Runners?

CopperBoom

CopperBoom

New member
I'm starting to run/jog (slowly, so I don't hurt myself) and I know that having the right running shoe can be very important. I'm just wondering if/when I have to worry about that as they are not cheap and the budget is tight these days. I have an okay pair of cross-trainers but they aren't really "running" shoes.
 
Depending on how resilient your body is (how well it can take punishment, aches and pains), the right shoes may or may not be all that big of a factor. Personally, I need good running shoes because I have gone through plentiful injuries in the past, which have severely weakened certain parts of my body, especially my knees, tendons and back. So, for me, shoes are very important.

Basically, you want to get a shoe that offers you good stability. You want a shoe that's going to offer support to your foot and your ankle, which can greatly reduce stress on the joints and tendons in your legs, even up to your back. Your shoes should be tight, but not too tight. You don't want loose fitting shoes, as they won't offer any support (and they'll actually do more damage than anything), but you don't want shoes that are extremely tight either, as they will cut of circulation and decrease bloodflow, which can also be harmful to your body.

The shoes that I wear are . I bought them a couple of years ago when I still lived in Chicago. At the time, they ran about $140, but they were well worth the cost.

These shoes work for me because they offer excellent stability and cushion my heel very well. They also keep my foot aligned properly, which drastically decreases the amount of pain that I go through when I run. I partially tore my achilles tendon when I was younger and I have suffered through plenty of back injuries, as well as the routine punishment of my knees (I played catcher in baseball), so shoes are very important to my body when I run. I'm not saying that the exact shoe that I wear will benefit you - because our bodies are all different - I'm just offering you some advice and telling you what works for me.
 
Chef Chi gave excellent advice, I am a fairly sporty person and I ran for a few months, I bought 60 euro runners for that time, just your every day normal Nike runners. They were fine and I used them for about a year afterwards just as my normal sneakers (I only ever wear sneakers unless I wear sandals or flipflops). Right now I have high tops which give my ankles more support but I don't rnu, this is just for normal walking.

For me it also depends on how serious you are about it. If you just run 15-30 minutes once or twice a week and you are not even sure if you really like running that much, well then you can just get regular sneakers. Now if you are serious about it and do it often and plan on doing it for a long time, then investing some money might be a good idea. I invest a lot of money into dancing, but it is my passion and I do it 5 days a week, so it is money well spent.

Then it depends on your body as Chi said, if you have ankle problems high tops are probably better. If you have backproblems and are looking into investing money into shoes I heard good things from 2 people about those odd shoes that have round soles called MBT () . Of course there will be people who think they suck, but I tried hem on for a few days (they belonged to a friend) and I found they bettered my position as I needed to stand more upright to walk in them. I am actually thinking of getting some at some point, because my back is very tense and I think being forced to stand straight will help me lose those tensions. But that may be something that I can look into once I am at goal weight... they really are hugely expensive!

I wish you the best of luck finding the perfect shoes for you, Camy
 
I'd go to a store that deals with runners, one that has a staff that knows what they're talking about, not necessarily the one in the mall with part-timer kids. They will watch you walk and measure you and suggest shoes for you based on that, things that most of us don't know...like Nikes tend to run narrow or Asics have a wider toe area etc.

The store I go to locally has a 100% fit guarantee, you can run in them for a few weeks and return or exchange. A good store knows you can't tell much walking around the store and will really try to fit you in a pair, and not necessarily the most expensive pair in the store but a pair that fits you.
 
Cross-trainers

When you run, your shoes are your equipment.

Your cross trainers should be fine for what you are doing now. They are designed to accommodate several sports, including running.

Once you start pounding out the mileage though, don't skimp on shoes. They are an expense, but thankfully the only expense! Find a store, not the one at the mall, that caters to runners and where the sales people give personal attention and are hands-on when fitting your shoes. You should be asked to run for them, if not, move along. Some stores have a special treadmill with diagnostic equipment.

And yes, look for one of those stores that has a 100% fit guarantee. They have the specifically trained staff who are more interested in fitting your shoe properly than selling you an expensive shoe. Remember you need extra room in the toe box because when you run your toes spread considerably.

Once you glean what you need to know about how to fit a running shoe, then you can shop anywhere for shoes. Many runners find a good fitting shoe and purchase the same model year after year.

In my early 20s I wore exclusively Brooks and NewBalance. I've worn Asics for the past 11 years. The cool thing about finding a good pair is you can keep an eye out for when your model goes on sale, or when an ugly color combination goes on clearance.

It's important to get re-fit now and then.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top