Running shoes?

[norcaltransplant]

Since I dont plan to jog in a pair of Edward Green wingtips, what brand of running shoes ($100ish) do people recommend for the narrow-footed (?), low arch runner?  I've worn Nikes in the past with some success, but Im willing to experiment with alternatives.

Bonus question: How often do you buy new running shoes?  I run 3 miles, 2-3x/week indoors and outdoors.  I heard that even with moderate running one should replace their footwear every six months.  Thats less than 250 miles according to my calculations...

 

[aarghh]

In this case, you're better off going to a specialized running shoe store, with good salespeople, and trying shoes out for yourself. Asics, Saucony, Reebok, Nike, and a clutch of others all make shoes that work fine and are in your range - it comes down to the individual feet.

I usually change shoes every six to nine months, and everytime I do so, I don my running clothes, take my old shoes, and go to the store. Based on my foot shape and the kind of wear that is seen on the shoes, the salesperson brings out three or four models that seem to fit the specs, and I then run about a block in all of them. That usually tells me which one I like the most. Only then do I look at the brand or the price.

I usually do about 15 to 20 miles a week. My ankles let me know when it is time to change shoes.

Hope that helps

Edit: for grammar.

 

[drizzt3117]

I personally use New Balance for both my running and tennis shoes. They have alot of width selections, and they are also very durable. I had a pair of New Balance running shoes that I ran in for about a year and a half, (about 2 miles a day every day) and they were great. One thing I would recommend is getting some sort of gel insole, especially if you are going to run outside, as it helps lessen the impact on your ankles, the standard insoles with most of these shoes is rather flat.

 

[imageWIS]

Puma. In my experience, your best solution is Puma. Adidas is a close second.

Jon.

 

[dah328]

What aarghh said. I run 18-22 miles/week and shoes are key to injury-free running. Try Super Runners Shop on the upper west side if you can make it into the city. They'll recommend a pair for you based on your foot, stride, and running habits. At 6-9 miles/week, a pair of running shoes should last you quite a while. My ankles and knees start to get sore when my shoes have worn out, which should be after at least 400 miles on a good pair of shoes for a medium-sized guy.

dan

 

[MilanoStyle]

try nike shox on ebay.
I like shox.. they do make difference when running i find.

 

[Renault78law]

it is impossible to recommend a shoe online. go to a GOOD running store. bring your old running shoes so they can look at the soles. make him watch you run on their treadmill to analyize your gait. then, he'll recommend a shoe based on your weight and milage. i really recommend that you do this, paying a few extra dollars is worth getting the proper shoe for you.

if you require a lot of cushion, replace your running shoes every six months.

 

[LA Guy]

it is impossible to recommend a shoe online. go to a GOOD running store. bring your old running shoes so they can look at the soles. make him watch you run on their treadmill to analyize your gait. then, he'll recommend a shoe based on your weight and milage. i really recommend that you do this, paying a few extra dollars is worth getting the proper shoe for you.

Completely agree. Due to schedule difficulties and getting older, my mileage is down to about 20-25 miles a week, but up to about 2 years ago, I was logging about 40-50 miles a week. Also, it's a good idea to buy 2 different pairs, so your feet don't get the same stress everyday. A pair of shoes should be replaced every 300-500 miles, depending on your weight, frequency and intensity of workout, and so on. Do not be skimping here. The really serious running shoes are usually by New Balance, Asic Tigers, Saucony, Nike, and Brooks.

 

[JohnMS]

I second LA Guy's comments regarding mileage, etc. If there is one thing my years of marathon training has taught me is that you need to learn to recognize when your shoes need replacing. The difference could mean avoiding injuries, something I haven't always been good at doing.

If you're going to be doing any running off road, look very carefully at any Nike shoes you might be considering. I've had trouble in years past with the air bladder being punctured by small stickers. Nike in the rearfoot used to have a quite soft area that allowed for such a thing. I believe they have improved things to prevent this, but I lot a couple of pairs of newer shoes to this.

Make sure you get that gait analyzed on a treadmill. Be careful though. Not everyone in the specialized running stores actually know what they are doing. Get references on which places are better than others.

Someone what off the subject, I was watching part of Oprah a couple of weeks ago on a day off (insert your Oprah comment here). Some guy was one who had lost a ton of weight, but had been running seems like 5 or 6 miles on a treadmill every day for the past upteen years and all the while wearing the SAME pair of shoes. How he avoids injury I'll never know.

 

[Renault78law]

I hadn't heard the Oprah story, but it doesn't totally surprise me.  It's the reason I said, you should only replace your shoes often if you need a lot of cushion.  Time and/or impact degrades the cushioning of your shoe...those that don't need cushioning need not worry about replacing shoes often.  You see worldclass runners doing marathons barefoot, don't you?  Not that I'd recommend anyone to run without cushioning on something as hard as concrete, but there is a lot to be said about running with a natural gait - ie running they way you would if you were barefoot, with a neutral lightweight shoe.  I suspect that this individual runs with a natural gait, and is a midfoot striker.

 

[MikeF]

Don't forget Mizuno - my wife runs marathons, and swears by them, as do I.

 

[nightowl6261a]

Since I dont plan to jog in a pair of Edward Green wingtips, what brand of running shoes ($100ish) do people recommend for the narrow-footed (?), low arch runner? I've worn Nikes in the past with some success, but Im willing to experiment with alternatives. Bonus question: How often do you buy new running shoes? I run 3 miles, 2-3x/week indoors and outdoors. I heard that even with moderate running one should replace their footwear every six months. Thats less than 250 miles according to my calculations... Edited by norcaltransplant on 16 Sep. 2004, 12:17 -------------- norcaltransplant Fell off the wagon... I've gone 2 months without buying a pair of shoes. No dice on the Grensons... (My new self-help signature&#33

New Balance 991, only way to go, you run enough to deserve the best, there are more expensive, there are other brands, but this is the best...try a pair and enjoy, and come in, jump on the grenson fevor...it is fun

 

[CharlieZircon]

High-ish arch, 94 kilos
Run 5k 3-4 nights a week; run on grass only
Change shoes every 12 months or so
Currently in Mizuno Wave Nirvana, for 1 month - light, comfortable
Previously Saucony Grid, wore well, but the Mizunos make them feel clunky.
Agree this is not something to skimp on - research the shoes you need and then decide on the ones that feel best - then ask about price.

 

[GQgeek]

I bought a pair of nike cross-trainers last fall and i've only worn them once when i had to wear somethign other than nice leather shoes cause i was moving. I shoulda returned them while i had the chance cause there's definitely something wrong with them but instead I just parked them on a shelf and haven't really touched them since. There's something that digs in to my right foot when i wear them that i didn't notice when i tried them on for 2 minutes at the store. After a few minutes of actually moving around in them i have to take them off cause they kill my feet.

Anyway.... I've been eyeing the white america's cup shoes from prada sport. I've been to running shoe stores and frankly everything is just so gawdy imo. It's like companies can't help but stick shiny plastic and all sorts of other stuff on their shoes. Kinda reminds me of the whole LA lights fiasco when i was growing up... When i first bought my nikes i saw some iversons (low-cuts, not hte basketball shoes) and thought they were the best looking shoes at the store. At that point i didn't really feel like spending 180 on running shoes though and so i bought the least offensive looking nikes i could find. Big mistake.

Does anyone have any comments on the america's cup shoes? I'm not a hardcore runner or anything. I just want something that i can wear to work-out and jog a couple times a week in.

 

[MikeF]

I - unlike LA Guy - like the America's Cup shoes, but they're way, way too heavy for any sort of athletic activity beyond walking. I also wouldn't buy them anywhere except the EU, given the prices at which they're sold in North America.