USD? That is crazy.

CharleePear

Not USD, NZD. Which is about $250 USD.

This is the best help I have got so far, when you go into the store they just try and sell to you, I tried discussing my needs but they just kept pulling the expensive shoes, Asics are about $240 (saw those, heard they were good, took note of the price), but I will look for sales and online, now that I have a few options to choose from

My overpronation includes knocking knees and hyper extending muscles as well as midly flat feet. I will definitly try some on when I have the chance. Thanks so kindly.

Maleficent0241

No problem. While good shoes aren't necessarily expensive (since the best shoe is the shoe that fits you best! ha), they can be. ESPECIALLY for someone with your biomechanical issues, it's just a really bad idea to skimp on shoes as you will end up just injuring yourself further. If you want another opinion, there are several places who will check your gait and analyze it free for you if you upload a video of yourself running (there will be instructions on how long, what angle, etc. for them). The nice thing is once you find a shoe that works for you, generally you can stick with it through multiple generations of the shoe and not have to go through this nonsense every time you need a new pair. IIRC, I remember people from Australia and other overseas locations talking about ordering shoes from America. Now I know why. I'm still in sticker shock :noway:

CharleePear

Just be careful with those Australian comments, I am a Kiwi, we are not Australian, it's like getting America and Canada mixed up.

:noway: :laugh: :laugh:

I don't know how much they are in Australia but if they are ordering them online, then I am guessing similar. It's so true, investing in a good shoe is so important, I will keep looking around and trying some on etc.

PS MFP puts AU for my region Auckland is where I am...I wished it said NZ cos people keep thinking I am an Aussie hahaha

Maleficent0241

Just be careful with those Australian comments, I am a Kiwi, we are not Australian, it's like getting America and Canada mixed up.

:noway: :laugh: :laugh:

I don't know how much they are in Australia but if they are ordering them online, then I am guessing similar. It's so true, investing in a good shoe is so important, I will keep looking around and trying some on etc.

PS MFP puts AU for my region Auckland is where I am...I wished it said NZ cos people keep thinking I am an Aussie hahaha

Hah, yeah I know it's not the same, but same part of the world and apparently the same problem with shoe pricing Sorry if I offended.

RedRider230

Having worked in a "specialty shoe store" for 7 years my advice would be to find another specialty shoe store. $300 is ridiculous for running shoes. It is very important to have someone do a gait analysis for you. Especially with your bio mechanical issues. That being said keep in mind that different people will come to different conclusions on what is best for you. Get someone to do it that is very experienced in analyzing gaits. A good store will have a treadmill so you can try different shoes and different insoles before you buy. And even if you're just walking and not running, running shoes are usually the best. They are typically better at controlling the motion of the foot (over pronating) and have a lot more cushioning to absorb shock. A really good walking shoe I recommend is the Brooks "Addiction Walker". Try both and get what is the most comfortable for you. You most likely need a proper fitting arch support too. Buying an athletic shoe is the most complicated shoe you could possibly buy...they are made for different foot shapes, have different degrees of motion control and even for different weights of people. Definitely go to a good store where people know how to properly match you up to a shoe and insole. Good shoes will cost between $80 and $140. Don't skip the insole or add it when you can, they range from $35 - $45. Look for a store that caters to runners, they are usually the most knowledgeable (even if you don't run, lol), most likely the podiatrists in the area send their patients there too. Hope that helps and good luck!

MeanderingMammal

... I barely run, I do some HIIT, walking and cycling for my cardio. I tend to overpronate even while standing.

A very challenging combination of requirements. High intensity running is where form is most likely to break down, and your form breaking down is where you're most at risk of injury.

The benefits of high intensity intervals are predominantly on your VO2 max, and while running is the easiest way to get your heart rate well into your anaerobic zone, it's entirely possible to do it on a bike or rowing machine.

If you're going to do high intensity running then I'd suggest that you do some recovery pace running to work on your form, and reduce the risk of that causing you issues at higher intensities.

You've got a couple of options for shoes though, either stability shoes like the Saucony Guide or comparable, or some form of minimalist shoe. You really do need to have your gait analysed though, and while I'd not normally advocate it you could get the retail advice and then order online if cost is a significant driver for you.

A minimalist shoe will force proper form, but it's much higher risk, particularly given the degree of overpronation you describe, so converting to that might be far mre work than you need.

Personally I've found that running, quite a lot, has helped my knee and ankle problems significantly, but then I do 35-40km per week, a mix of recovery pace, tempo and interval sessions. If you're only doing intervals then I'd suggest finding a lower risk way of getting the effect. You'll get more calorie consumption by doing about 30% more time each session but at recovery pace rather than using intervals, at much lower injury risk.

CharleePear

Just be careful with those Australian comments, I am a Kiwi, we are not Australian, it's like getting America and Canada mixed up.

:noway: :laugh: :laugh:

I don't know how much they are in Australia but if they are ordering them online, then I am guessing similar. It's so true, investing in a good shoe is so important, I will keep looking around and trying some on etc.

PS MFP puts AU for my region Auckland is where I am...I wished it said NZ cos people keep thinking I am an Aussie hahaha

Hah, yeah I know it's not the same, but same part of the world and apparently the same problem with shoe pricing Sorry if I offended.

Nah we are kinda getting used to it down here haha not to worry

CharleePear

Having worked in a "specialty shoe store" for 7 years my advice would be to find another specialty shoe store. $300 is ridiculous for running shoes. It is very important to have someone do a gait analysis for you. Especially with your bio mechanical issues. That being said keep in mind that different people will come to different conclusions on what is best for you. Get someone to do it that is very experienced in analyzing gaits. A good store will have a treadmill so you can try different shoes and different insoles before you buy. And even if you're just walking and not running, running shoes are usually the best. They are typically better at controlling the motion of the foot (over pronating) and have a lot more cushioning to absorb shock. A really good walking shoe I recommend is the Brooks "Addiction Walker". Try both and get what is the most comfortable for you. You most likely need a proper fitting arch support too. Buying an athletic shoe is the most complicated shoe you could possibly buy...they are made for different foot shapes, have different degrees of motion control and even for different weights of people. Definitely go to a good store where people know how to properly match you up to a shoe and insole. Good shoes will cost between $80 and $140. Don't skip the insole or add it when you can, they range from $35 - $45. Look for a store that caters to runners, they are usually the most knowledgeable (even if you don't run, lol), most likely the podiatrists in the area send their patients there too. Hope that helps and good luck!

In New Zealand you can't get a good shoe in that range our good shoes start at $140 up. But I will definitly be looking around. They did the treadmill test in one store and the walking and running across a sensor mat in another Both suggested shoes way out of my price range. But if those are going to be the best shoes for me I will save and buy them online, but I am going to try a few with similar features first.

CharleePear

... I barely run, I do some HIIT, walking and cycling for my cardio. I tend to overpronate even while standing.

A very challenging combination of requirements. High intensity running is where form is most likely to break down, and your form breaking down is where you're most at risk of injury.

The benefits of high intensity intervals are predominantly on your VO2 max, and while running is the easiest way to get your heart rate well into your anaerobic zone, it's entirely possible to do it on a bike or rowing machine.

If you're going to do high intensity running then I'd suggest that you do some recovery pace running to work on your form, and reduce the risk of that causing you issues at higher intensities.

You've got a couple of options for shoes though, either stability shoes like the Saucony Guide or comparable, or some form of minimalist shoe. You really do need to have your gait analysed though, and while I'd not normally advocate it you could get the retail advice and then order online if cost is a significant driver for you.

A minimalist shoe will force proper form, but it's much higher risk, particularly given the degree of overpronation you describe, so converting to that might be far mre work than you need.

Personally I've found that running, quite a lot, has helped my knee and ankle problems significantly, but then I do 35-40km per week, a mix of recovery pace, tempo and interval sessions. If you're only doing intervals then I'd suggest finding a lower risk way of getting the effect. You'll get more calorie consumption by doing about 30% more time each session but at recovery pace rather than using intervals, at much lower injury risk.

Oh thanks for the advice! After all the injuries I have had the only suggestion my doctor has said was, don't run then. Not helpful I reckon I can run, just not long distances, I have got to the point I can successfully squat with reasonable form, if I can do that, I can do this. I have had my gait analysed, that's when they suggested the expensive shoes, but perhaps that's just my countries prices.

MeanderingMammal

Not helpful I reckon I can run, just not long distances, I have got to the point I can successfully squat with reasonable form, if I can do that, I can do this.

In that case I'd suggest using a Couch to 5K plan as a means of getting your running base to a reasonable level then. The shorter intervals and progressive nature will help to acclimatise your legs to the motion, and cycling is certainly very complementary to that in terms of muscle and connective tissue development.

I've had broken ankles and as a result had some damage to my knees. For a very long time I had problems running as when I started I went out too fast, or added too much distance all at once and ended up with nasty overuse injuries. Using a structured programme slowed me down a lot and made it easier to adjust to the demands that running places on me.