Running shoes

Hey guys, This was mentioned in a post earlier and I wanted to bring it up for some of you runners out there. I have been hitting the treadmill, and walking when I can around here. My feet, in particular my right foot, hurts when I do 3+ miles or jog a little. I have some Dr Scholls walking shoes that have the gell inserts built in. Should I be looking at some running shoes? Do they make that big a difference? I need to start jogging more and trying to increase my endurance. Thanks in large part to Chad and Scott as huge inspiration, I am planning on doing a 5k in June. (I don't know whether to thank or curse you guys!) What brands should I be looking at, and do I really need to spend a ton of money for good shoes? Is it one of those, you get what you pay for things, or is it like a lot of things where the expensive ones are gimmicky and I can do ok with a realatively inexpensive pair?

----- 
Even the toughest criminals become remarkably docile 
 once separated from society by six feet of soil. 

I tried the walking shoes several years ago. They killed my feet and calves after walking about 1.5 miles or so.  Finally got some New Balance running shoes and absolutely loved them - been using them ever since. I went to a local specialty store for runners because the owner has excellent knowledge of the shoes and their particular applications for indiviual needs. He measure dmy feet, check my walking stride, hip movements, foot positions, etc. Then he gave me 2 different running shoes to choose from, New Balance and Riddell (I think that was the other one). I have a very wide (4E) foot, so my choices were limited. I went with the New Balance and some better insoles (Second Wind). Mad a WORLD of difference, at least for me.  Can walk 4 to 5 miles without my feet or calves bothering me - well, other than all the excess weight.  Chad and some others here will probably know more about this too.

They made a big difference for me.  Especially when it came to comfort.  I try to walk/job a 5k at least 3 times a week.  I had some nice Nike every day walking shoes, but I went out to a store that does only shoes, and had some nice running shoes fitted for me.  The guy at the store said that New Balance tends to run wider than the Nike does, and in comparing the 2 shoes, I certainly found that to be true.   I haven't had any blisters or sore feet since I switched shoes.  The new shoes are also significantly lighter than every day tennis shoes. I really do think at least in my shopping experiences that you do get what you pay for, but your feet are really worth it. Good luck with your shopping. Scott

Hey wolfgore  Im not a runner and cant really talk about the running shoes.

I wear running shoes because they have better arch suport .

I like new balance only because they come in a 4 E wide .

The price thing , I dont know i pay about 50 to 75 dollars for mine .

Even though I have lost 125 lbs I still have a very wide foot .

I have neroupathy in my feet and need to take extra good care of my them

( you only get one pair of them )

Bicycling my thing , and I had to order my shoes online.  the bike shope that I deal with dident have ANYTHING  that would fit my fat foot .                                                               Nick

I sprang for a pair of Brooks and can go 3+ miles (walk) like I could go 1 mile in my Nike's.  They were mucho bucks but the difference is worth it. CB

Hey CB....what kind of "Brooks" walking shoes?....and where did you get them. I need a good pair of walking shoes. I have a pair of NB shoes that have the wider nose rather than the ones that funnel your toes into a point. I enjoy them very much but I would like to get a "good" pair of walking shoes and semi-hiking boots something that supports your ankle and that arn't very high. Anybody out ther have any good stores that you have delt with? Dave

I like New Balance also. Right now I'm in a pair that  cost around $50 or so, but I'm fixin' to go get me another pair. The joint where my big toe attaches on to my foot is starting to hurt after 3 miles or so, which tells me that they're starting to lose some of their structural integrity. I'm probably gonna try a pair of $100 to $120 NB shoes this time just to see if the extra dollars buys better shoes.  The only thing I would add is that if you're going 10+ miles a week and still weigh 300+ like I do, you're shoes may not last as long as advertised. I've found that my feet do better if I'll invest in a new pair every 4 months or so. The old pair still look good but there are problems in the chassis so to speak.

I think you're right JFish - the shoes need to be replaced about every 6 months, give or take depending on how much you weigh. the old ones can be knockin' around or grass cuttin' shoes. Plus, I don't use my walking shoes for anything but when I walk the treadmill.  I bought a pair of the 997 New Balances a few years back. They were just a little better than the  cheaper ones right out of the box.  However, I truly believe the cheaper ($50-65) ones with a really good pair of running insoles ($15) are just as good, or better. JMO.

I couldn't give you a good answer. I practice a brand of running technique where people run on the balls of their feet and use those for the only cushion. I sprint (jog sometimes) and haven't had shoes with more than 3/8 inch of cushion on in at least 6 months.

It's called the Pose Method of Running:

http://www.posetech.com/

It's supposed to be low injury, but takes some time to figure out. But just running on the balls of the feet greatly cuts knee injury.

Here are those craaazzzy shoes:

http://www.zappos.com/n/bs?q=saloh

Good Luck,

Dave

 

Here's a link to Brooks:  http://www.brooksrunning.com I looked at them after reading a lot of posts on this board.  You might search past posts (within the last three months), there was a long conversation about shoes.  I love my Brooks - best running shoe I ever owned. CB