Good running shoes
Options
Replies
-
Some recent research (which Owen Anderson discusses in Running Science, and Alex Hutchinson in Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights?) indicates the following:
- Pronation-specific footwear doesn't do very much for most runners
- Runners with strong brand loyalty are more likely to be injured than runners who buy shoes from several brands or choose shoes based on their style. (Presumably, shoes from the same brand have designs that exacerbate biomechanical imperfections in some runners' gaits, leading to injury; changing brands takes care of that.)
Based on that research, I would suggest trying several kinds of shoes and buying the ones that feel most comfortable within your budget, without worrying whether they are motion-control, stability, or neutral. Then, when they wear out, replace them with a different brand. If you really get into running seriously, get a second pair (different brand) and alternate them. I currently have 3 pairs of shoes: one with 249 miles on it, one with 113 miles, and one with 44 miles.
Other tips for shoe shopping: your feet swell during the day and when you run, so shop for running shoes in the late afternoon or evening; otherwise they might be too tight. Bring a pair of the socks you normally run in. And if at all possible, try walking or running downhill in them, to make sure your toes have enough room.0 -
A good pair of running shoes will save your knees, feet and joints later on in life. If you are an avid runner then like an avid cyclist you have to open up the wallet a bit wider to ensure success. A good pair of running shoes should have no price limit.0
-
So far none of us have mentioned the life expectancy of running shoes. I expect to get about 350 to 400 miles on mine. That means I buy about 3 to 4 pairs a year. This matters because the shoes will break down physically as you use them. It is not just the soles that wear down, all of the support features deteriorate with use. As some others have said, good shoes are cheaper than doctors and physical therapists.0
-
I found it hard to bite down and spend the money on the good running shoes (I use Brooks Glycerine 12's), but after having to sit out a month of running on a pair of supposedly great New Balance 680v2's for under $100, I decided that the downtime was more costly to me than the extra cash to get the $160 Brooks.
May not work the same for everyone, but that logic sure is working for me.0 -
Make sure you get fit for some shoes, and test out at least half a dozen that are recommended for you. Pick the ones you think feel best as you run around the store. Make sure you understand the return policy and take them back if they give you trouble.0
-
Go to Road Runner Sports online. I have ordered from them for over ten years. There is a Shoe Dog tool that tells you what kind you should buy. You put in your weight, miles per week, type of foot (dip your feet into water and then take a few steps barefooted on cardboard to tell), etc... It will give you a list of shoes appropriate for you. They always seem to be on point.0
-
If you're not putting huge mileage on your shoes every month, they could easily last you 6 or 8 months. 350 - 400 miles for a low mileage runner is probably just fine on a shoe. Your priorities need to be:
1. Fit
2. Price
3. Style
Just find what sort of shoe you need, then try all the shoes that meet that need. $80 to buy a shoe that doesn't keep you from getting injured is $80 wasted. $110 could mean a shoe that keeps you healthy and running. But there are plenty of good shoes out there. Try on all the shoes that meet your need, don't look at price, and eliminate the ones you don't like.
Then take the cheapest of the ones you do.
0 -
You can get a pair of last year's Kinvara's on Amazon for about 60 bucks. Best deal there is imo.
I went to the running store at everyone's urging and find it a little suspicious that everyone walks away from there with a pair of Brooks. Call me skeptical, but I can't believe that Brooks is the right brand every time for every style of runner. I also didn't get the sense that the guy was any kind of an expert and looking at anything other than pronation. Waste of time imo.0 -
I am on my second pair of Brooks Ravenna 5. I love them! I have used Asics in the past too. I would suggest like all the others have, go to a running store and have someone fit you. It will save money in the long run (injuries & etc).0
-
Go to Road Runner Sports online. I have ordered from them for over ten years. There is a Shoe Dog tool that tells you what kind you should buy. You put in your weight, miles per week, type of foot (dip your feet into water and then take a few steps barefooted on cardboard to tell), etc... It will give you a list of shoes appropriate for you. They always seem to be on point.
Like others have said go to a local running store and getting fitted. My personal shoe of choice is Brooks Adrenaline GTS. I have tried different brands and found that the other brands did not work for me. Everyone is different. I figure if is isn't broken don't fix it.
I love Road Runner Sports. They have a great return policy and if you are a VIP member you can save even more on shoes. I bought my first pair of shoes from the store that fit me and now get them from Road Runner.
Good luck and happy running!
0 -
Some recent research (which Owen Anderson discusses in Running Science, and Alex Hutchinson in Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights?) indicates the following:
- Pronation-specific footwear doesn't do very much for most runners
- Runners with strong brand loyalty are more likely to be injured than runners who buy shoes from several brands or choose shoes based on their style. (Presumably, shoes from the same brand have designs that exacerbate biomechanical imperfections in some runners' gaits, leading to injury; changing brands takes care of that.)
Ha! I'm not a freak for wearing stability Brooks for road and neutral Sauconys for trail.
I can't wear Asics, but maybe I should try Mizunos or New Balance next. I'm not loving the 2015 Ravenna colors. Hm...0 -
cheshirecatastrophe wrote: »Ha! I'm not a freak for wearing stability Brooks for road and neutral Sauconys for trail.
I can't wear Asics, but maybe I should try Mizunos or New Balance next. I'm not loving the 2015 Ravenna colors. Hm...
Well, Owen Anderson summed up his discussion of running shoes by concluding that, in the end, what running shoes are good at is protecting your feet from sharp objects on the road (or trail).
I'm currently rotating three pairs of neutral shoes: Altra Olympus (zero drop), Brooks Ghost 6, and Mizuno Wave Rider 17. My feet and legs are happy as clams.0 -
I went to Jack Rabbit and had a shoe fit test. They have great, trained staff that gives you a range of shoes to try within your profile.
If you've had foot problems, it's also worth a visit to an orthopedist to get a check-up0 -
amgreenwell wrote: »just search online once you find something, especially if the shoe store is too high.
If you're going to use the store for a gait assessment and advice, don't be a parasite about it. Buy from the shop, if you feel the need then buy future pairs online.
0 -
Ever thought about going zero drop or barefoot? There's a lot of options out . Merrel, altra, five fingers, and luna sandals just to name a few0
-
jasbur2run wrote: »Ever thought about going zero drop or barefoot? There's a lot of options out . Merrel, altra, five fingers, and luna sandals just to name a few
I do one of my weekly runs in Altra Olympus shoes. They do require more of a workout from the calves, but since I came back to running as cross-training for cycling, that hasn't been an issue for me. The last time I ran regularly, back in the 1990s, I had a fair number of ankle and knee pains, so I decided this time around to switch between several kinds of shoes, and to only run three days a week (besides, there's cycling, hiking, rowing, skiing, and snowshoeing for the other four days!). My legs are a lot happier.0 -
I started running (I am very much a newbie) with some crappy starter shoes I got at wall mart to now the lawn in.
My first run, I made it less than half a mile before my feet and knees were killing me.
I went to a local running store, did also around the parking lot, and was told I over pronate. I tried on five pairs, different brands, and ended up in a pair of saucony.
World of difference. Night and day. You will not believe how much good shoes help.
My Walmart shoes are now my weight lifting shoes.
Oh, btw, I highly recommend getting some running socks too. The padding and moisture wicking properties are very nice.0 -
cheshirecatastrophe wrote: »Ha! I'm not a freak for wearing stability Brooks for road and neutral Sauconys for trail.
I can't wear Asics, but maybe I should try Mizunos or New Balance next. I'm not loving the 2015 Ravenna colors. Hm...
Well, Owen Anderson summed up his discussion of running shoes by concluding that, in the end, what running shoes are good at is protecting your feet from sharp objects on the road (or trail).
I'm currently rotating three pairs of neutral shoes: Altra Olympus (zero drop), Brooks Ghost 6, and Mizuno Wave Rider 17. My feet and legs are happy as clams.
That's where we are all different. I started running in a neutral shoe. Got a really bad case of post tibula tendonitis. Tried lots of different shoes. Whenever I went back to a neutral running shoe, it flared up again. I went kicking and screaming to some GTS Adrenaline's. I didn't enjoy running in them as much, but I wasn't hobbling around the next day either.
Shoes are a personal thing. I think everybody has good intentions, but it's like giving someone the playlist off your iPod. What is awesome for one person may be blah to someone else. Doesn't mean anyone is wrong, it just means we all like different things.
Which is why I recommend the OP ignore any brand/model advice she sees on here and get fit with what works for her.....0 -
cheshirecatastrophe wrote: »Ha! I'm not a freak for wearing stability Brooks for road and neutral Sauconys for trail.
I can't wear Asics, but maybe I should try Mizunos or New Balance next. I'm not loving the 2015 Ravenna colors. Hm...
Well, Owen Anderson summed up his discussion of running shoes by concluding that, in the end, what running shoes are good at is protecting your feet from sharp objects on the road (or trail).
I'm currently rotating three pairs of neutral shoes: Altra Olympus (zero drop), Brooks Ghost 6, and Mizuno Wave Rider 17. My feet and legs are happy as clams.
That's where we are all different. I started running in a neutral shoe. Got a really bad case of post tibula tendonitis. Tried lots of different shoes. Whenever I went back to a neutral running shoe, it flared up again. I went kicking and screaming to some GTS Adrenaline's. I didn't enjoy running in them as much, but I wasn't hobbling around the next day either.
Shoes are a personal thing. I think everybody has good intentions, but it's like giving someone the playlist off your iPod. What is awesome for one person may be blah to someone else. Doesn't mean anyone is wrong, it just means we all like different things.
Which is why I recommend the OP ignore any brand/model advice she sees on here and get fit with what works for her.....
But this is the same thing. Getting professionally fitted worked for you. It's been a disaster for me every time (Asics GT2xxx was the worst; Brooks Pure series not far behind). Instead, picking shoes based on colors (and "not being Asics"), and switching when I didn't like the new season colors (used to trail run in Brooks as well) works for me.0 -
cheshirecatastrophe wrote: »cheshirecatastrophe wrote: »Ha! I'm not a freak for wearing stability Brooks for road and neutral Sauconys for trail.
I can't wear Asics, but maybe I should try Mizunos or New Balance next. I'm not loving the 2015 Ravenna colors. Hm...
Well, Owen Anderson summed up his discussion of running shoes by concluding that, in the end, what running shoes are good at is protecting your feet from sharp objects on the road (or trail).
I'm currently rotating three pairs of neutral shoes: Altra Olympus (zero drop), Brooks Ghost 6, and Mizuno Wave Rider 17. My feet and legs are happy as clams.
That's where we are all different. I started running in a neutral shoe. Got a really bad case of post tibula tendonitis. Tried lots of different shoes. Whenever I went back to a neutral running shoe, it flared up again. I went kicking and screaming to some GTS Adrenaline's. I didn't enjoy running in them as much, but I wasn't hobbling around the next day either.
Shoes are a personal thing. I think everybody has good intentions, but it's like giving someone the playlist off your iPod. What is awesome for one person may be blah to someone else. Doesn't mean anyone is wrong, it just means we all like different things.
Which is why I recommend the OP ignore any brand/model advice she sees on here and get fit with what works for her.....
But this is the same thing. Getting professionally fitted worked for you. It's been a disaster for me every time (Asics GT2xxx was the worst; Brooks Pure series not far behind). Instead, picking shoes based on colors (and "not being Asics"), and switching when I didn't like the new season colors (used to trail run in Brooks as well) works for me.
LOL, yep - getting fit isn't a magic 100% guarantee that things will work out. Bad fits happen, no doubt about it. But I would say the odds of getting bad fit from someone who knows that they are doing are a lot smaller than just guessing on our own.
0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 390 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 921 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions