How to choose the right running shoe?

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lucyholdcroft363
lucyholdcroft363 Posts: 124 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm getting some new running shoes today after increasing ankle pain from my running. How do you know that the shoe is right? What should I be looking for?

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  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited July 2015
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    I'd go to a running shoe store, one that can assess your gait and help you choose the right shoe for you. Once you know what brand, and what kind of gait you have you'll probably want to stick with that brand for a while. I always get the same shoes. Year after year I get the updated "model" of the same shoes.
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
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    Go to a running store, have them analyse your gait and perhaps foot strike (can always be changed). They should give you a range of shoes which fit your feet properly.

  • SBRRepeat
    SBRRepeat Posts: 384 Member
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    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    I'd go to a running shoe store, one that can assess your gait and help you choose the right shoe for you.

    Yep.
  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
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    The running shoe store should have a flat pad for weight distribution and then just watch you walk as well. The one here has a treadmill too to see how your gait changes as you jog

    If they can't tell you if you pronate or supinate, things of that nature then I would keep going.

    My daughter rolls her ankle outward slightly and got Brooks with a reinforced heel. She played soccer volleyball and was a cheerleader.

    Shoes are worth it!! They really helped her be even more awesome than she already was!

  • cheshirecatastrophe
    cheshirecatastrophe Posts: 1,395 Member
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    Getting fitted at a running store can help cut through the shellshock of how ridiculously many pairs of running shoes are out there, especially if you don't know the jargon.

    You can also use an online feature like Road Runner Sports' Shoe Dog to suggest a couple pairs. If they only spit out one or two options, you can post them here--a lot of MFP runners will know what the similar shoes are that you could try.

    In practice, though, the best way to choose the right running shoe is trial and error.

    Even "professional" (the clerk at the shoe store...) fitting is not foolproof. I've always done better in shoes I pick out for myself. Check the store's return policy. You *should* be able to run in them for a couple weeks, then exchange them for a different pair if you're getting blisters or achy knees or whatever.
  • lucyholdcroft363
    lucyholdcroft363 Posts: 124 Member
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    Thanks guys - advice followed! Got myself a nice, comfortable and strong pair of shoes.

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