New Running Shoes

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  • jasonheyd
    jasonheyd Posts: 524 Member
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    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.

    Just to be clear, I never said, "It's the shoes" in the sense that the wrong shoes cause the problem. ;-)

    My point was simply that the right shoes can help if there are other issues at play, and those issues are not necessarily overcome simply by progressing slowly... which is, regardless, sound advice but not necessarily a cure-all in every case.

    Maybe it'd be more "accurate" to say that the "wrong shoes" can exacerbate existing issues, while the "right shoes" can help mitigate those issues.
  • Lyerin
    Lyerin Posts: 818 Member
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    It is not ignorant to suggest that it is wrong to take up a salesperson's time when you know you aren't going to buy the product from them. Yes, they get paid by the running store. The issue is that for the running store to have the money to pay employees, it needs to be profitable. If everyone buys their gear elsewhere = no more running store. That's fairly simple math.

    Why would you pay more (and let's be fair, generally you are talking about a tiny amount of money more)? To support a local business and local people and help to keep them around to help you out the next time you need shoes or gear.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
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    Having to say I was a bit frustrated with my local store yesterday. Got fitted on Saturday, went to pick up the shoes on Monday (they had to have the right size sent from another store). And they got the wrong color. So now, in order to get my new shoes, I have to go back a THIRD time. *sigh* And, I'm paying $30 more than I can them online for. They were really nice and apologetic, and even offered to drop the shoes off at work for me. Unfortunately, with my meeting schedule, I couldn't take them up on it because I couldn't guarantee my availability to leave my office to get the shoes.
  • Collier78
    Collier78 Posts: 811 Member
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    Hi all,

    Have to buy new running shoes for running. Not sure what to get, a friend told me about Asics, the guy at the store said Nike and Saucony. Anyone that runs what would you suggest of the 3?
    BTW I am not rich so I need a decent shoe for a decent price...lmao


    Thanks for your input.

    If you have a store that is dedicated to running I would go in and get fit properly for a pair. We have a store here in Central Illinois that scans your feet for pressure points and watches how you run to fit you with the proper pair of shoes...Not gonna lie it's like angels hugging my feet while I run ;-)
  • raige123
    raige123 Posts: 352
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    I am a minimalist runner and run in Vibram Fivefingers. I was using runners before I switched and find I am a better runner in my Vibrams. The only downside to switching is it takes a few days for your feet to get used to being in the proper positioning. My feet hurt the first few days wearing them. After that, I can't say enough about them. You learn to run like you were supposed to ... it's a different run for sure. Check them out. I run in KMD Sport and LOVE them.
  • daytondwellee
    daytondwellee Posts: 12
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    I went to "****s Sporting Goods" and the guy there put me on a treadmill and recording my stride. He learned that I have a problem with severe over pronation and recommended two or three shoes that would give me the support I new to run/walk without causing me pain. A free service and well worth my time. Any good running store should be able to do the same analysis.
  • thehappyfitmusician
    thehappyfitmusician Posts: 50 Member
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    Get fitted to know what is right for YOU. I LOVE my asics!
  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 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.

    Actually, I had no idea what I needed in a shoe until I had a gait analysis done and tried on different pairs. I didn't even know that I overpronated until I started running, and then if I had gone with what I had read online, I would have ended up paying quite a bit more for a heavier motion control shoe, whereas a knowledgeable salesperson who also runs thought to work in some of the more structured stability shoes to see which worked better for me. Walking around the store, it was impossible to tell much difference in support, but running on the treadmill in different pairs made a HUGE difference, and in the end saved me about $30 and some frustration down the road because I realized that the lighter Asics Exalts that were on sale were equally great at keeping me from overpronating without the weight of the Brookes motion control model that I was also interested in.

    ETA: Also, I think that saying anyone working at a shoe department/shoe store can get you the right fit and size alone in a running shoe is a bit pie-in-the-sky. I can barely get salespeople to help me find properly fitting work shoes and formal footwear in most shoe stores, and that's without having to worry about the additional complications of how a running shoe may start to rub here or compress there around mile 6 based on the build of your foot.
  • belgerian
    belgerian Posts: 1,059 Member
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    Just remember after 300-400 miles they start breaking down I need a new pair about every 3-4 months I dont know how some people can make one pair last a whole year. I get a new pair when my feet start to hurt.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
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    How often you need new shoes will depend on a lot of things. The make of the shoe, your stride, your weight, the surface you run on, etc. I have gone through 3 identical pairs of shoes (Saucony Progrid Mirage II, in the same color even - yay stockpile!). The first pair died dramatically at 350 miles. The second pair made it to just over 400 miles. The third pair? Dead at 92 miles. WTF? Not sure what happened there, but they wore really badly on the outside which prompted my recent shopping trip for shoes. The store decided to try me in a neutral shoe instead of a stability shoe thinking the stability shoe was forcing me too much to the outside of my foot.

    For me, it's literally, "painfully" obvious that I need new shoes. Knees start getting sore.
  • ag27404
    ag27404 Posts: 47 Member
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    A specialized running store is the way to go. One item to note though, is that the people at my local store are very helpful and will spend a lot of time with you to ensure you're happy. As such, I will always buy from them if I put them through the trouble of using their time and expertise on me. Even if it costs more. It's worth it.

    If I decide to stick with that specific model, I'll buy it online cheaper. But with new models coming out fairly often, I'll still throw the local brick & mortar store my money. Their service is worth the premium.

    I totally agree with this and my local running store offers you a $20 coupon after you've spent a certain amount (I believe it is $200). They have sent me home without spending a dime and lots of good info when I've needed it so I'm happy to buy from them.

    I don't know about other shoe companies (because I've been happy with Brooks) but Brooks has a 30 day no questions asked return policy. I had a minimal pair that my toes kept going to sleep in and was able to return them and get 100% of my money back. It's a nice policy but I highly recommend trying on several types and seeing what works best for you.
  • RunBrew
    RunBrew Posts: 220 Member
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    Actually, I had no idea what I needed in a shoe until I had a gait analysis done and tried on different pairs. I didn't even know that I overpronated until I started running, and then if I had gone with what I had read online, I would have ended up paying quite a bit more for a heavier motion control shoe, whereas a knowledgeable salesperson who also runs thought to work in some of the more structured stability shoes to see which worked better for me. Walking around the store, it was impossible to tell much difference in support, but running on the treadmill in different pairs made a HUGE difference, and in the end saved me about $30 and some frustration down the road because I realized that the lighter Asics Exalts that were on sale were equally great at keeping me from overpronating without the weight of the Brookes motion control model that I was also interested in.

    ETA: Also, I think that saying anyone working at a shoe department/shoe store can get you the right fit and size alone in a running shoe is a bit pie-in-the-sky. I can barely get salespeople to help me find properly fitting work shoes and formal footwear in most shoe stores, and that's without having to worry about the additional complications of how a running shoe may start to rub here or compress there around mile 6 based on the build of your foot.

    You're illustrating my exact point. Your internet research and industry hype led you to believe that you need expensive and very protective motion control shoes. A little time in regular 'supportive' shoe proved you didn't. Don't believe the hype. the vast majority of people are anatomically within normal limits and could run barefoot all day if the surface was appropriate to not cause abrasion. If you hadn't read a single word anywhere about shoes, and just bought a standard shoe by a brand you liked, you'd have ended up with virtually the same result you have now.

    Careful with the 'overpronation' belief. Feet are supposed to pronate. That's why your big toe is...well...big.

    I don't know what stores you shop in, but a school child with 5 minutes of instruction can properly operate a Brannock device to measure foot length and width. By all means, I support giving local running stores your business. I think they're great places for runners to meet and be a community, but please don't believe that they have some special magic and only they can fit a shoe.
    I buy enough shoes to know. probably 5 pairs a year just for running the 1700-1800 miles that I'll accumulate in 12 months.

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