Any shoe/foot experts out there?

Look for running shoes with "neutral cushioning." I have medium-high arches and tried Stability running shoes and they hurt my feet so bad! Right now I'm using Brooks Glycerin 9 and love them!

You should really go to an athletic store and try on a variety of kinds. Depending on the construction of your foot, what works for others might cause you pain. Stability and comfortable cushioning are key.

I prefer a light weight, fitted shoe, but need arch support because i have really high arches. My sister has crazy flat feet and could barely walk in the kinds of athletic shoes I prefer.

Same here and my saucony RIDES are great for me.

http://www.acatoday.org/content_css.cfm?CID=3129

Wet the bottom of your foot lightly and make a print on piece of paper. Then match to description. I have found the most comfortable shoes this way.

I have high arches and arthritis from spraining my ankle too many times. I can't wear running shoes for high impact workouts, not enough padding. Where I live we have a shop that will analyze your foot and give you recommendations because everybody is different. Fortunately you don't have to buy their expensive shoes.

I, personally, have three different pairs of shoes that are exercise specific. I have a pair of trail runners for my walks(tried walking shoes and hated them), cross trainers for high impact workouts, runners for my gym days. The older I get, the more I'm willing to spend to have feet that don't hurt.

Brand matters too, they are all different. You have to find the one that works best for your foot. I also use inserts because of my high arches. To do this you have to buy shoes with extra room or your toes will get smushed.

I hope this helps, I'm not exactly an expert, just years of experience buying athletic shoes.

Are there any Running stores around you? Here in Cincinnati we have a chain of about 4 stores that specialize in running gear. When I started running I went in totally clueless and had them fit me. They asked me what type of running/walking I was going to be doing, if I have any medical issues with my legs or feet, watched me walk around the room, then had me try on several pairs of shoes. They even let me go outside and run around the block in them.


If this option isn't available to you in the area you live in, here is my information I gave them when I got fitted. I also have high arches. I told them I was doing a combination of running and walking then will graduate to running. This was about 2 months ago and I hardly ever walk anymore I also told them that I maaaaaaayyyy attempt to do our half marathon in May if training goes well. I have some minor knee issues (some tendonitis), get shin splints, and have sprained my ankles multiple times so they're a little weak. She gave 3 different brands to try. She gave me a pair of Nikes, Brooks, and a pair of Saucony's. I ended up with the Saucony Triumph 9 running shoe. They were pretty expensive $130, but TOTALLY worth it. I never have shin splints anymore and only after runs longer than 3.5 miles do my knees start to ache. These shoes are a neutral cushioned shoe with a 8mm heel to toe offset.

Hope this helps!

I'll just ask my questions in here as well because I don't think I should make another thread about shoes haha. Does anyone buy their running shoes online? I need something versatile, I've been doing more circuit training and lifting lately but would need something that works for when i DO run (maybe once a week).

I don't think I could ever buy a pair of shoes online without trying them on in person first.

go to a local running store and get fitted for proper shoes.

This.

I tried some conventional cross trainers from new balance and hated them! I got some of their 'Minimus' cross trainers and that was a huge improvement. It really comes down to what is comfortable for you. One test I neglected the first time around was the simple act of jumping up and down in the prospective new shoes. The minmus shoes feel stable when I push off. Huge difference.

It's just like finding Prince Charming, sometimes you end up kissing a frog or two!

Runners need cushioning and stability.

No they don't. Runners with terrible, unnatural form, heel strikers, need cushioning and stability. Forefoot and midfoot strikers need nothing of the sort.

Fix your gait and you don't have to worry about having super duper, fitted by the experts, expensive running shoes (having a high arch means you have a strong built in shock absorbing system, people with a flat arch have weak feet with a poor shock absorbing system that will take a long time to strengthen).

However did humans possibly run before the advent of specialized running stores and expensive shoes?

Stop heel stiking and the shoes you are wearing is irrelevant. The cusioning comes from your foot structure and muscles instead of the EVA foam under your feet. A forefoot striker would have no issue running a 5K in dress shoes (assuming you could tighten them enough to avoid blistering). Aqua socks make a fine running shoe for forefoot strikers.

Fancy running shoes are to running as canes are to walking.

The only thing that special fitted running shoes teach you is how to run the WRONG way.

Can I get an AMEN.

Using proper form you can run in any shoe (or do any other workout for that matter) without injury once you have strengthened the foot and leg muscles that have been weakened due to "support" shoes.

The shoes I got fitted with were $100, which is pretty reasonable when it comes to running shoes. All shoes offer a different amount of support, flexibility, etc., so that seems like bad advice to say that everyone can wear whatever pair they want if they just run the right way. I would think you need to run the right way for THAT shoe...
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Absolutely, I'm not sure why everyone assumes that we are all built the same way. When I was running in HS, they were re-surfacing our track and we had to run on the grass football field. I started running barefoot and it felt great. For meets we had the prototype Nike running shoes, very light weight with no support.

NOW, having wrecked my ankles causing the bones in my foot to be slightly re-arranged, I have to have support. I also don't do much running anymore as I have found the walking works just fine for me.

Bottom line, take all advice on this site with a large grain of salt and use your common sense.