Shoes? Or no shoes?

SAUCONY or NEW BALANCE -

I was wearing Nike and my feet were killing me. I talked to runner friends and everyone agreed on these two brands. I went with SAUCONY and love them. My arch is supported, they look nice and they are soo light. They are not cheap but your feet are worth it. Now when I run I concentrate on form etc not how bad my feet are hurting.

Watch for sales, or go try them on, pick the ones your like and then check out Ebay or online closeouts.

Good Luck!

I have tried 2 or 3 Nike running shoes and have finally given up. I recently bought a pair of Reebok ZigFly shoes and so far they've been great! They are very light and I've noticed that my knees are no longer sore after my run. I've heard that New Balance and Asics are great too. Good luck!

new balance are pretty good and fairly priced.
I love my nike runners but they were a little pricey.

I don't run so I can't tell you from personal experience. However, I worked at an upper scale shoe store for 2 years and our best selling running/walking shoes were BY FAR Brooks Addictions and Brooks Ariels. Your post title suggests to me that you might also be thinking about the trend of not wearing traditional shoes while running (like Vibram's five finger shoes). If that's the case I would say proceed with caution. Unless you are a strong athlete and are trained on the proper ways of running in them you could seriously cause injury.

Well, if you plan on doing this seriously and for the long term, you'll need to spend at least $60 realistically to get something that is BENEFICIAL to your process. I sell athletic shoes for a living, and the truth is there is no 'cheap, good shoe' in life we already know these two describing words don't belong in the same area...

That being said if you have a store locally that sells the brand asics running shoes, try them, model 1160 is the lowest model I would recommend trying, but the 2160 is awesome!! These are last years model numbers, so you could get a better price on them... also I know that champssports.com allows you to order a product and have it sent to your local store so that you can try them on and get an associate to help you make sure they fit properly, PLUS, if you don't like them, we'll return them on the spot for you so you can try something else...

GOOD LUCK!!

I highly recommend Ryka!

Try going to a running store. learning about your gait, and trying on shoes. when you find a pair you like.... Ebay all the way!

I agree with what everyone else is saying. I think the shoes that are right for you are not the same ones everyone will like. I am currently using the Brooks Beast because I am heavy and they have lots of support. I used Asics for years and loved them, but as I slowed my running and gained weight I switched to the Brooks Beast. The poster who works at a running store is a good person to listen to. When I first ran (25 years ago) I had the same issue. I found out by going to a running store with my old shoes that I was an over pronator. I wore out the outsides of my shoes before the insides because I roll my foot when running. I also have to put inserts in my shoes because I developed Plantar Fascitis and I needed more arch support. Going to a running store is the key. At least consult with someone who has been running for over a decade, and they will have learned a lot.

I want to get back in light racing flats, but I need to lose about 60 lbs first. Good luck and happy running.

Start at a running store where they have professionally trained staff who can assess your needs.

Yeah sure, you could go with Nike, or Saucany, or New Balance, or whatever... but they need to be the right shoes for YOU.

What works for some people, may not work for you. Face it we are all different on this planet, my feet are different from yours... I am a 222 pound, 5'11" heavy pronator with wide feet. I am not going to tell you to go buy Nike, because the shoes work for me.

Running is a cheap sport...the only equipment you need is an open road\trail\path and a decent pair of shoes. Those shoes will be hitting the pavement at least 1000 times per mile. Thats a lot of impact on your feet. The wrong shoes will make it hurt.

I am telling you to go and have someone with experience and knowledge look at your gait, your current shoes (to see wear patterns) and see what you need. You owe it to yourself (and your feet) to have someone check this out for you.

Good Luck!

Happy Running!

THIS! We don't know if you pronate or not; have wide feet or not; etc. Plan on spending $100 (if you find something on sale that works for you, great! If not, you won't be surprised!). DEFINITELY go to a reputable RUNNING store, not a sporting goods store. If they offer a stride analysis, do it. It'll be the BEST money you ever spent.

i totally agree with jeffrodgers1...you have to get your gait analyzed, that's the best way to go. and honestly, you'll get what you pay for when it comes to running shoes. i prefer nike's because i've been running in them for over 20 yrs and they work for me. however, i also like the feel of mizunos and brooks...everything else either fits too snug around the arch or there's too much room around the ball of the foot and that tends to give me blisters! happy shoe hunting!

Vibram Five Fingers! Like going barefoot but better!!

Start at a running store where they have professionally trained staff who can assess your needs.

Yeah sure, you could go with Nike, or Saucany, or New Balance, or whatever... but they need to be the right shoes for YOU.

What works for some people, may not work for you. Face it we are all different on this planet, my feet are different from yours... I am a 222 pound, 5'11" heavy pronator with wide feet. I am not going to tell you to go buy Nike, because the shoes work for me.

Running is a cheap sport...the only equipment you need is an open road\trail\path and a decent pair of shoes. Those shoes will be hitting the pavement at least 1000 times per mile. Thats a lot of impact on your feet. The wrong shoes will make it hurt.

I am telling you to go and have someone with experience and knowledge look at your gait, your current shoes (to see wear patterns) and see what you need. You owe it to yourself (and your feet) to have someone check this out for you.

Good Luck!

Happy Running!

I FULLY AGREE!!!!! and i learned its not so much the brand as the model of shoe. I was wearing New Balance and my feet, shins, and knees were killing me. Apparently i was wearing a low impact model. the girl literally twisted my tennis shoe as if she were wringing out a towel!!!! then she had me step on a machine to tell how i stand, and whether my feet tend to roll inward or outward etc. she set me up in a pair of Brooks and i have been thrilled with them! don 't know where you live, but i'm in Bradenton Florida and went to a running specialty store called "On a Shoe String" they were fantastic!!!!!! good luck!

Gait is the motion and path your stride takes. It starts at the toes and includes everything in the running\walking movement all the way up to your hips. Quite often people have physical or mechanical defects in the way in which they move (one leg shorter than another, weak muscles from an old injury (ankle sprain, broken leg etc).

At a base level everyone is either a pronator, a suppinator, or has a neutral stride. Pronation -> My foot rolls heavily to the inside when I push off with my toes. The opposite is suppination, basically when your foot rolls outwards in motion and neutral of course is where everyone should be.

A person who is properly trained will watch how you run or walk from a variety of angles, paying close attention to how you plant your feet, twist your hips, bend your knees, check your arches etc and ensure that the correct shoe is recommended.