Shoes

I have bad knees and right hip as well as high arches. I knew my next pair of shoes needed to be right for my feet so I finally went to a walking/running store, fully expecting to pay an arm and a leg! After trying on shoes and having my walking analyzed with each, they put me in a pair of Mizuno's and I love them! A friend with Plantar fasciitis has the same shoes and they are great for her feet. And the best thing is they cost less than the last one's I bought at a discount sporting good store. So I urge you to go somewhere they will actually analyze how you walk in shoes and try on lots of them!

I started running properly about 6 months ago and immediately suffered massive pain in my knees and hips.
I since upgraded to a pair of Asics - properly fitted by a physio and I haven't had any troubles since, highly recommend! x

i had been wearing some Nike AirMax for a while and my feet were starting to hurt. I went and got a pair of Asics Gels and i have to say that my feet dont hurt but boy do my calves burn when i am on the treadmill. i guess my feet were in the wrong position before or something and if the Asics corrected it, it sure made a difference in how my calves feel. i could only do 20mins on the treadmill the other day. yesterday i went back to my Nikes and i was off..35mins with no problem and my feet didnt really hurt. so that goes to show you that the shoes do make a difference, positve or negative..i'm not sure yet. i think that i might be wearing my Nikes this morning during my workout. :indifferent: :huh:

After having spent hundreds of dollars on moderate to expensive running/walking/cross-training shoes, research is in. I've been pain-free for 2 years and planter fasciitis free for longer than that. At one time, I weighed in at 352 lbs, couldn't walk more than a few feet and despaired of ever living long enough to see my daughter grow up. I did 3 things that changed my life: hired Jen Waak of www.movefitfun.com as my movement coach, learned Z-Health maneuvers which changed how I moved, restoring my mobility, and trained barefoot with Russian Kettlebells.

After a few months of success with this trio, I noticed several other Kettlebell enthusiasts were all wearing a distinctively different type of minimalist shoe: Vibram Five Fingers. Doing a little research, I thought that they might work for size "0" running types but feared that with my fallen arches and other mobility issues that they might not work for me.

My fears were misplaced. Just got my second pair (first ones lasted over a year of me pounding concrete with them daily). Almost 90 lbs lighter, still pain-free, I now only wear VFFs. They are for me the only shoe that has promoted my continued weight loss, increasing strength and freedom of movement. I dare say I am agile now, headed for graceful. Thanks to VFFs, I will reach my goal of optimal fitness and health in less than a year. Good luck on finding what works for you!