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Running shoes for my foot type

jesseBYAH
jesseBYAH Posts: 446 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm so confused... trying to find some good running shoes. But I have high arches, and I "overpronate" when I run (my foot and ankle roll in instead of out). According to what I'm reading, high arched people usually underpronate, meaning their feel roll outwards. I know that this is not the case with me... for years, I have noticed that my feet roll inwards when I am walking or running. The wear on my shoes always shows up first on the inside of my ankle. What kind of shoe should I choose? Maybe I have "moderate" arches but I don't think so. My footprint looks like what's described as a high arch. Can anyone help or shed some light on this problem for me? I know that good shoes are pricey, and I don't want to drop money on something that's just going to hurt me.

Maybe I should just declare myself as having moderate arches and then buy shoes reccommended for moderate arched people who overpronate...?

Replies

  • shagybear33
    shagybear33 Posts: 272
    If you can go to an actual running store, then that would be your best bet! I went to the NIKE store last week and bought the best running shoes I have EVER owned!!! I've been thru dozen of shoes and always ended up with achey knees and hips after a run. But the shoes they helped me pick work wonders!! HTH
  • Flyntiggr
    Flyntiggr Posts: 898 Member
    I really think you should visit a specialty running store and have them fit you. If you really want the right fit, a visit to a podiatrist should be on your list, but the running store will come pretty close! ;D
  • lallaloolly
    lallaloolly Posts: 228 Member
    i would go to a specialty store - they can definitely help you.

    however, i will say i recently went on the running shoe hunt (along with my husband) and we were both 100% sold on Asics. the pair i got comes with a special panel on the instep that supports a foot that tends to roll inward. while i was shopping i put the Asics on one foot and tried on every other brand and nothing measured up to their comfort and support.
  • beerbomber
    beerbomber Posts: 184 Member
    I would try out Brooks or Mizunos they make good shoes first of all and then have a nice variety for people with higher arches.
  • bethvandenberg
    bethvandenberg Posts: 1,496 Member
    http://www.runningshoetypes.com/running-shoes-for-high-arches.html

    check out this link it may help as you don't have a store close to you :)

    Good luck with your shoe shopping.
  • bluemax87
    bluemax87 Posts: 71
    This is not for everyone and definitely not recommended for someone who doesn't know how to take it slow enough to get used to them. However, I wear Vibram FiveFingers. I know a lot of people think they look silly or ugly, but I love them and what they do for my feet, my stride, and my overall fitness level. I am severely flat-footed (opposite of you) with about 1/4" at best in the peak of my arch. I also Overpronate like you wouldn't believe! I purchased a pair of VFF Bikilas in April and have now been running in them for 5 weeks (this week is my 6th). I have improved my stride, I don't feel pain in my knees or my lower back after I run and I even feel the muscles strengthening in the arches of my feet.

    These are what is considered a minimalist running shoe. Not many people realize that we evolved without wearing shoes, and therefore our feet are specially made for us! We used to run Antelope and Gazelle to death! Without need of spears or bows and arrows! We would simply run the animal for long periods of time until it would collapse from heart failure.

    Your body is evolved from this ancestry. If you give it time, it will re-learn the right way to run. On it's toes! Although these 'shoes' are a little more expensive than I'd like to pay for something that is seemingly so 'little,' I have read many testimonials about people logging over 1,000 mmiles in a single pair of these shoes.

    This is my suggestion. I know it may seem a little out there, it may seem a little crazy, or it may downright seem a little painful to try and run like that. I've got news for you, it is all of those things... at first. Then, you fall in love!
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
    I'm so confused... trying to find some good running shoes. But I have high arches, and I "overpronate" when I run (my foot and ankle roll in instead of out). According to what I'm reading, high arched people usually underpronate, meaning their feel roll outwards. I know that this is not the case with me... for years, I have noticed that my feet roll inwards when I am walking or running. The wear on my shoes always shows up first on the inside of my ankle. What kind of shoe should I choose? Maybe I have "moderate" arches but I don't think so. My footprint looks like what's described as a high arch. Can anyone help or shed some light on this problem for me? I know that good shoes are pricey, and I don't want to drop money on something that's just going to hurt me.

    Maybe I should just declare myself as having moderate arches and then buy shoes reccommended for moderate arched people who overpronate...?

    I'm in agreement with everyone else here; there's no substitute for going to an actual running store and getting fitted there. They will watch (and possibly even film) you running and recommend the type of shoe that you should be wearing. From there you'll try on several different brands to find your perfect shoe. If it's not working for you, you can return/exchange it. Once you know what works for you, feel free to buy your next pairs wherever you can find them at a good price, but buy your first pair there.

    You'll generally need to go up a half to a full size from your street shoe size. You want a full thumbwidth between your longest toe and the end of the shoe. You want it to feel fairly snug around your arch and heel and roomy in the toebox. If you buy the right size shoe and lace them properly, you WILL NOT get black toenails or missing toenails. That's a sign of poorly fitting shoes, not a 'right of passage' for runners. ;)

    You'll also want to pick up some good running socks. These are usually a sweat-wicking synthetic, or possibly wool or silk. Avoid cotton socks. Cotton absorbs several times its weight in sweat, and then it moves against your foot, creating friction and blisters.
  • bluemax87
    bluemax87 Posts: 71
    People talk about 'support' in shoes. I laugh when I hear this now because I was recently asked "Does an arch NEED support?" "No"... and I thought about it for a moment, then he said "If your foot has an ARCH why do you put something UNDERNEATH of it to SUPPORT it?" Then he laughed at me and told me to check out a book on Barefoot Running...
  • 450ridaswifey
    450ridaswifey Posts: 3
    Well I am no expert but I was doing the same thing you are doing. Reading about what foot type I have and what shoes are best. Honestly I must have bought 3 different pairs and returned them before I decided to actually keep the pair of Asics that I purchased. I thought I had finally found what I was looking for but that was not the case. Unfortunately they also started to hurt my feet. I now run in the Nike Free running shoes and I can't tell you how much I LOVE them! They are soooo comfortable and worth the money! Definitely worth a trip to the store to try them on! They are the only pair of shoes that I have found that feel the same 5 months later as they did the day I tried them on for 5 minutes in the store. Hope you find what your looking for. Good luck!
  • boogie96
    boogie96 Posts: 3 Member
    Yep, as everyone else has said, go to a specialty running shoe store (not a Footlocker!). The place I went to (Foot Zone in Washington state, not sure if they are a local outfit or not), helped me tremendously. They had me walk around the store barefoot, while the guy got down on to the floor to really see what my foot did. They measured my foot, and then after recommending three or four shoes, had me try each one on, and go outside and jog around the parking lot. Again he got low to the ground as I jogged and observed what my foot was doing in the different shoes. Then based on his thoughts, and how the different shoes felt to me, I was able to come up with the best shoe for me. Having the correct shoes has made a world of difference.

    The only downside was the disappointment in finding my preferred brand (New Balance, because their shoes are made in the US) did not make a shoe that worked for me, so I had to go with a shoe manufactured overseas. Oh well, I’m not a big enough hippie to deal with shin-splints just to have a New Balance shoe.
  • jesseBYAH
    jesseBYAH Posts: 446 Member
    Thanks for all the advice! There might be a shoe store here in town that could help me find a good fit but if not then I'll have to travel to find a good shoe store. I would love to try the FiveFingers shoes but they're a little out of my price range at the moment. Maybe someday soon!

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