Favorite Running Shoes?

jackilync

Do you have a favorite brand or type of running shoe? I am currently running in my $12 wal*mart tennies that I bought 5 years ago in high school. My feet are killing me. The hubs is taking me shoe shopping tomorrow and I want to have an idea so that I am not overwhelmed by choices. I have pretty much no arch and I wear a 10.5 wide. Not sure if those things make a difference as far as which shoes would be better. I'm open to suggestions. I love how Asics look but I don't want to buy running shoes based on looks!

Thanks!

doIlhands

The best thing to do is go to a running store and get professionally fitted. If you can't do that I would walk around in the store and try to jog in the shoes to see if they are comfortable. I currently run in new balances and like them but they aren't very pretty lol.

AmandaW01

You need proper running shoes, and you really need your gait checked to make sure that you get the right level of support. Running shoes aren't as simple as just trying on what looks nice - my gait was misread and I was given neutral shoes when I should have had support and blew my knees out!
I love Mizunos personally, I have Mizuno Elixir 8s and love them - they are mild support. You'll find that they all vary - I really like the Sauconys but their toe box is very narrow whereas Mizunos have a wider box which allows your toes to spread further when running (and saves your toenails) Brookes are always a good option as are New Balance. What you get though needs to go by what you need for your feet so don't be swayed by 'pretty' shoes :-)

timeasterday

What others have said - get fit at a running store (not a big chain shoe store).

I've been running in Brooks Ghost 5 and really love the way they feel. I recently picked up a few pairs of Mizuno's at a big clearance sale (couldn't pass up the prices!). Those feel good too. You'll probably find that one or two brands fit best for you, so try to stick with those brands. Every shoe maker makes a shoe around what they think is the proper shape of the foot but they all have small differences. Other brands like Saucony, Nike, and ASICS didn't really feel like they were made for my feet. One exception - I just bought some ASICS trail shoes after trying many other brands and their trail shoe felt the best even though I don't like their running shoes. My wife bought the "prettiest" shoes but later had some issues with them rubbing. Inserts and different socks helped that.

rduhlir

Generic Wal-mart kicks aren't going to cut it. Go to a running store and get fitted. The beauty of it is that you do not have to buy the shoes there if cost is a concern. What I do? I go to the running store, get fitted and then go check Rack Room shoes. Several times I have found them at Rack Room for much cheaper than the running store sells them for. But...don't be afraid of spending some money on proper running shoes. They might seem expensive, but it is much cheaper to buy proper shoes then pay for the physical theropy and hospital bills that improper shoes could cause.

jackilync

Thank you for the advice! I ended up going with a pair of Brooks Ravenna 4. I tried on others but those felt the best. I wore them on the treadmill yesterday and they felt great but today I ran on the road and my feet were killing before I was halfway through. Could just be because I usually run on the treadmill though.

xtrout

Hard to say if the new shoes are causing the pain. Did you have a running shoe store professional fit them to you? Ravennas are for moderate over pronation with normal arches. If you have flat feet, then the shoes could still be an issue. Or if you don't pronate and are more neutral then another shoe might be better.