New Running Shoes

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  • SassyCalyGirl
    SassyCalyGirl Posts: 1,932 Member
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    Go to a running store and get fit for shoes. Then buy them online for cheap.

    If you have no intention of buying from the store, that is basically theft of services.

    agreed! If you are going to use their services, you should support their business! Especially if its local.
  • Cmccracken1
    Cmccracken1 Posts: 326 Member
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    my advice it to go have your gait evaluated at a running store. they will tell you what shoe is best for you then you can find them online at the best pricing. I wear a new balance 860v2 because i my ankles roll in when i run and if i dont have the right shoe my legs hurt. i found them online at joesnewbalanceoutlet.com regular price 109.00 joe's price 54.99.
  • Cmccracken1
    Cmccracken1 Posts: 326 Member
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    most of the stores that evaluate you will charge you 20.00 if you dont buy the shoes but its worth it.
  • suzyfj8
    suzyfj8 Posts: 257 Member
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    At a running store they should do a gait test for you to get shoes which will help you run, I have tried Asics and I love them and currently have Brooks which I also love, runnersworld.com has lots of tips and advice.
  • GoBunny1
    GoBunny1 Posts: 8
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    Runners World publishes a Shoe Finding Guide every year. The site is interactive: answer some basic questions (height, weight, stride, etc) and it will suggest a number of options (at all price ranges). It's definitely a good starting point. Use that, and then ask to try on the suggested shoes... a good Shoe advisor at the store will be able to talk you through fit. I have had both Asics and Brooks recommended... both were good for me. Oh, and: in most cases you'll want to go up 1/2 to 1 full size... your feet swell a bit when you run, and that will help you avoid the black toe-nails and blisters. Good luck!!
  • CaeliGirl11
    CaeliGirl11 Posts: 108 Member
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    Actually what I found is that I got a great gait analysis from my local running shoe store AND they didn't charge me more for the shoe than I could get online. So if you do go then most likely you will not be saving much if anything. The service they provide is worth the little that you would save. I would buy my first pair from them and a second or third to switch between somewhere else (if you must do it that way). But really, I got as good a deal at the store as I could get anywhere else (even Amazon, save the tax, of course).
  • jennibear8504
    jennibear8504 Posts: 46
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    I went to a running store, I got Asics, with inserts and I love them. To me they were totally worth the price... No more leg/knee/hip pains...
  • cms721
    cms721 Posts: 179 Member
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    The running store is the way to go. Spend some time getting fitted and I would buy shoes that day and get out and run in them for a while. You might be able to take them back if you dont like them in the "real world". I would only look for cheaper online shoes if I fell in love with a pair I have run in for a whole running year. I bought a new pair of nike lunarglide 4 for $2.35 (not kidding) online. They feel like slippers walking around the house - but they are not all that great to run in for me.
  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
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    I just considered the $20 more or so I pay at the running store to be the price of doing a gate analysis. I told them my budget when I went in and they were great about keeping all of the shoes they showed me around that price range, so I don't end up spending more than I wanted to.
  • CamillaHerold
    CamillaHerold Posts: 60 Member
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    Buy your first pair from a specialty store where you will get the proper fit and type of shoe for your needs. As someone else said, expect to buy a bigger shoe than you normally wear. After you have worn them and hopefully fallen in love with them, you can buy later pairs online. I have bought online more for convenience than anything else; I know exactly what I want and don't care to drive across town to see if they have them at the specialty store.
    I have always worn New Balance, on advice from my father who also wore them and we had the same shape of foot, both of us heel strikers with slight pronation. Various NB models over the years have corrected this nicely and provided a stable heel and lots of cushioning.
    Getting the right fit is extremely important. If you go for something cheap and end up straining something or ruining your arches, you won't be doing any running at all. So it is worth the investment to spend the $120-$150 commonly charged. You can run in any kind of clothing, or even nothing as we saw back in the '70s with the streakers, but you cannot run for long with improper footwear. So save your money for the right shoes.
  • blondiebabe92
    blondiebabe92 Posts: 132 Member
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    I worked in shoes for 2 years. There is no set brand. Everybody has there own arch,width, gait, pronation patterns and all the wonderful things. I definitely agree to try the running specialty places. I would say a shoe person at an athletic store SHOULD know. I went in last week to ****'s sporting goods and was asking questions about sneakers and the girl had no idea. If they have to go to the back and pull the shoes they should be at least knowledgeable on fit. We were trained on fit and styles (minimalist, trail, etc.) and I learned stuff from our shoe manager who used to work at a specialty store. Make sure it feels right in the store. Sneakers don't get broken in as much as people think. You can get a descent pair for 80-100$. This is an investment, otherwise you may be spending more replacing the cheaper shoes more frequently. I paid 80$ for my Brooks on sale, regularly $105. Try some from all brands and take a jog around the shoe department.

    Edit - the store is the largest national retail sporting goods store
  • Lyerin
    Lyerin Posts: 818 Member
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    I went to a local running store to get my current running shoes. They are Brooks Adrenaline GTS 13s. I love them so very, very much, more than any other running shoe I've ever worn. I paid $110 at the running store. Online, I could find them for $5 cheaper, but then with shipping it would be the same or more. Even with free shipping, a $5 savings isn't worth it to me when I can actually get someone to watch me run, look at my feet and help me find something awesome.
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
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    I have a pair of relatively cheap Asics that I love, and I've also used cheap New Balance minimus shoes for shorter runs which I also love. Like everyone here said, everyone is different and the best thing would be to get a gait analysis but just wanted to answer your question :)
  • RunBrew
    RunBrew Posts: 220 Member
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    I'm going to diverge from the advice given by previous posters and say that any competent shoe salesperson can give you what you need. You're just looking for sizing and width to be correct. Everyone telling you that you need to be matched for gait analysis and arch inserts...that's just not necessary for the majority of people. For some that's true but you'd know you were a candidate before you started buying running shoes.

    I'm actually a believer in less is more when it comes to shoes. I don't think that barefoot is a good idea, but there's a good bit of research that supports the idea that a lifetime of wearing thick-soled, motion-control, anti-pronation shoes have systematically atrophied the intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles and associated soft tissue like ligaments and tendons to the point that they aren't capable of rigorous use as they are. Think of it like a subtle life-long version of what a persons arm looks like after 2 months in a cast after a wrist break. You need to slowly strengthen those structures, not further protect them. People your parents age used to run marathons in Converse 'Chuck Taylors'. All that junk about shoes needing air-pillows and diferent durometers of rubber to control foot strike is just that: marketing junk.

    If you are structurally normal, and have never been told you need orthopedic appliances, developing lower leg pain is a sign you're over-running your body. just progress slower.

    TL;DR- get a shoe you think looks nice from a well known brand, and get the right size. then go wear em out.
  • jasonheyd
    jasonheyd Posts: 524 Member
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    All that junk about shoes needing air-pillows and diferent durometers of rubber to control foot strike is just that: marketing junk.

    Pretty much agreed, but...
    If you are structurally normal, and have never been told you need orthopedic appliances, developing lower leg pain is a sign you're over-running your body. just progress slower.

    TL;DR- get a shoe you think looks nice from a well known brand, and get the right size. then go wear em out.

    ... not 100% sold on that, although I think a large contingent of the minimalist camp feels largely the same way.

    Personally, running in a pair of Brooks neutral shoes and a pair of Brooks support shoes is like night and day. With the former, I have hip pain, with the latter I do not. I can tell within a fairly short period of time that my running shoes are breaking down because my hip pain flairs up. Replace the shoes, the pain goes away.

    If you're new to running, overweight , and/or have ever had back, hip, ankle or knee issues, then the gait analysis can help get you into a shoe that's going to make running more enjoyable & far more forgiving of less than perfect running form and mechanics.

    So, while I agree that comfort is king & most reputable brands are going to be pretty similar in terms of the end result, regardless of their fancy technology (or terminology), the type of shoe -- in terms of neutral vs. support -- can make a huge difference.
  • lewandt
    lewandt Posts: 566
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    I prefer Asics. I bought a pair of Saucony's and did not like them as much. I have heard Brooks are good too. But i agree, everyone is different and you need to see what works best for you.

    I do not go cheap on my shoes, it never works for me.
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,065 Member
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    I have Reebok ZigLites and they are fabulous.
  • wiscck
    wiscck Posts: 185 Member
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    Go to a running store and get fit for shoes. Then buy them online for cheap.
    Only do this if you want your local running store to go out of business and not be able to fit you anymore.
  • RunBrew
    RunBrew Posts: 220 Member
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    Personally, running in a pair of Brooks neutral shoes and a pair of Brooks support shoes is like night and day. With the former, I have hip pain, with the latter I do not. I can tell within a fairly short period of time that my running shoes are breaking down because my hip pain flairs up. Replace the shoes, the pain goes away.

    .... the type of shoe -- in terms of neutral vs. support -- can make a huge difference.

    I don't know your history, and don't want to hijack the thread, but off the cuff, I'd say you feel better in support shoes because your neutral shoes show the compensation for weak intrinsic foot muscles that leads to your mal-pronation (over or under); the kinetic chain is stressed and your hips take the brunt of it. How much do you run and how fast did you progress? It's entirely possible that you have a structural issue like a funny path for a sciatic nerve that causes referred hip pain. Saying it's the shoes is oversimplified.
  • slim4health56
    slim4health56 Posts: 439 Member
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    Go to a running store and get fit for shoes. Then buy them online for cheap.

    Excellent idea. For what it's worth, I'm a lifetime fan of New Balance and Zappos has some decent prices.

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