Best running shoes?

There is no straight answer. Go to a specialist running shop where they will let you run on a treadmill. Any shop worth their salt will video you and be able to run through a gait analysis with you to ensure that your feet land correctly. They will also understand the different types of shoes to take the guesswork out of what will work for you. Everybody's feet are different, as is the way they run. Once you know what brand and model shoe works for you, then you can get them of the internet. However, beware if the models change their names because it is likely that the design will also change, causing them to fit differently again. My wife runs, and she has had so many problems through poorly fitted shoes that she will not buy them any other way. A pair of £150 trainers are worse than a £70 pair if they don't fit right.

There is no straight answer. Go to a specialist running shop where they will let you run on a treadmill. Any shop worth their salt will video you and be able to run through a gait analysis with you to ensure that your feet land correctly. They will also understand the different types of shoes to take the guesswork out of what will work for you. Everybody's feet are different, as is the way they run. Once you know what brand and model shoe works for you, then you can get them of the internet. However, beware if the models change their names because it is likely that the design will also change, causing them to fit differently again. My wife runs, and she has had so many problems through poorly fitted shoes that she will not buy them any other way. A pair of £150 trainers are worse than a £70 pair if they don't fit right.

This! go to a shoe store. they will look at the way you stand, the way you walk, where you wear you shoes out, etc and pick the perfect shoes for you. seriously it feels like magic when you get the right shoe!

As a runner, I will agree with the above statements. There are too many individual variables to suggest a one size fits all best shoe. For example: trail vs street; heel striker vs barefoot runner; marathon runner vs triathlon runner.

I also would suggest reading about the different lacing styles for shoes.

http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/lacingmethods.htm

I use a Medium/high Arch, high cusioned shoe for myself and my foot shape. Indoor on the track/treadmill I use the Asics Gel-Nimbus 14 and outdoors road/track I run with a pair of Asics Gel-Kayano 19...Love them Asics !!!!!!!!

Get thee to a running store and have your gait evaluated. The right shoe for you will depend on your pronation type, whether you strike the ground with your heel, midfoot, or toe, whether you run on asphalt or a dirt trail, etc., etc.

Although I agree with the statement to go to your closest running specialty store, that's not always the most feasible solution. My nearest store is 4 hours away! If you know you have a wide foot and high arch, there are online fitting tools at Runningwarehouse.com that may also help. For what it's worth, I've had both New Balances and Mizunos and love both. Good luck! :happy:

At the very least, look at the bottom of the shoes you're currently running in to try to determine if you are a neutral runner, an over-pronator (feet roll out) or a suppinator (feet roll in). And then buy the right shoes for how you run.

A high arch usually signals a neutral runner, but not always.

The best running shoes are the ones that fit.

I third (fourth? whatever) the suggestion of going to your local running store. In my case, that entailed a 90 minute drive each way. But I couldn't believe the difference the right shoes made! The folks at my "local" store spent well over an hour fitting me for shoes, analyzing my gait, trialing different shoes, etc.

Unlike the suggestions above, though, unless the store charges for the fitting, I would suggest buying the shoes from the store that fit you, rather than the internet. Sure, I could have saved $20 on my shoes buying them off the internet, but what does that do for the store that provided two well-trained, very helpful employees for an hour,, a warm environment in the middle of a frigid snowy day, the inventory to try on all of those different shoes, and a treadmill to check me/them on? You can't get that service over the internet, and at least for the one pair when you get fitted, it's worth it to support the store that supported you.

Now, if they charge for the fitting, they're covering their service that way, so yeah, internet away.