I happen to be one of the barefooters (well, Vibrams at least, since the military makes me wear some kind of "shoe" for PT). But I did just recently start playing racquetball barefoot. But the fact is, if you are fun running with shoes on, then there is no reason to change your style. Like many have said, find a running store, get some sort of analysis on your feet (from a professional, not from some guy with a foot fetish), and get the proper shoes you need. Just don't go trying to run in a pair of Vans skateboard shoes or something crazy like that.
yeah, this....i too run in vibrams/huaraches but wouldn't push that on anyone....go to a running store, get gait analysis, buy some shoes that are reasonably priced....more expensive really doesn't mean better
So I have been looking into getting running shoes since running on a treadmill in skate shoes is pretty annoying and slightly painful. Looking at sites I have not been able to properly figure out what my foot type is since the wet foot test leaves me with almost no visable arch and I have always felt like I was rather flat footed. Weird thing is my shoes ALL wear out very very toward the outer heel to the point where my shoes are nearly 30 degrees higher to the outside when the inside heel is flat. Also the ball of my foot area wears heavily towards the center of the shoe. Lastly I find my older shoes curl in the front of the shoe so that if the heals and balls of the shoe touch the toe area is curled the angle between the 2 shoes is aprox 60 to 70 degrees.
I haven't been able to locate a running shoe store with out having to make a trip into the city and would like to get shoes to hit the gym but would need to take a half day from work to make it downtown before the stores close. I was thinking of getting the nike free shoes but am unsure if I should since my foot or stride seems odd from what I am seeing on running sites.
So I have been looking into getting running shoes since running on a treadmill in skate shoes is pretty annoying and slightly painful. Looking at sites I have not been able to properly figure out what my foot type is since the wet foot test leaves me with almost no visable arch and I have always felt like I was rather flat footed. Weird thing is my shoes ALL wear out very very toward the outer heel to the point where my shoes are nearly 30 degrees higher to the outside when the inside heel is flat. Also the ball of my foot area wears heavily towards the center of the shoe. Lastly I find my older shoes curl in the front of the shoe so that if the heals and balls of the shoe touch the toe area is curled the angle between the 2 shoes is aprox 60 to 70 degrees.
I haven't been able to locate a running shoe store with out having to make a trip into the city and would like to get shoes to hit the gym but would need to take a half day from work to make it downtown before the stores close. I was thinking of getting the nike free shoes but am unsure if I should since my foot or stride seems odd from what I am seeing on running sites.
Shoes don't matter as much as we're to believe. Get something that's comfortable and doesn't have a huge difference from heel to forefoot, pronation and arch support are more or less scam ideas. Learn to run more correctly (midsole to heel, not the other way around) and you should be alright.
I strongly disagree with Beast. It really depends on the person. For people that fall toward the middle of the curve so to speak, it will seem like there are plenty of shoes that work just fine for them since they represent the most common runners. If you're one of those people, great. You'll have a lot of different shoes that'll work ok for you. But there are still quite a few people that fall outside the middle of the curve and have very wide or very skinny feet, over or under pronate to varying degrees, etc. For those runners, Beast's assertion doesn't really hold true. It's generally believed that people with flatter arches tend to pronate more, but this isn't always the case. I have super flat arches (as in no arch at all really) but I only moderately over pronate. If you don't have any good running stores in your area Unsane, you may just have to take a chance on some running shoes that seem to fit well and see if you have any problems with them later on.
I strongly disagree with Beast. It really depends on the person. For people that fall toward the middle of the curve so to speak, it will seem like there are plenty of shoes that work just fine for them since they represent the most common runners. If you're one of those people, great. You'll have a lot of different shoes that'll work ok for you. But there are still quite a few people that fall outside the middle of the curve and have very wide or very skinny feet, over or under pronate to varying degrees, etc. For those runners, Beast's assertion doesn't really hold true. It's generally believed that people with flatter arches tend to pronate more, but this isn't always the case. I have super flat arches (as in no arch at all really) but I only moderately over pronate. If you don't have any good running stores in your area Unsane, you may just have to take a chance on some running shoes that seem to fit well and see if you have any problems with them later on.
eh...i actually don't normally run in shoes myself....when i used to use them more always i DID go with the whole specific shoes for my overpronation and high arch as the running store said i should .....but after over a year without all that my feet feel better than ever, you don't need all those bells and whistles, and in reality they make your feet weak.....i wouldn't suggest everyone go to extremes (if i ever get into really long ultra distances i'll surely use running flats), but the foot doesn't need all the help you seem to believe it requires....basic shoes that feel good and promote running with better form are what i'd suggest
I run in New Balance shoes, and I buy them at a place called The Running Room, which I believe is exclusively a Canadian chain. The employees are trained in the basics of walking/running form to help match your foot to the correct shoe, in my case I have a pretty normal gate, I just buy shoes with extra cushioning because I'm Gigantic.
Also another thumbs down for Sportmart, they don't know shit about shoes/feet.
I strongly disagree with Beast. It really depends on the person. For people that fall toward the middle of the curve so to speak, it will seem like there are plenty of shoes that work just fine for them since they represent the most common runners. If you're one of those people, great. You'll have a lot of different shoes that'll work ok for you. But there are still quite a few people that fall outside the middle of the curve and have very wide or very skinny feet, over or under pronate to varying degrees, etc. For those runners, Beast's assertion doesn't really hold true. It's generally believed that people with flatter arches tend to pronate more, but this isn't always the case. I have super flat arches (as in no arch at all really) but I only moderately over pronate. If you don't have any good running stores in your area Unsane, you may just have to take a chance on some running shoes that seem to fit well and see if you have any problems with them later on.
eh...i actually don't normally run in shoes myself....when i used to use them more always i DID go with the whole specific shoes for my overpronation and high arch as the running store said i should .....but after over a year without all that my feet feel better than ever, you don't need all those bells and whistles, and in reality they make your feet weak.....i wouldn't suggest everyone go to extremes (if i ever get into really long ultra distances i'll surely use running flats), but the foot doesn't need all the help you seem to believe it requires....basic shoes that feel good and promote running with better form are what i'd suggest
your experience is not everyone's experience, so I'm going to keep pointing out that the advice you're giving is overly simplistic
sure, it'll work fine for some people
but not for everyone by any stretch of the imagination
So I have been looking into getting running shoes since running on a treadmill in skate shoes is pretty annoying and slightly painful. Looking at sites I have not been able to properly figure out what my foot type is since the wet foot test leaves me with almost no visable arch and I have always felt like I was rather flat footed. Weird thing is my shoes ALL wear out very very toward the outer heel to the point where my shoes are nearly 30 degrees higher to the outside when the inside heel is flat. Also the ball of my foot area wears heavily towards the center of the shoe. Lastly I find my older shoes curl in the front of the shoe so that if the heals and balls of the shoe touch the toe area is curled the angle between the 2 shoes is aprox 60 to 70 degrees.
I haven't been able to locate a running shoe store with out having to make a trip into the city and would like to get shoes to hit the gym but would need to take a half day from work to make it downtown before the stores close. I was thinking of getting the nike free shoes but am unsure if I should since my foot or stride seems odd from what I am seeing on running sites.
If you can make the time on a weekend, try going here when you can. I can't emphasize enough, I ran cross-country and track in high school, and I perpetually had problems running (pain in knees, hips, etc.). Once I actually went to a bonafide running store and had my gait and pronation analyzed, I found myself in a reasonably-priced set of New Balance shoes that I love to death. It is absolutely worth it.
So I have been looking into getting running shoes since running on a treadmill in skate shoes is pretty annoying and slightly painful. Looking at sites I have not been able to properly figure out what my foot type is since the wet foot test leaves me with almost no visable arch and I have always felt like I was rather flat footed. Weird thing is my shoes ALL wear out very very toward the outer heel to the point where my shoes are nearly 30 degrees higher to the outside when the inside heel is flat. Also the ball of my foot area wears heavily towards the center of the shoe. Lastly I find my older shoes curl in the front of the shoe so that if the heals and balls of the shoe touch the toe area is curled the angle between the 2 shoes is aprox 60 to 70 degrees.
I haven't been able to locate a running shoe store with out having to make a trip into the city and would like to get shoes to hit the gym but would need to take a half day from work to make it downtown before the stores close. I was thinking of getting the nike free shoes but am unsure if I should since my foot or stride seems odd from what I am seeing on running sites.
If you can make the time on a weekend, try going here when you can. I can't emphasize enough, I ran cross-country and track in high school, and I perpetually had problems running (pain in knees, hips, etc.). Once I actually went to a bonafide running store and had my gait and pronation analyzed, I found myself in a reasonably-priced set of New Balance shoes that I love to death. It is absolutely worth it.
That was the chain I was looking at, I work a full time job and a part time job so I will have to wait for a schedule opening to get down there.
I'm going to hijack this thread because I'm trying to figure out how to get running shoes or maybe just even sneakers in size 14, and not cost $TEXAS.
I've got my heart set on seriously keeping a gym regimen this summer, I've bought the workout clothes, but I'm still stuck with my 'normal' shoes, which cost $IOWA already:
The problem is that I can't seem to find just plain jane size 14 sneakers, and trawling the thrift stores results in shoe sizes stopping at about 8.
Those should be fine for when I'm starting out and just walking on the treadmill, but I know they're going to be crap for when I actually want to run for extended periods of time. There's only so much the recumbent bike can do for me..
There's a simple formula for running shoes, and one precursor.
First, run with correct form; no heel striking. Land on the between the middle and ball of your foot, so the impact is absorbed by your muscles.
For the shoes, something lightweight and with a flat insole. Your toes and heels should be at the same level, shoes with elevated heels are very bad for running because they cause heel striking.
Personally, I always go running in Vibram Fivefingers; I've been using them for about a year and a half, and haven't had any injuries or pain in my joints. Last summer I was running about 2 miles everyday, and ran in a 5k charity event (~27min in my first 5k, was very pleased).
Posts
i'm personally a fan of Brooks shoes myself
I haven't been able to locate a running shoe store with out having to make a trip into the city and would like to get shoes to hit the gym but would need to take a half day from work to make it downtown before the stores close. I was thinking of getting the nike free shoes but am unsure if I should since my foot or stride seems odd from what I am seeing on running sites.
Also another thumbs down for Sportmart, they don't know shit about shoes/feet.
your experience is not everyone's experience, so I'm going to keep pointing out that the advice you're giving is overly simplistic
sure, it'll work fine for some people
but not for everyone by any stretch of the imagination
If you can make the time on a weekend, try going here when you can. I can't emphasize enough, I ran cross-country and track in high school, and I perpetually had problems running (pain in knees, hips, etc.). Once I actually went to a bonafide running store and had my gait and pronation analyzed, I found myself in a reasonably-priced set of New Balance shoes that I love to death. It is absolutely worth it.
That was the chain I was looking at, I work a full time job and a part time job so I will have to wait for a schedule opening to get down there.
I've got my heart set on seriously keeping a gym regimen this summer, I've bought the workout clothes, but I'm still stuck with my 'normal' shoes, which cost $IOWA already:
The problem is that I can't seem to find just plain jane size 14 sneakers, and trawling the thrift stores results in shoe sizes stopping at about 8.
Those should be fine for when I'm starting out and just walking on the treadmill, but I know they're going to be crap for when I actually want to run for extended periods of time. There's only so much the recumbent bike can do for me..
Also you'd probably have to get your local NewBalance retailer to order them, as most stores wouldn't stock shoes that big.
The ones I kept seeing were 120-150$.. 60$ would be much more manageable, though.
First, run with correct form; no heel striking. Land on the between the middle and ball of your foot, so the impact is absorbed by your muscles.
For the shoes, something lightweight and with a flat insole. Your toes and heels should be at the same level, shoes with elevated heels are very bad for running because they cause heel striking.
Personally, I always go running in Vibram Fivefingers; I've been using them for about a year and a half, and haven't had any injuries or pain in my joints. Last summer I was running about 2 miles everyday, and ran in a 5k charity event (~27min in my first 5k, was very pleased).
Otherwise, chuck taylors are my favs.