Advice on best running shoes?

Runners, what are your favorite running shoes? I am about 4 pounds away from goal weight 2, and my reward is a new pair of running shoes. I tend to get shin splints so if there are any shoes that are supposed to help with that, I'd love to know. Right now I am leaning towards getting Asics.

Thanks for any input! :)
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Replies

  • mheebner
    mheebner Posts: 285 Member
    The best advice would be to go to a running store and get a run analysis done. They will record your stride and try and fix your running issues with the correct shoes. Everyone is different so what works for me might not work for you.

    That said I am a over-pronating heel-striker who was suffering terrible shine splints. Got fitted for New Balance 860's V3 and have had zero issues since.
  • vinniesooner
    vinniesooner Posts: 119 Member
    The best advice would be to go to a running store and get a run analysis done. They will record your stride and try and fix your running issues with the correct shoes. Everyone is different so what works for me might not work for you.

    That said I am a over-pronating heel-striker who was suffering terrible shine splints. Got fitted for New Balance 860's V3 and have had zero issues since.

    This. Thread over. Go get fitted.
  • vinniesooner
    vinniesooner Posts: 119 Member
    Oh. And congratulations!
  • Of_Monsters_and_Meat
    Of_Monsters_and_Meat Posts: 1,022 Member
    Go get fitted, then buy them for cheaper online.

    my current pair is brooks pure cadence. I really like the look of the new balance minimalist.
  • IvanCasillas
    IvanCasillas Posts: 90 Member
    Go to a professional running store and get fitted. I suggest Asics but I personally liked how the Nike Lunar Glides. Next shoe for me will probably be a Nike Air Pegesus because I like a comfy cushy run.
  • KyleB65
    KyleB65 Posts: 1,196 Member
    The best advice would be to go to a running store and get a run analysis done. They will record your stride and try and fix your running issues with the correct shoes. Everyone is different so what works for me might not work for you.

    That said I am a over-pronating heel-striker who was suffering terrible shine splints. Got fitted for New Balance 860's V3 and have had zero issues since.

    Ditto!
    A store that specializes in running equipment will have staff to point you in the right direction.
    Another option is to see a physiotherapist. Here you can receive an idea of why you are getting shin splints. A good one will suggest a shoe style & exercises to help avoid shin splints and other problems. Suggest you look for sports oriented phsio, regular medical people who do not deal with runners usually just tell people to stop running.

    As for me, ran this past winter in Altra Zero Drop trail shoes and loved every minute! Did my summer in Nike 3mm drop last summer. Nike's were great shoes but the wide Altra toe box is beyond awesome.
  • mheebner
    mheebner Posts: 285 Member
    .
  • mheebner
    mheebner Posts: 285 Member
    Go get fitted, then buy them for cheaper online.

    You could go that route....but for the extra $10 or so in savings I say patronize your local running store. They usually have awesome and invaluable advice, free classes on form and breathing techniques, as well as discounts on other items such as running socks, etc. My particular store has a deal that for every $250 you spend (2 pairs of shoes for example) you get $25 off anything in the store. Support your local business.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    Go get fitted, then buy them for cheaper online.

    my current pair is brooks pure cadence. I really like the look of the new balance minimalist.

    That's a d**k move and why running shops should (and sometimes do) charge for the fitting if you don't buy shoes from them.
  • dacspace
    dacspace Posts: 109 Member
    The best advice would be to go to a running store and get a run analysis done. They will record your stride and try and fix your running issues with the correct shoes. Everyone is different so what works for me might not work for you.

    ^^^THIS! It helped me SO much to go to our local running store for a fitting! Just know that it isn't a quick in and out at the store as it takes time to try on (and test out if your particular store lets you-mine allowed me to run on the sidewalk out front) the multitude of shoes fit for your stride and any running issues.

    My current pair are from Saucony, a neutral strike shoe that is so light and feels awesome when I run! No more issues with shin splints or foot pain!
  • jenschroll
    jenschroll Posts: 162 Member
    The best advice would be to go to a running store and get a run analysis done. They will record your stride and try and fix your running issues with the correct shoes. Everyone is different so what works for me might not work for you.

    That said I am a over-pronating heel-striker who was suffering terrible shine splints. Got fitted for New Balance 860's V3 and have had zero issues since.


    This is what I do, too. Get fitted and find that shoe!
  • popo312
    popo312 Posts: 78 Member
    Get fitted but for me the Nike Vomero series always worked well. Felt a bit guilty buying the brand but the shoes worked for me. Got out of running and out of shape so haven't bought a pair for a couple years.
  • HikerRR50
    HikerRR50 Posts: 144 Member
    Don't be afraid to try out some Vibrams....those toe shoes. never heard of anyone having shin splint issues with them. you do have to train yourself to run differently though
  • The best advice would be to go to a running store and get a run analysis done. They will record your stride and try and fix your running issues with the correct shoes. Everyone is different so what works for me might not work for you.

    This is the best advice. As for brand preference, I prefer Saucony.
  • MSouthernbelle87
    MSouthernbelle87 Posts: 63 Member
    I went to a running store to get mine. I love Brooks. They provide extra cushion in their shoes versus other brands. I am a neutral runner so those are the shoes I generally stick with. My friends prefer asics but they are not neutral runners. Also try Finish Line. They give you 14 day test runs with their running shoes.
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
    Go get fitted, then buy them for cheaper online.

    You could go that route....but for the extra $10 or so in savings I say patronize your local running store. They usually have awesome and invaluable advice, free classes on form and breathing techniques, as well as discounts on other items such as running socks, etc. My particular store has a deal that for every $250 you spend (2 pairs of shoes for example) you get $25 off anything in the store. Support your local business.

    I also figured that the chick who just spent 45 minutes watching my fat *kitten* walk and run and messing with my feet earned my business.
  • thatismesammyg
    thatismesammyg Posts: 71 Member
    I went to our locally owned shoe store and had them help me. I felt like a weirdo jogging up and down the aisle why a guy crouched down at the floor and stared at my feet, but I can tell you that I haven't had one problem with my feet since I bought the shoes he recommended. Buying them online is lame. You already spent the gas and time to get to the store. You may as well pull the trigger.
  • megolbur
    megolbur Posts: 1 Member
    Good job on being so close to your goal. Have you ever considered New Balance? They have a great new shoe, Fresh Foam, that is out right now. They have some pretty cool colors and the price point is lower than Brooks & Asics. If you don't like their new shoe, Fresh Foam, check out some of their other shoes. They have different widths just in case you need a wider or more narrow shoe. Nike doesn't make great running shoes, but they look great, so make you own decision there.

    Just a word of getting "fitted" at a running store. Some big brands "pay to play", in other words, they will fit you in the brands that pay money to the store to be recommended. Choose what fits best for you, but be sure to ask for other brands just to compare!
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    While they were pretty expensive even with the 10% off I'd been offered and it was empty time, at the running shoe shop I had 3 members of staff spend about an hour with me. I don't mind paying a bit extra for that kind of service.
    If it was a generic shop and I just wanted to have a quick poke about, I wouldn't feel bad about going online.
  • RBXChas
    RBXChas Posts: 2,708 Member
    I agree, get fitted at a store that actually specializes in this sort of thing (in other words, don't go to D!ck's Sporting Goods or Foot Locker-type stores). A lot of great running shoe brands aren't even carried by big stores like that.

    Keep in mind that you may need orthotics as well as a particular shoe.

    Personally I was fitted at a running shoe store and could have bought Brooks without orthotics or Newtons with orthotics. I felt like Newtons would help me work on my mid-foot strike, so I settled on those. Unfortunately they were $175, and the orthotics were another $25. I thought about it (because $200 is a lot to spend, IMO) and found the same shoes for less than $110 with free shipping at Runningwarehouse.com (and no I don't work for them) plus free shipping. (It may have even been free two-day shipping.) If it had been $10 or even $20, I'd have supported the local business and gotten instant gratification, but $65+ was too big a difference.

    I did buy the orthotics at the store, though, and I told them (nicely) that I had saved $65+ on the shoes by buying online. The person who'd helped me didn't look surprised and appreciated the knowledge because it helps her pass along the word that maybe their prices aren't competitive enough.

    Anyway, now that I have my mid-foot strike down, when my Newtons wear out (which is admittedly pretty fast, depending on how many miles you run), I'll get re-fitted and suspect I'll end up in Brooks. I'll buy locally as well, since the price difference online is likely to be at lot less drastic, plus I may not need orthotics.

    It's also worth investing in some good running socks. Some people like other materials, but I still prefer cotton. My preferred socks are Balega or Zulu (which is made by Balega).

    Edited because D!ck's is a dirty word, plus I had a typo. Additionally, I want to reiterate that I really wanted to buy locally but could not justify paying over 150% of the online price, plus I was honest with them about it.
  • disagree on pay to play comment, you need to know if you are a neutral stride or if you over- or under-pronate and where you strike. . the shape of your foot will also come into play. once you know these details you can make decisions based on them, otherwise you are taking a shot in the dark every time.
  • Lol, I was just going to suggest Asics! I'm kind of a shoe freak, and Asics are my favorites to walk and jog in.
    I scored a new 'cheap' pair on Ebay. When I'm active I do about 5 miles a day. The last time I tracked for a month using the Nike app was 112 miles (Half jogging/half running)
  • Of_Monsters_and_Meat
    Of_Monsters_and_Meat Posts: 1,022 Member
    Spending my hard earned money on the best shoes for the lowest price is a d*** move or wrong how?
    charge less or give me a better deal if they want my business.
  • snarlingcoyote
    snarlingcoyote Posts: 399 Member
    If the difference were even 20% more than online, I'd patronize my local running store for ALL my running shoes. However, I found the same exact shoe at Amazon Warehouse deals for $120 dollars less (At that price, it had been taken out of the box, laced up, put back in the box and sent back to Amazon). Where else am I going to get that sort of deal?

    But seriously, for starters - go to a store, get fitted. Spend the money; it is still less than a doctor's bill for stress injuries!
  • RBXChas
    RBXChas Posts: 2,708 Member
    Go get fitted, then buy them for cheaper online.

    my current pair is brooks pure cadence. I really like the look of the new balance minimalist.

    That's a d**k move and why running shops should (and sometimes do) charge for the fitting if you don't buy shoes from them.

    I wouldn't have minded paying for the fitting and then buying shoes elsewhere. Frankly the price difference online and in-store was so huge that I felt like I was being ripped off in-store. I did buy my orthotics there, plus I stock up on socks when they have their big Balega sale twice a year. My next pair will almost certainly be purchased there.

    I used to play ice hockey and still skate quite a bit, and the arena where I go sells skates but charges a fitting fee if you don't buy skates there for that reason. I think that's totally fair because sometimes matching online prices would sink a brick-and-mortar store.

    So I agree that it's a d*ck move if the amount you're saving is very little, assuming you didn't pay for a fitting, but if the discrepancy is huge, then that's a different story.
  • GlassSlipperGurl
    GlassSlipperGurl Posts: 117 Member
    The best advice would be to go to a running store and get a run analysis done. They will record your stride and try and fix your running issues with the correct shoes. Everyone is different so what works for me might not work for you.

    That said I am a over-pronating heel-striker who was suffering terrible shine splints. Got fitted for New Balance 860's V3 and have had zero issues since.
    Ditto...great advice
  • eddiesmith1
    eddiesmith1 Posts: 1,550 Member
    Go get fitted, then buy them for cheaper online.

    my current pair is brooks pure cadence. I really like the look of the new balance minimalist.

    That's a d**k move and why running shops should (and sometimes do) charge for the fitting if you don't buy shoes from them.
    you're right, this attitude has doen it's best to Kill Brick and mortar retail in all categories then people ***** they can't find anything but the best selling/cheapest stuff locally and no-one knows what they are talking about (I spent 25 years in electronics and it's a huge issue there and I'm a photographer and moderated a photography site it's an even bigger problem in that industry- I'm fortunate living in a big city so there is always a couple of expert stores for anything
  • GlassSlipperGurl
    GlassSlipperGurl Posts: 117 Member
    I always go to the same store and they usually give me discounts because of it. I got 20.00 off my most recent shoe, 28.00 off my daughters and have a 25.00 loyalty discount coming on my next one. Plus, most will take the shoes back if you don't love them.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    Spending my hard earned money on the best shoes for the lowest price is a d*** move or wrong how?
    charge less or give me a better deal if they want my business.

    I didn't say shopping around was a d**k move - wasting their time and skill when you have ZERO intention of purchasing from them is a d**k move. If everyone came in and pulled that punk crap, we wouldn't have the benefit of running shops. If you don't like their prices, don't patronize them. They don't owe you a discount for anything, nor do they need to "charge less." Have you ever thought that the price of their consulting is built into the shoe? Like I said, d**k move.

    What isn't a d**k move is buying subsequent shoes for a cheaper price.
  • ayalowich
    ayalowich Posts: 242 Member
    Go get fitted, then buy them for cheaper online.

    my current pair is brooks pure cadence. I really like the look of the new balance minimalist.

    That's a d**k move and why running shops should (and sometimes do) charge for the fitting if you don't buy shoes from them.

    Totally agree. It is fine to shop for the cheapest buy, but if you go into a running store and they give you great service and insight and you spend your money elsewhere it really is weak. The cost difference isn't that great as the 3 running stores in town give decent discounts to running club members. Buy a pair at the store, and if you want a 2nd pair you can always get that one online.

    And in case anyone hasn't mentioned it, you should have at least two pair of shoes at all times unless you never plan on running consecutive days.

    But I will say that race expo's are also places to get great deals. Nothing wrong with availing yourself of that.