As a person who wears shoes for running and hiking and working on my feet all day and also as a person who sells shoes, I concur with this 110%.
If you are going to do any running at all, opt for a running shoe, even if you are run/walking in intervals. If it’s your goal to run, you’ll quickly find that your running intervals will get longer as you progress in your training. BTW, I’m on week 8 of Couch-to-5K and couldn’t run more than two minutes at a very slow pace when I started. I’m now running for 28 minutes at a moderate pace.
Also, I must say, I have never gone wrong following runner pat’s advice wrt anything relating to running.
Just here to agree with advice to go to a specialty store, have them determine which shoes are best for you and spend the appropriate amount of money.
I used to work for one of the brands listed in this thread and we did make models sold through larger stores that needed to hit a specific price point which meant the technology was limited by that requirement.
D and I went to Sports Authority and she bought me a pair of Asics gel 1150’s. Pronation was checked (right foot a bit) and the shoes were on sale for $49.95 and because I had done a survey, I had a $10.00 coupon. We also bought a pair of Thorlo running socks.
Trail runners tend to have denser EVA (less airy) along with shanks and/or plating in the midsole. This makes them stiffer and less flexible than a road running shoe and also tends to extend the life of them. I also find that customers tend to feel better supported by a trail runner than a road runner, although it is likely because they have medial posting* and the road running shoes customers are replacing don’t have as much or any at all.
*medial posting is the grey colored EVA foam on the inside sole below the arch of the foot. It is denser (firmer) EVA than the white EVA of the rest of the sole which provides support in the arch area to prevent over-pronation (collapsing of the arch). The further toward the heel and toebox the posting extends, the more supportive. The most supportive (motion control) running shoes will have several densities of EVA indicated by the multiple shades of grey posting. This is what the shoe store evaluations are determining: how much support you need your shoe to provide to create the most neutral stride possible.
Walk barefoot, then run barefoot - or in home-made huraches. It’s free/cheap. There’s no evidence that shoes designed for running prevent injuries, or that expensive shoes are any better than cheap ones. Your feet evolved for frequent use on rough terrain without ‘support’. For some it seems to more much more harm than good - my sister (who ran cross country all through high school) and I had injuries and pain from running in padded shoes, all that cleared up once we did away with shoes altogether and were able to perfect our form.
You’re not running at all just yet, you have a long way top go before you think about a marathon (which I would not run barefoot either, of course - you have to break your soles in slowly and carefully).
Huarache are just the Mexican style of sandal. Woven upper (often with laces tied to secure it to the foot), thin sole.
I had baby-soft feet when I gave up running shoes, it took many months to toughen the skin up enough to run any kind of distance. I don’t have hard callouses, the skin just thickens up a lot and starts to feel like leather.
That’s why they make a shoe that mimics the barefoot experience while giving some protection from the elements. You can even wear socks with them. I just did 6 miles in them this morning. Next weekend, it will be 13.
Well, I appreciate the info but am still not running anywhere in bare feet. First of all, the thought really doesn’t appeal to me in the slightest, and second, as a type 2 diabetic, I think it would not be a very good idea anyway. Maybe if I were having knee/joint/etc problems with my current running shoes I’d feel differently, but they are working out very nicely for me.
That’s a really good price. My running buddy is an Asics guy, he loves them (I can’t remember what model he uses).
See how you like 'em. If you find you need a bit more “foundation” (I’m a big runner, too, and in running circles “big” starts at a pretty low weight), I recommend Brooks Beast, which is a pretty iconic motion control shoe. It’s all I run in, though some find them a bit inflexible and heavy (I go around 220, and I’m amused at reviews that rave over a new version of a shoe shaving a whole half ounce from the total weight). The latest version is the best I’ve ever used–I just ran my first marathon in them.
I ran in $25 shoes from Target, doing 40-50 miles a week, probably more some weeks. Had absolutely no problems. And I did really well in my 10K race. I don’t buy into the whole Expensive Shoes thing, the cheap ones work just fine.
If there’s one constant in the running shoes milieu, it’s that no two pair of feet are alike. What works for one person will be the worst thing ever for another.
but am still not running anywhere in bare feet. First of all, the thought really doesn’t appeal to me in the slightest, and second, as a type 2 diabetic, I think it would not be a very good idea anyway. Maybe if I were having knee/joint/etc problems with my current running shoes I’d feel differently, but they are working out very nicely for me.