Running shoes advice

rewind · 10/08/12 - 11:29

I am going to try and get into running and am going to go down to my local http://www.runnersworld.ltd.uk/ to have my gait measured. They charge £10 but take the cost off a pair of trainers if you buy them from them.

I have a pair of North Face trainers at the moment which, although a couple of years old, have hardly been worn. Once my gait has been measured, do you think my existing trainers will be okay?

If not, are there any recommended makes of trainers? According to their website, they appear to only sell:

Adidas
Asics
Brooks
Inov8
Mizuno
New Balance
Saucony
Zoot

It seems like they don't sell Nike which is a shame as I want to use Nike+ with the sensor in the shoe.

Once they have measured my gait, if I choose to buy my shoes from elsewhere what information will I be given to help me make my decision on which shoes I should get?

Thanks.

KidMoe · 10/08/12 - 12:00

They'll tell you what sort of shoe you need - stability/motion control whatever, and you can use this information to buy elsewhere if you wish.

It's difficult to recommend a particular brand as everyone's feet are different. Really, you just need to try on shoes in your price range until you find a pair which are comfortable.

For your first pair I wouldn't buy them without trying them on, but if you are going to be running a lot of miles you'll need to replace them fairly often, so once you find a brand/model that fit the best thing to do is to wait until the yearly update happens (where they change the colour of the shoe and usually not much else) and pick up last years version at a discount.

Punkchick · 10/08/12 - 12:04

They will tell you whether you need a neutral or support shoe. Once you know then try on shoes in that catagory from different brands, to see which feels more comfortable. Don't forget to leave some room in the toe box as feet swell when running, shoes that are snug can lead to black or no toe nails when the miles are ramped up.
It will depend on what type of shoe your current trainers are, if they are the correct type then you can use them to start with. Running shoes have a life of between 300-500 miles. I have had to change shoes even though on the outside they look good because the supportive properties are worn out. I get new shoes roughly every 3 months. I tend to use asics or Addidas as these are a good fit for me, but another make could be better for you. I had a pair of Nikes and they were terrible for me.

Happy running!

rosemaryb · 10/08/12 - 14:35

I've never had any problems with Nike but like the previous posts suggest, it really comes down to your feet and what suits them best. I'd advise getting them properly measured and going for the best fit in your price range.

davidmcn · 10/08/12 - 17:22

KidMoe wrote: »

They'll tell you what sort of shoe you need - stability/motion control whatever, and you can use this information to buy elsewhere if you wish.

And if you do have other running shops nearby, I would say it's unusual for them to charge anything for checking your gait, so you might want to look at other places first unless Runners World has better prices or range.

Beau_Soir · 10/08/12 - 17:29

There was a show on channel 4 recently that tested whether or not getting your gait measured and how your feet land for specially fitted trainers made any difference to buying a pair from a high street sport shop, the answer was a conclusive no.

[Deleted User] · 10/08/12 - 17:51

I don't think its a bad thing to get it tested. Getting the chance to run on a treadmill with the trainers will help you get a feel for them.

I tend to use two pairs. A lightweight pair for speed work and a more cushioned shoe for longer distance. My current cushioned shoe (which came highly recommended from other runners) is horrible to my feet. Fantastic to walk it but running has been giving me blisters.

I have always had Asics but purchased a pair of Nikes recently and love them.

gdjman68wasdigi · 10/08/12 - 17:57

i have a pair of Nike air max 95 and a pair of Nike running shoes in some luminous colour..

brilliant

the 95s are a touch expensive but very comfy

jsmith99 · 10/08/12 - 18:15

If you're going to try any sport, then you need to find out :

1. whether you enjoy it, and

2. whether you're any good at it (though 1 is a lot more important than 2).

For those purposes, any old equipment is usually good enough to start with. In fact, there are few things funnier than a novice with brand new, expensive equipment.

[Deleted User] · 10/08/12 - 23:41

I'm going to be a party pooper.
I don't see a point in getting your gait measured unless you plan to perform. When me and my friends did athletics (we were about 12-13 yo), there was just one type of running shoes on the market (at least as far as I knew). And the special athlete shoes for the track surface didn't have any special type of support...

However, the first few months, in addition to our training, the coach was making us do exercises developed especially to correct walking/running defects. Also teaching us how to run properly. These are more important IMO than having specially fitted shoes.

So I'd say buy whatever feels comfortable within your price range, as already suggested.

Sorry I'm not actually answering any of your questions.

Aarghawasp! · 11/08/12 - 00:35

Beau_Soir wrote: »

There was a show on channel 4 recently that tested whether or not getting your gait measured and how your feet land for specially fitted trainers made any difference to buying a pair from a high street sport shop, the answer was a conclusive no.

I saw that. With the advances in technology even the guy who did the original studies and introduced gait measurement/fitting of specialised shoes now believes it makes no difference to support/likelyhood of injury.

Hey there!

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