recommend me running shoes

[granty92]

so recently i've started a new gym and i run a lot while im there but trying to do a 5 mile run in vans shoes is not good, they are uncomfotable and dont allow as much flexibility as running shoes. but there are so many different types of shoe now a days and i dont know what ones to go for, anyone one on here run? if so what shoes do you use? need to recommendations for proper running shoes :)

[ClunkintheUK]

I am sure i'll get flamed for this by other runners. But I have two pairs (well three if you include the cross country ones). A pair of the vibram 5 fingers "Barefoot" shoes. I am still getting used to them so can only do about 5k before my calves are very sore the next day. And a pair of the cheapest running shoes I could find in a sports store (JJB sport or similar), which i still use when I am out for a longer run, but these are getting phased out.

I also have a pair of professionally fitted Asics GTX. Went on the treadmill had a gait analysis, tried on several pairs etc before settling on these ones. I sprained my knee within 3 months of using them, on a four miler. I have never run on them again, instead going back to my old shoes and the barefoots, and have been fine, including my weekly 11 mile run home.

The barefoot shoes take some getting used to, so I wouldn't bother unless you are looking at doing a lot of miles. I recommend getting the cheapest pair you can find in JJB sports, BUT pay attention to your technique. There are loads of resources for this.

[granty92]

ive looked at reebok ones which are £50 and also nike 5.0 which are £90 but no way am i paying that price, will go to a sports shop later and have a look around :) cheers

[ClunkintheUK]

I think mine were about £35 Nike airs from a sports shop in Bristol centre about 8 years ago. The more I run in them the better it feels.

The sports shops are a good bet, since a lot of them are "fashion" trainers, so when they are last years stock/style, they sell the last few at a loss. They also don't have the "Roll control" or what ever they want to call the latest technology.

I think it was this roll control stuff which messed my knee up with the expensive shoes. Instead of letting my foot fall how it wanted to, it forced it to land flat, twisting my shin sideways, meaning my knee was taking the strain on the inner tendon, rather then the quads being able to take the pressure off the knee.

It looked nice on the gait analysis, because instead of getting a rocking motion in my ankle as my foot landed as with my old shoes there was no balancing movement in my leg at all, it was all being controlled by the shoe. Apparently.

[trudd]

I go to sweatshop and get a gait analysis, try some different brands on and buy the ones that feel right. I use them for around 700 miles then go back and repeat the process. On my 3rd pair and never had a problem.

[chris8886]

I am sure i'll get flamed for this by other runners. But I have two pairs (well three if you include the cross country ones). A pair of the vibram 5 fingers "Barefoot" shoes. I am still getting used to them so can only do about 5k before my calves are very sore the next day. And a pair of the cheapest running shoes I could find in a sports store (JJB sport or similar), which i still use when I am out for a longer run, but these are getting phased out.

I'm no runner (hate the damage it does to your body ie. ankles, knees and hips etc. and preventing it gets very expensive when done properly, as it has to be done even wearing the correct types of footwear), but i have masses of experience in selling running shoes in a PROPER independant sports shop (not a JJB or similar!), and my best piece of advide i think would be to buy the best pair of shoes you can afford. from brands such as asics, mizuno, saucony, new balance, brookes, five fingers (plus a couple of others that i now can't remember). and ultimately NOT any brands such as nike, reebok and addidas (all though addidas to a lesser extent as they aren't too bad these days).

I also have a pair of professionally fitted Asics GTX. Went on the treadmill had a gait analysis, tried on several pairs etc before settling on these ones. I sprained my knee within 3 months of using them, on a four miler. I have never run on them again, instead going back to my old shoes and the barefoots, and have been fine, including my weekly 11 mile run home.

what asics trainers are these then? if you had gait analysis i would've thought they should be correct for you, but there are always exceptions to the rule. i would say to you to try them again for a bit and gradually build up the distance in them to try and get your body used to them. the barefoots (five fingers i presume) are supposed to be some of the best shoes for running in these days because they're so similar to running in barefeet and this is how our bodies naturally would do it (i have never tried these shoes out myself so can't give an absolute opinion on them).

The barefoot shoes take some getting used to, so I wouldn't bother unless you are looking at doing a lot of miles. I recommend getting the cheapest pair you can find in JJB sports, BUT pay attention to your technique. There are loads of resources for this.

PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS!! if you do this, this is the fastest way to injury and a serious reduction in the amount of running you'll be able to do!

ive looked at reebok ones which are £50 and also nike 5.0 which are £90 but no way am i paying that price, will go to a sports shop later and have a look around :) cheers

as above DO NOT buy nike or reebok, they are useless bits of fashion crap and not worth the money you'd pay for them!

I think mine were about £35 Nike airs from a sports shop in Bristol centre about 8 years ago. The more I run in them the better it feels.

after 8 years of use they'll be completely knackered and even more useless than they were before you bought them! do not use!

The sports shops are a good bet, since a lot of them are "fashion" trainers, so when they are last years stock/style, they sell the last few at a loss. They also don't have the "Roll control" or what ever they want to call the latest technology.

I think it was this roll control stuff which messed my knee up with the expensive shoes. Instead of letting my foot fall how it wanted to, it forced it to land flat, twisting my shin sideways, meaning my knee was taking the strain on the inner tendon, rather then the quads being able to take the pressure off the knee.

this, i believe is unlikely, the duomax (in asics) stuff used by asics is very good. it shouldn't force your foot to land flat it just prevents it from rolling inwards towards your other leg (called pronation and about 90% of people do it, the rest are neutral ie. no roll and an extremley small percentage of people supernate (roll outwards))

It looked nice on the gait analysis, because instead of getting a rocking motion in my ankle as my foot landed as with my old shoes there was no balancing movement in my leg at all, it was all being controlled by the shoe. Apparently.

I go to sweatshop and get a gait analysis, try some different brands on and buy the ones that feel right. I use them for around 700 miles then go back and repeat the process. On my 3rd pair and never had a problem.

this is good advice, the mileage limit is approximate and will vary depending on your weight and height etc. but should be addheared to as should a time limit, don't go using shoes for proper running that are over 2 years old, the cushioning in them deteriorates and degrades over time and becomes pretty useless!

there's also a "running thread" somewhere here in IB have a search for it, you'll most likely come accross some good advice!

[fizzwheel]

I can recommend getting a gait analysis done.

I wasnt sure if I would take to running so I got a Pair of Addidas trainers off of ebay. They were new, but I got a good deal on them. I thought they'd be OK. I know I turn my feet over as I wear all my shoes out on the insides so I read a few reviews and thought the Addidas would be OK.

To be fair for a while they were, until I started to increase my milleage and frequency of runs. I went out with the local running club and ended up in utter agony. Couldn't walk for two days or bear weight on my knee I had to slide down stairs on my backside as I couldn't walk on it.

Went and had the gait Analysis done and got the right shoes for my feet. I over pronate alot much more than I realised and the trainers I was running in were'nt right for me. I tried on 3 different pairs and they had me running up and down the road outside the shop. At one point I had a Saucony on the Left foot and an Asics on the right so I could see if I could tell the difference between them.

It was expensive, but I've done a few miles in them now and the difference is massive. More comfortable and I can feel the support is now in the right place.

I went to a small little independent shop and I was there for a good 1/2 hr or so trying on different shoes and getting advice. So I'd try and find somewhere like that if you can.

Just seen the OP is in Bournemouth, Ok so a bit of a trek, but this is where I went and also Liz has been there for gait analysis to.

http://www.alexandrasports.com/

Can highly recommend them.

[svrich]

Definately get yourself to a proper running shop. As I picked up my marathon training I did and got a very comfy pair of Saucony. The advice in the shop was very good and I didn't get a single blister, or leg pain anywhere. They have done a massive amount of miles and I still use them for going to the gym and for spinning. If I were to start running again I would do the early stuff with them but get a new pair when the miles increased.
As above, get what you can afford, and invest in your health. Fashion trainers are just that.

[Stenno]

I went to my local running shop for an analysis and came away with a £90 pair of Brookes which I'm very pleased with. Definitely worth getting analysed and paying a bit extra for the customer service.

[ClunkintheUK]

Chris. The point of wearing 8 year old shoes is that they are knackered and don't offer support, just like the barefoot shoes. I cannot heel strike, instead I have to land on the balls or side of my foot.

When I got the Aesics I could heel strike, so I found myself extending my stride and heel striking with my foot infront of me. This was transmitting the force through a rotated shin into a twisted knee, hence not being able to walk. Well having a stick for two days. In fact there has been some research to show that cushioned shoes encourage you to stomp your feet so that they can find some stability. This is backed up somewhat with the statistics showing the number of running injuries as increased significantly (statistically speaking) since the first cushioned running shoes came out.

With the old nikes I cannot extend my stride like that. I started on the barefoot shoes after my sprain and they are marvelous. They will be every day running shoes, but my calves and ankles are not strong (all the little control muscles) enough yet after years of running (incorrectly) on squashy running shoes where all the effort was coming from higher up the leg.

This has been not only my own experience, but that of my girlfriend and three mates, one of whom was told at 19 he would not run again. He now competes in 2 or 3 Ironmans a year without pain. Not to mention my other friend who has never had any problems or pain and has been running 100 miles a week on the same pair of thin soled shoes for years.

However all this comes back to the fact the the most important factor is technique not the shoes. (which I did state in my original post).

[granty92]

i went to my local running shop in parkstone and they were quite helpful and sorted me out with some mizuno wave rider 16's :) i then went on to the gym and done a decent 8k run and felt so much better than running in vans :D

[ClunkintheUK]

Sounds good. I Hope they work out for you.

[Owenski]

This thread confirms I'll be heading into Up&Running in Leeds to take advantage of their gait assessment.

[granty92]

so much better having a professional show me what i need to know, so i am very happy now :D

[chris8886]

Chris. The point of wearing 8 year old shoes is that they are knackered and don't offer support, just like the barefoot shoes. I cannot heel strike, instead I have to land on the balls or side of my foot.

When I got the Aesics I could heel strike, so I found myself extending my stride and heel striking with my foot infront of me. This was transmitting the force through a rotated shin into a twisted knee, hence not being able to walk. Well having a stick for two days. In fact there has been some research to show that cushioned shoes encourage you to stomp your feet so that they can find some stability. This is backed up somewhat with the statistics showing the number of running injuries as increased significantly (statistically speaking) since the first cushioned running shoes came out.

With the old nikes I cannot extend my stride like that. I started on the barefoot shoes after my sprain and they are marvelous. They will be every day running shoes, but my calves and ankles are not strong (all the little control muscles) enough yet after years of running (incorrectly) on squashy running shoes where all the effort was coming from higher up the leg.

This has been not only my own experience, but that of my girlfriend and three mates, one of whom was told at 19 he would not run again. He now competes in 2 or 3 Ironmans a year without pain. Not to mention my other friend who has never had any problems or pain and has been running 100 miles a week on the same pair of thin soled shoes for years.

However all this comes back to the fact the the most important factor is technique not the shoes. (which I did state in my original post).

part of the point of five finger shoes is that they encourage your body to run more naturally ie. not heel striking. if we didn't where shoes to run in we wouldn't heel strike at all (try it! lol) because that's what causes shocks to move up the body in a jarring sort of way. naturally we would run on the balls of our feet, even for a slow run if man had never invented the idea of wearing shoes, we wouldn't really have a problem, but we need them for practical reasons these days.

i went to my local running shop in parkstone and they were quite helpful and sorted me out with some mizuno wave rider 16's :) i then went on to the gym and done a decent 8k run and felt so much better than running in vans :D

good choice of shoes those mate!

[ClunkintheUK]

Yeah, that's kinda what I was getting at. Since the barefoot shoes my cadence has gone up dramatically, and so has my speed. Sorry I didn't mean to come off as a troll, but did want to point out that technique is far more important to avoiding injuries than shoes.

[smithy17]

^^ this chris guy knows his stuff :cheers:

my whole degree has pretty much been about this stuff, especially now that there's the trend for 'barefoot' shoes. bottom line is that if your heel striking for a lot of miles no amount of cushioning is gonna stop that taking a toll.... on the other hand some people still heel strike in the barefoot shoes and that's worse.

just finishing my dissertation on the effect of barefoot running shoes on running gait and the levels of muscle activation in the leg.... definitely something you wanna build up to.... although they are heavily fashion biased, a lot of people don't realise Nike's free runs are meant to progress.. e.g. you start with 2.0's and move up when you've worn for a while.

at the end of the day there is only so much a shoe can do so unless you have very pronounced supination or pronation of the foot comfort is important

[chris8886]

^^ this chris guy knows his stuff :cheers:

my whole degree has pretty much been about this stuff, especially now that there's the trend for 'barefoot' shoes. bottom line is that if your heel striking for a lot of miles no amount of cushioning is gonna stop that taking a toll.... on the other hand some people still heel strike in the barefoot shoes and that's worse.

just finishing my dissertation on the effect of barefoot running shoes on running gait and the levels of muscle activation in the leg.... definitely something you wanna build up to.... although they are heavily fashion biased, a lot of people don't realise Nike's free runs are meant to progress.. e.g. you start with 2.0's and move up when you've worn for a while.

at the end of the day there is only so much a shoe can do so unless you have very pronounced supination or pronation of the foot comfort is important

thanks, it was part of my job to know this stuff. all got taught to me by the reps we used to have coming in the shop to show us next years kit. so there is a chance of error in some of things i've said, but when is that not just part of life? but by the sounds of it you're FAR more qualified than me to talk about it!!

[smithy17]

thanks, it was part of my job to know this stuff. all got taught to me by the reps we used to have coming in the shop to show us next years kit. so there is a chance of error in some of things i've said, but when is that not just part of life? but by the sounds of it you're FAR more qualified than me to talk about it!!

we will have to wait and see what marks I get for this work before we jump to any conclusions :p