what running sneakers?

If you are new and don't know if you need stability, motion control, or cushioning shoes I would go minimalist. www.runblogger.com I use Altras.

A running store is your absolute best bet, but if that's not possible, this article might help:

http://www.runnersworld.com/running-shoes/take-wet-test-learn-your-foot-type

I'm sure this will spark some argument - but as a health care professional, I would encourage you to stay away from Under Armour and Nike Shocks. In my years working with collegiate, semi-pro, and professional athletes, the majority of shoe related physical problems (ranging from plantarfascitis and shin splints to low back pain) have been attributed to these shoes. Don't get me wrong, I love Under Armour sports bras more than most people - but have nothing good to say about their shoes.

I have had difficulty finding shoes that work for me (different sized feet combined with one foot being pes planus (flat arch) and one pes cavus (high arch)...long story - shoe store people hate me. Anyway - the majority of running shoes I go through are Asics and Saucony. I do love my vibrams though too!

However, I would encourage you to get fitted at a running specialty store - and no, FootLocker doesn't count!

I currently use the Nike LunarEclipse shoe. My next shoe will be the Nike Structure Triax, for more stability. I am still research if I want the new version (16), or last year's model - if I can find it.

It is very important to find out if you pronate, or have any other specialty issues that require a certain type of shoe.

If you don't have a running specialty store, get a referral to a podiatrist. They can tell you what your needs are, too.

i second brooks - love them! got fitted for my first pair (paid $140 for them) bought my second pair (exact same as the first) on amazon for $45. i used to run in new balance thought they were AWESOME until i bought my brooks. won't go back.

16838 have at it.

hmm... I know GingerbreadMan Running Company personally is awesome (I'm east of Pgh), that's over in Indiana, which could be a haul if you don't have other plans to be there. BUT they are very cool, and it's a local business, not a chain.

Just south of Allentown (Holidaysburg) is Fox Trot Runners, which looks similar and offers a gait analysis, if that's more convenient.

In Ebensburg there's a running club, you might shoot them an email and ask where they would send you for a gait analysis.

There's also a place in Clearfield, Joyner Sports Medicine, they might be able to do a gait analysis, though their web site doesn't hold out much hope (it looks like mostly PT and rehab stuff, but there might be someone there who gets it).

I know personally, as a city girl, something that is 20 miles away is a haul I'd think twice about... But I also have family who live out in the boonies and they think nothing of heading that far to get places. So I don't know if all of those places are beyond your reach, or that's where you head for groceries. But if you're planning a trip to any of those towns, it really is worth a stop in the store (GingerbreadMan or Fox Trot). It won't take that long, and you'll learn a lot.

Good luck!!

Thanks. Yea, we travel at least 20 miles just to get groceries, so Indiana is't "that" far. Although, my daughter is an athletic trainer at Penn State and I had her ask the trainer for the track team and there is a place over there that has a good reputation for runners. Looks like I may be in luck. Now I just have to convince myself that sneakers are worth $100+. I have never paid that much for shoes.

What you do, if you can, is get your first pair of shoes where they do your gait analysis (it's decency - they actually have to pay to train their people to do it properly, it's not just reading a couple books and watching youtube videos). See if they have "last year's model" of whatever shoe is recommended (they should recommend several), they're usually at least $20 cheaper. Some shoes, depending on your gait, are less than $100 (I wear minimalist shoes but not the high end ones, and got them on sale at a race expo for ~$80). Unless you're in need of a bunch of orthotics and insoles, you should be able to walk out of there for less than $150.

After that, go online, and do research. See how the shoe feels, and start watching for sales when you approach 400 miles in the shoes. If you tear up shoes, you'll need new ones, but they could last much longer depending on your gait and wear patterns. If you start getting mysterious pains in your knees, shins, or hips, investigate getting a new pair of shoes (I call it the shoes' "tell", for me it's my hips). The very first run in new shoes will tell you if your old shoes are done or if you have other issues. You'll figure out if you can buy shoes online for cheaper or in the store, I alternate as the models change - I like to try on a pair first, then scrounge for the cheapest I can find.

I still remember the look on my dad's face when I insisted on buying him new shoes for his birthday the year he confessed to me that his shoes were the same age as I was (I was in my 20s - he doesn't run, but he walks around in them all day every day). He was aghast that I spent $130, until we went for a walk that evening. "My god, I thought I was just getting old and they were "old age pains" in my legs, they feel 20 years younger..." He now buys new shoes at the first sign of shin splints (his shoes' "tell"). This is a man who spends money on nothing - but shoes. If he can do it - anybody can!

Sounds like you're off to a wonderful start!

Thanks. Yea, we travel at least 20 miles just to get groceries, so Indiana is't "that" far. Although, my daughter is an athletic trainer at Penn State and I had her ask the trainer for the track team and there is a place over there that has a good reputation for runners. Looks like I may be in luck. Now I just have to convince myself that sneakers are worth $100+. I have never paid that much for shoes.

it took me a long time to get used to paying over $100 for sneakers especially because i'm a clearance sale/consignment shop junkie but they are WORTH EVERY PENNY! i also looked at it this way I have a Coach obsession and will think nothing of spending $300 on a purse that just holds my wallet, keys and cell so why not splurge on my FEET. i can always get another purse. i can't get new feet. LOL

Thanks, I'm having a little trouble wrapping my head around the minimalist idea. I couldn't imagine running in my bare feet. I always thought more cusion was better.

No one has advocated that you run barefooted. Though it is probably better for you.

The feet are designed to run. The arches flex like the leaf spring of a car, the foot is suppose to roll through the stride. Running in cushioned support shoes nurtures bad gait and heel strike, both dynamics that cause shin splints, knee, hip &back problems.

When running minimalist/barefoot, the runner is forced into a mid foot plant (verses heel strike), and to take shorter strides. The feet, ankles & knees work together to minimize the shock loads.

As I stated earlier, do more research. Modern running shoes weaken our feet & nurtures the runner's dependance on them.

Took me a few weeks before my feet quit aching after I threw my Asic Kaynos aside and went with the Minimus shoe. Now I run virtually pain free.

BTW I always kept 3 pairs of Kayanos in rotation. I currently have 1 pair with 30 miles and another with maybe 5, currently collecting closet dust. I now have only the 1 pair of Minimus that I use daily.

I agree with all of this, but would add the caution - feet are designed to run, but with all beautiful mechanical designs, once they get in the hands of a user and receive less than optimal treatment for years on end (decades?), imbalances develop, muscles learn to compensate, and joints learn to move accordingly. To go straight from "more cushion is better" to minimalist shoes may not be the best idea in a single pair of shoes. You can get shoes that encourage mid-foot strike by having minimal heel drop - but still some cushion. You can now get shoes that help pronation (by encouraging the foot to roll slightly better without forcing it into a different gait) AND have minimal heel-toe drop, something that was unheard of a few years ago. As your muscles get stronger, you can transition to more and more minimalist shoes - or not.

Yes, I think minimalist shoes are the bees knees. They've worked awesomely for me. But after watching a friend slowly correct her pronation issues with a gradual and graduated approach over a long time (she's still not there, but she's doing amazing), I'd be very hesitant to encourage ONLY minimalist shoes. You need to do what works for you. Research is always recommended! But ultimately, they're your feet.

I brought Brooks Beast running shoes when I decided to start running and getting in shape....then I discovered weightlifting and it was all over