How do you "know" the right running shoes?

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  • ThorneDust
    ThorneDust Posts: 189 Member
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    Bump!
  • IveLanded
    IveLanded Posts: 797 Member
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    FWIW, I've noticed in the more stability shoes, they tend to be less cute. : /

    I run in Saucony Hurricane 14s and I love them. And they are coming out in black and pink this season so yay!
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
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    FWIW, I've noticed in the more stability shoes, they tend to be less cute. : /

    I run in Saucony Hurricane 14s and I love them. And they are coming out in black and pink this season so yay!

    I've noticed that too and it irks me LOL. Just because I have frankenstein feet doesn't mean I don't like pretty shoes LOL.
  • LeenaRuns
    LeenaRuns Posts: 1,309 Member
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    I have flat feet, but I wear VFFs and LOVE them :love: When you're wearing the right shoes, you'll just know.
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
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    I wear vibrams. I tried on several of the models, but once I put on a pair of komodos, I practically shoe-gasm'd. It was like there was a God, and he had made this shoe specifically for my feet.
    I think that's how you know. When you find a shoe and in your deepest soul you know it's the one for you. It's a gut feeling.
    Just finished my first Half marathon in those aforementioned komodos, and I'm looking to purchase my next pair.

    ETA: I have wide, flat, duck feet. I'm a flat footed runner and waaaaay over pronate. Thought I would mention that. I torched through the ball of my komodos in about 6 months (flat footed landing, but more toward the ball)
  • Bentley2718
    Bentley2718 Posts: 1,690 Member
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    Then they looked at how I ran in them on a short track in the store (really short LOL).

    Next time you see someone running, try to watch their feet. You will quickly realize that while you can get some information about their general gait (e.g. bad heel striking will be glaringly obvious) you can't really tell much about how their feet move, etc.. This is my nice way of saying that having someone do a "gait analysis" and tell you you pronate, or don't, etc. based on watching you run is pretty much complete BS.
  • Kara_xxx
    Kara_xxx Posts: 635 Member
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    I wear vibrams. I tried on several of the models, but once I put on a pair of komodos, I practically shoe-gasm'd. It was like there was a God, and he had made this shoe specifically for my feet.

    LOL @ shoegasm!! :laugh: :laugh:

    I just bought some Komodos yesterday, so I am so glad you posted that. I had Vibram Sprints years ago when they first came out... then killed a pair of KSOs and a pair of Bikilas and just ordered these cos they were so well reviewed on Barefoot Runner.
  • dare2love81
    dare2love81 Posts: 928 Member
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    I swear by Brooks. Their shoes are such good quality that they hold up well for a long time over extended miles. I, too, have a pair of the Pure Cadence. Have yet to take them out running yet though. I've been breaking in my new Brooks Trance's and I love them.

    I would bet that your pain was probably caused from running too soon after your last run. I always give myself a day off inbetween runs to let the muscles heal up a bit. Also, if you've been running in the wrong shoes prior to the Brooks, your muscles may be accustomed to the "wrong way" and are putting up a bit of a fight. I learned that lesson the hard way. Wore my Nike AirMax's for a 3 mile run and they felt amazing...when I tried to run in my Brooks a few days later, I couldn't even go a half mile...I managed to screw everything up by running in the wrong shoes (the Nikes), so I had to take a few days off altogether and then start over with the RIGHT shoes. LoL.

    It could also be that you just need to break the shoes in. Give them a couple weeks and see how they do and how your shins feel. I'm assuming that you've been running before, and that you're not new to it, right? If you're new to running, that opens up a door for a bunch of other things that could be going on...
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
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    Then they looked at how I ran in them on a short track in the store (really short LOL).

    Next time you see someone running, try to watch their feet. You will quickly realize that while you can get some information about their general gait (e.g. bad heel striking will be glaringly obvious) you can't really tell much about how their feet move, etc.. This is my nice way of saying that having someone do a "gait analysis" and tell you you pronate, or don't, etc. based on watching you run is pretty much complete BS.

    You watch the triangles on the back of the shoe. It's not that hard to tell if they remain pointing straight up or if they deviate to the inside or outside.
  • Kara_xxx
    Kara_xxx Posts: 635 Member
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    Next time you see someone running, try to watch their feet. You will quickly realize that while you can get some information about their general gait (e.g. bad heel striking will be glaringly obvious) you can't really tell much about how their feet move, etc.. This is my nice way of saying that having someone do a "gait analysis" and tell you you pronate, or don't, etc. based on watching you run is pretty much complete BS.

    Agreed. I had gait scanning done once. That was quite funky. You run across a pressure mat and a computer shows how your foot moves across the gain cycle and where the force and pressure moves etc.

    http://www.rsscan.com/
  • AyanaSan
    AyanaSan Posts: 93 Member
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    It's really trial and error. My first pair were Asics GT2170s, and since I WAS a heavier, newer runner they worked perfectly. A year later for my first half, I switched to the Asics Gel Kayanos and loved them. Much lighter and less cushion, and then as I lost weight and my feet shrank.. I switched over to Mizunos. You'll notice that when shoe companies update a shoe, those updates can sometimes affect the overall fit. Good luck!
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
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    I wear vibrams. I tried on several of the models, but once I put on a pair of komodos, I practically shoe-gasm'd. It was like there was a God, and he had made this shoe specifically for my feet.

    LOL @ shoegasm!! :laugh: :laugh:

    I just bought some Komodos yesterday, so I am so glad you posted that. I had Vibram Sprints years ago when they first came out... then killed a pair of KSOs and a pair of Bikilas and just ordered these cos they were so well reviewed on Barefoot Runner.

    I hope you fall in love with them as hardcore as I've fallen for mine. I just tried on a new pair of komodos the other day and it was like slipping into bed with an old lover (amazing, btw). I never want to go back to regular toe corsets (shoes) again!
  • Valera0466
    Valera0466 Posts: 319 Member
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    Bump
  • skinnynerd
    skinnynerd Posts: 110
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    I love the shoe tips.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
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    I wasn't running on a treadmill for the gait analysis. Basically, I took my old shoes in, told them the issues I was having and that I have flat feet, and they picked a few pair out for me to try. Then they looked at how I ran in them on a short track in the store (really short LOL). I tend to overpronate but I have a really good mid-foot strike due to my short, choppy stride LOL. I normally run on asphalt outdoors. I was running on a treadmill last night to test the shoes without wearing them outside. The distance I want them to go is far less important to me - I'll buy new shoes sooner if the shoes are great. I probably run 9.5 to 12 miles a week but also wear them for occasional walking and cycling.

    The Brooks have the asymetrical lacing - I had never seen that before LOL.

    I was surprised I ended up with Nike's the first time. They are normally too narrow for me, but the Zoom Structure has a really wide fit.

    Sounds like you went to a regular sporting goods store. I did that. I told them my issues, they had me run on the short track (was this by chance a D*cks Sporting Goods store?) and they gave me the shoes that they said were for me based on just a quick glance at how I ran.

    They were NOT the shoes for me. I still had the same issues that I was having and it was a bit worse than before. I spent a lot of money on a pair of Nike shoes that weren't for my feet and gait. Friends of mine who are serious athletes told me to go to a store called Fleet Feet (not sure if you have one where you are or one similar) but it is a RUNNING SHOE STORE. The people there are EXPERTS. I showed them the shoes I had. They told me to hop on the treadmill and they taped me running and watched me on the treadmill. They told me I ran funny (seriously. I'm a toe striker and I tend to swing my legs out as I run) and then they ran in back, pulled out three different pairs of shoes for me to try. I tried them all, was able to take a quick jog around the block in each one to see how they fit and bought a pair. They were perfect from the second I began running. I'm not specific to one brand. I will buy whatever brand feels the most comfortable on my foot. Now all I do is bring my shoes in and tell them I need another pair and they'll go in back and pick out whatever shoes are meant for my foot.

    You really need to go to an expert and get properly fitted for shoes. If you don't and you wear the wrong ones you could risk getting injured.

    (Oh, I also have the Vibram 5-finger shoes which I absolutely adore running in).

    ETA: The running shoe store is quite a ways from where I live but I will never go to another store to buy my shoes. I will always give Fleet Feet my business. I actually bought two pairs of shoes that were the "upgraded" version of what I had. I ran in one pair for a while and they just didn't feel right. I was able to take back BOTH pairs of shoes -- even the ones I ran in and no longer had the box to -- without a receipt and no questions asked. Again, I will never go to any other store for my running shoes.
  • timboom1
    timboom1 Posts: 762 Member
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    I bought them from Road Runner Sports, so I can return them within 90 days. But I guess I just don't know how to tell if a shoe feels right to me without running a few miles in them. How can YOU tell? Any tips? When I got fitted for my Nike's, there were two other pairs I liked - a pair of Brooks and a pair of Saucony (though I don't remember which models). I couldn't decide between the three, so I picked the prettiest pair LOL.

    There is no way to tell without running a few miles in a new style, on the surface you normally run on, the way you would normally run. Getting a good fit at your local running store is the place to start in terms of fit and gait but there are often little things that will not show up until a real run. I have never been to a local store where they have not suggested I do one or two 3 to 5 mile runs in a new shoe style and bring them back if something isn't right. Finding the right shoe means you keep running, means you buy more shoes.

    Of course once you find the right shoe, buy lots of them, every maker seems to want to screw a good model up the next year and it's back to the drawing board.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
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    I wasn't running on a treadmill for the gait analysis. Basically, I took my old shoes in, told them the issues I was having and that I have flat feet, and they picked a few pair out for me to try. Then they looked at how I ran in them on a short track in the store (really short LOL). I tend to overpronate but I have a really good mid-foot strike due to my short, choppy stride LOL. I normally run on asphalt outdoors. I was running on a treadmill last night to test the shoes without wearing them outside. The distance I want them to go is far less important to me - I'll buy new shoes sooner if the shoes are great. I probably run 9.5 to 12 miles a week but also wear them for occasional walking and cycling.

    The Brooks have the asymetrical lacing - I had never seen that before LOL.

    I was surprised I ended up with Nike's the first time. They are normally too narrow for me, but the Zoom Structure has a really wide fit.

    Sounds like you went to a regular sporting goods store. I did that. I told them my issues, they had me run on the short track (was this by chance a D*cks Sporting Goods store?) and they gave me the shoes that they said were for me based on just a quick glance at how I ran.

    They were NOT the shoes for me. I still had the same issues that I was having and it was a bit worse than before. I spent a lot of money on a pair of Nike shoes that weren't for my feet and gait. Friends of mine who are serious athletes told me to go to a store called Fleet Feet (not sure if you have one where you are or one similar) but it is a RUNNING SHOE STORE. The people there are EXPERTS. I showed them the shoes I had. They told me to hop on the treadmill and they taped me running and watched me on the treadmill. They told me I ran funny (seriously. I'm a toe striker and I tend to swing my legs out as I run) and then they ran in back, pulled out three different pairs of shoes for me to try. I tried them all, was able to take a quick jog around the block in each one to see how they fit and bought a pair. They were perfect from the second I began running. I'm not specific to one brand. I will buy whatever brand feels the most comfortable on my foot. Now all I do is bring my shoes in and tell them I need another pair and they'll go in back and pick out whatever shoes are meant for my foot.

    You really need to go to an expert and get properly fitted for shoes. If you don't and you wear the wrong ones you could risk getting injured.

    (Oh, I also have the Vibram 5-finger shoes which I absolutely adore running in).

    ETA: The running shoe store is quite a ways from where I live but I will never go to another store to buy my shoes. I will always give Fleet Feet my business. I actually bought two pairs of shoes that were the "upgraded" version of what I had. I ran in one pair for a while and they just didn't feel right. I was able to take back BOTH pairs of shoes -- even the ones I ran in and no longer had the box to -- without a receipt and no questions asked. Again, I will never go to any other store for my running shoes.

    Thanks for the caps, but when I say I went to a RUNNING STORE, that's what I mean. A great, local place that only does running.

    For others, I've been running about 4 months now, several times a week. Still new, but not completely new LOL. And the shoes I have now are great, but the second pair of them I bought, not so much. Same model, same year, just a different color. It was quite disappointing.
  • JB5349
    JB5349 Posts: 135 Member
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    I wear etonic jespara but they wear out in about three months and cost a fortune but they are amazingly comfortable
  • larkiedeek
    larkiedeek Posts: 203 Member
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    I was "fitted" today for my first running shoe.

    I guess I will find out how they are over the next couple of weeks when I am doing 5k runs in them.


    I think you are right. You just know when you get the right shoe.

    Can't believe I have been running in old cluncky gym shoes for the last few weeks. :grumble:
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
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    Just thought I would update. I sent the PureCadence back, not because I didn't think they'd work but because they're different enough that I didn't want to alternate them with more traditional shoes. I've been running in my old Nikes and the Saucony Progrid Mirages and it's going well. I love the Saucony now and ordered a second pair when I returned the Brooks.

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