Bought running shoes, who would have thunk it?

Hi guys,  I have been going to the gym for about two and a half month****ting the treadmill really hard. I have a pair of Rawlings sneakers that I have had for ten or fifteen years. Pretty bad shape. Any way I have been reasearching running shoes and all the brands and different types according to your gate, pronating, underpronating.  I picked up a card for a running shop at the gym. I went by thier shop Saturday to check them out. First off they have you to take off your shoes and socks and tell you to walk back and forth so they can look at your feet. They are looking at your arches and how your foot lands and if you walk on the outside or the inside. He then measured my feet and brought out some shoes. They only carry four brands. He said they are the best ones out there. Asics, Brooks and a couple of others that I can't remember. He had me to try on three different brands and walk around in them. He would check out how they fit. When I rulled out one brand he put one of the other brand on each foot and had me to walk around in them. Then he told me that they had a treadmill and wanted to know if I would like to walk or run in them to make sure I got the one that would be the best for me. I spent maybe a half a mile on the treadmill and found a pair that works for me. He then had me to put the mate to the one I had chose and make sure both feet were going to feel good.  To be honest I was a bit put off by all of this just to buy a pair of runnng shoes, but now that I have done it I have a pair of shoes that fit great and feel great as well. If you have a small shop like this in your town it would be well worth the twenty minutes or so that I spent doing it. I ended up buying a pair of Brooks Glycerin's. I tried the Asics but the Brooks worked best for me. I payed $90 for them. I had priced them at the mall and they were about the same price. Actually a little more at the mall. I could have bought them cheaper on line, but I would not have got the service and I would rather give my money to a local business. Went to the gym tonight and walked one and half miles and then cranked it up to 6 mph and worked up to 7mph, ran for a mile and a half, then slowed it down and walked for another mile to cool off. Total of 4 miles in 55 minutes. A year ago I was still over 300 lbs and could hardly walk around the block. Guys you don't know what is possible till you put yourself out there. I am amazed every day. pan head

man the difference between a properly fitted running shoe and any pair you buy off the rack is night and day. I did the same exact thing you did around a month ago and went to a small running shoe shop and got 'fitted'. i'm up to over 30 miles a week and my feet, ankles, shins and calves couldn't be happier.

Who knew, I thought a shoe was a shoe.  pan head

Hello pan head, It's easier buying a motorcycle, isn't it? Well, it seems like it anyway. I'm wearing Asics now, but I had to take two pair of New Balance and one Ascics back to our running store before I found the right fit. I bet the clerks hated me! My left foot is harder to fit than my right, so I have to be careful. But as has been said, a good pair of shoes makes a huge difference, more than you'd guess until you've had the experience. This experience is a biig FART along the way for you. Thanks for including us. (Hey where else but the Locker Room do you thank guys for "sharing" their FARTs?)

Duh, New Balance. That was one of the other brand they carried. I tried them but there was a seam that hit right on my big toe and I told the sales guy that it would end up bugging the crap out of me. The other brand was Mizuno I think. The Brooks feel great. I told my wife that you put them on and forget about them.  On one trip to the mall checking out shoes I told a sales gril at Footlocker that I wanted to see what they had in a "cushioned" running shoe and she told me they all had cushioning in them. I just smiled and said thanks.  pan head

Funny, I had the same experience a week or so ago.  Grabbed a pair of Nike's off the bargain table (to replace the pair I bought off the bargain table 5 years ago) and just couldn't do it!  So I grabbed the salesman and he worked with me just like you described.  I ended up with the Brooks Glycerin's too ($120), and man do they make a difference.  I can't make it as far as I want yet, but I'm walking about a mile a day.  The shoes felt so good I started jogging on my treadmill.  That was a mistake and hurt my knee and ankle.  A minor setback, but the shoes are out of this world.  Thanks for the post! CB

I did close to the same thing not long after joining the gym. Went back to walking. Started out slow and gradually built up speed and incline. Just started running again in the last week.  pan head

Hey Pan Head, Haven't got to the point where I need to buy running shoes yet.  But I am glad you posted.  I will now know what to do when I go looking for them in a couple of months.  You are an inspiration to us as you continue your journey.  And I thank you very much for sharing.

You'll get there. My feet have shrunk from a 9 to a 8 1/2 and on the width they are now a medium instead of wide. I am glad I waited till now to buy them. The most I have ever spent on a pair of tennis/running shoes, but well worth it. pan head

I have been an Asics Evolution guy but last Saturday I went to my running store and they didn't have any.  I settled for some New Balance at $135 and he made me go outside and run around the store with them.  I am still getting used to them but they should work out.  Once or twice a year I will buy directly from the store to help the local business.  Other than that I will get them on the net for about 70% of the price.  I probably will buy 4 pair this year.  Congrats on a great investment.