Walking/Running Shoe Advice

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JinxRita
JinxRita Posts: 191 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello, all! Long time lurker, first time topic starter here. :smile:

I'm looking into finally reincorporating fitness into my routine, and I'd like to start off by walking...and maybe eventually running. I've heard that I should look into training shoes, but I'm very lost as to where to start.

Could anyone please offer some advice on what type of shoe I should get/store I should check out that won't totally break my bank? I'm willing to spend a little bit of money, but I like being able to live indoors, too.

Any help is appreciated! :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • curvykim78
    curvykim78 Posts: 799 Member
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    Go to an actual running shoe store. They will have you walk/run on a treadmill and a pad to see how your feet land when you do both. That way they can tell you which type of shoe will fit your feet best. I was always against spending the money, but reality is if you buy a cute pair of shoes and they hurt your feet, you're not going to want to walk or run in them at all...so they are useless. Spend a little more, they will last a while and it's well worth it. When my running shoes are worn out, I just use them for yardwork, that way I get my money out of them. :) Good luck and have fun!
  • crista_b
    crista_b Posts: 1,192 Member
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    Type of shoe will depend on you. I suggest going to a specialty store to get your gait tested. They'll have you do a running test on a treadmill and show you some shoes that work for the way you move. You can try them on and walk around in them, and a lot of stores will let you do a little jog up the sidewalk to see how they are outside too. You don't have to buy the shoes there, so once you decide what works best, you can do some searching for the cheapest (and it may actually be that store!)

    As far as which store... that kind of depends where you live because you should go to a smaller store rather than a huge chain like D!ck's (sorry, MFP censors it), and a lot of them are local stores.
  • imp8tient1
    imp8tient1 Posts: 25
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    For walking, I LOVE Skechers....they have a lot of padding and bounce...Skechers Resistance with the 'Kinetic Return System" looks like a wedge cut out of the sole...you'll feel the bounce and give! They run very true to size. For Zumba, aerobics high impact activities, a running shoe hasn't worked for me, due to all the grids on bottom of shoe, stick to the floor. I have found a pair of Saucony's (Prestige) that I added an insole to that works pretty good. I got them at Ross, for only 34.00. Hope this helps! Oh, BTW CONGRATS ON YOUR WEIGHT LOSS!!!!
  • joannaengel
    joannaengel Posts: 22
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    Do not listen to anyone who tells you on here what brand to get. What works for them will probably not work for you. If you live in the US, check out Road Runner Sports or Fleet Feet, they're both pretty big chain stores that specifically focus on running and will be able to analyze your gait and build and have you try on different brands of shoes to find the right pair for you. You can also simply google "running stores [insert your local town here]" and visit them. This is your best option to give yourself the best chance at sticking with walking/running and avoiding injury due to bad shoes.

    http://www.roadrunnersports.com/
    http://www.fleetfeetsports.com/

    *Edited to add links to a couple running stores
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    just go by fit... brand doesn't matter.

    ideally you want to get fit in order to find out what type of support need.

    if that's not possible, go to some shoe store that has all their shoes on the floor, not one where you have to ask the salesperson to going back for your size. then try on pretty much every she would a have. pay attention to things like arch support, how the shoe fits through your mid foot, and how wide the toe box is.

    after you try on a half dozen or so you should start to feel the difference in fits. buy the pair of shoes that fits you best. the exact same advice applies to your husband is well.
  • JinxRita
    JinxRita Posts: 191 Member
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    Thank you for all of the great advice, everyone! I'll definitely keep an eye out on and try to find some stores like that in my area. I wasn't aware that they had places like that nowadays. I'll be really interested to see what they say when I finally find one.

    You have all been a huge help!

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