Can shoes really make that big of a difference?

reederx5

I ran/jogged for 15 minutes today and shortly afterwards my left hip/socket area is extremely painful. I have heard shoes can make or break you but then I thought maybe its my running form or lack there of

Mokey41

Probably a combination of both.

bren3345

After quite a few shoe purchases and having sore feet, ankles, knees, etc I went and got fitted for shoes. I don't think I'll ever buy shoes by myself again. Apparently I was wearing the complete wrong shoes for what I was doing (training for a half). He asked me what kind of exercise I do and what hurts the most. He explained why my shoes were bad and what I need to look for in shoes. Then he brought a bunch out and watch me walk and run in them. They were probably a little more expensive than another place (I went to a running store) but I will say all the pain I had went away. If your pain becomes a big issue, I would definitely suggest getting fitted by a professional! Oh and I think I was even wearing the wrong size shoe!

blaquebutterfly75

Yes, it's probably a combination of wrong shoes and form. I would suggest getting fitted for a proper running shoe for you.

Boshnivay

bren3345, just wondering: how much did you have to pay for your fancy kicks? i've been hearing different things about right/ wrong shoes and have just started to get into running so i don't wanna hurt my body if shoes can make a difference!

SonyaCele

My shoes make a huge difference for me. I have a pair for running and a different pair for walking. Both were around 125 each, but so worth it. My strength trainer has also coached my running, there is apparently right and wrong ways to run. I'm just learning about all this.

DavPul

Throughout history, people have run in a wide variety of shoe types without injury. I'd work on resolving my form issues before I started figuring out which shoe to spend a bunch of money on.

rybo

Yes...sometimes.

I can run in almost any kind of shoe, all the way down to vibrams without any sort of issue. But if I run in a good "motion control" shoe, I will get knee pain.
Sometimes I think shoes can make all the difference, and sometimes I don't think they make any difference at all.

Dave198lbs

was that the first time you have ran in a long time?

if so, you are just out of shape and your body is saying WTF?

getting fitted for shoes at this point would be a waste of money.

3dogsrunning

Throughout history, people have run in a wide variety of shoe types without injury. I'd work on resolving my form issues before I started figuring out which shoe to spend a bunch of money on.

I rarely disagree with you (well except about muscle milk) and I don't totally disagree with this - but I do feel that running in a corrective or extra cushioned shoe (when you don't need it) can cause problems regardless of form. Throughout history we have pretty much had neutral or minimal (even no) shoes. There are many who argue that is better and the advent of extra cushioning and motion control has increased the number of injuries.
That said - I NEED a corrective shoe. I simply cannot do minimalist shoes. I wanted to, I've tried, but I can't.

My point I guess is wearing the wrong shoe can cause problems regardless of form but i agree many people don't need a fancy shoe.

3dogsrunning

To answer the question - I think it depends if shoes make or break you. Some people don't need to worry about shoes, some people, like myself, the right shoe makes a huge difference.

I also agree with a PP that the first day of pain may not necessarily mean you have a problem. Like any type of workout, when we increase effort, sometimes there is pain. If it continues I would look at possible causes. Working on form can't hurt anyway.

I would suggest the next time you make a shoe purchase to be fitted.

DavPul

Throughout history, people have run in a wide variety of shoe types without injury. I'd work on resolving my form issues before I started figuring out which shoe to spend a bunch of money on.

I rarely disagree with you (well except about muscle milk) and I don't totally disagree with this - but I do feel that running in a corrective or extra cushioned shoe (when you don't need it) can cause problems regardless of form. Throughout history we have pretty much had neutral or minimal (even no) shoes. There are many who argue that is better and the advent of extra cushioning and motion control has increased the number of injuries.
That said - I NEED a corrective shoe. I simply cannot do minimalist shoes.

My point I guess is wearing the wrong shoe can cause problems regardless of form but i agree many people don't need a fancy shoe.

I think we're on the same page. I agree that shoes can make a difference but if her form is way off then she'll still be in pain even in the best fitting shoe. I'm just prioritizing which to work on first. But maybe she should look at them simultaneously.

Also, you would know much more about this than I would, but don't some of the high end shoes get fitted for specific gaits? As she adjusts form, would the gait change and she'd need a different shoe? I legitimately don't know the answer but I think you might.

MagnaSky

I believe shoes can make a difference, especially if you have issues with overpronation or underpronations.
Here are links to a couple of good articles about pronation.
http://www.runnersworld.com/running-shoes/pronation-explained
http://www.runnersworld.com/running-shoes/best-running-shoe-you?page=single

Duck_Puddle

If today was your first run in forever (or a long time), could just be soreness from asking your body to run. Could be running form, could be shoes or any combination of the above. Some people can run in anything, some people (like me) make like cindarella until they find the one single model shoe that works. I need a mild stability shoe-but it has to be "just right" or I get it band issues or hip pain or calf pains or something. Eventually (after 700 tries), I found shoes that allow me to run pain-free. Course the model has been "updated" so I may be on a new quest once I'm no longer able to find the old model for sale. For me, shoes make a huge difference-for others, they can run comfortably in $4 walmart clearance sneakers.

bren3345

Boshnivay - Maybe $120? It honestly wasn't a whole lot more than when I went to the Nike store a year before and bought some myself.

3dogsrunning

Throughout history, people have run in a wide variety of shoe types without injury. I'd work on resolving my form issues before I started figuring out which shoe to spend a bunch of money on.

I rarely disagree with you (well except about muscle milk) and I don't totally disagree with this - but I do feel that running in a corrective or extra cushioned shoe (when you don't need it) can cause problems regardless of form. Throughout history we have pretty much had neutral or minimal (even no) shoes. There are many who argue that is better and the advent of extra cushioning and motion control has increased the number of injuries.
That said - I NEED a corrective shoe. I simply cannot do minimalist shoes.

My point I guess is wearing the wrong shoe can cause problems regardless of form but i agree many people don't need a fancy shoe.

I think we're on the same page. I agree that shoes can make a difference but if her form is way off then she'll still be in pain even in the best fitting shoe. I'm just prioritizing which to work on first. But maybe she should look at them simultaneously.

Also, you would know much more about this than I would, but don't some of the high end shoes get fitted for specific gaits? As she adjusts form, would the gait change and she'd need a different shoe? I legitimately don't know the answer but I think you might.

Yes and no. The extra cushioning are more meant for heel strikers, which you could change (and as usual there are two camps in the "change your form" and "run as your body naturally would") but other things you can't.
My bigger concern was she may be running is a corrective shoe that may be forcing her foot to move in a way it shouldn't or doesn't need to.
I do agree that one day of pain doesn't necessarily mean go out and buy new shoes.

CarsonRuns

Also, you would know much more about this than I would, but don't some of the high end shoes get fitted for specific gaits? As she adjusts form, would the gait change and she'd need a different shoe? I legitimately don't know the answer but I think you might.

Probably not. The different types of shoes (Neutral, Stability and Motion Control) are all for varying degrees of (over)pronation. That is tied more to individually physiology than form. I'm not saying it never happens, but it's unlikely. I think a larger contributor to a possible change from more stability to less is substantial weight loss.

CarsonRuns

bren3345, just wondering: how much did you have to pay for your fancy kicks? i've been hearing different things about right/ wrong shoes and have just started to get into running so i don't wanna hurt my body if shoes can make a difference!

A good pair of running shoes is going to cost somewhere between $75 and $200. The higher priced shoes are *usually* the ones with more cushion and correction. I'd say most people spend around $125 for a pair of trainers.