Running shoe recommendation needed

[que_66]

I'm in need of recommendations from the EF runners on purchasing running shoes.

Many years a go when I ran 3 miles a day I wore New Balance but I haven't been running in probably 5+ years. Obviously I'm out of touch with running shoe technology.

People make fun of me because they can hear me coming even when I'm not wearing high heels. One lady used to laugh because she said I was "marching." (When I'm on the treadmill walking you can hear each footfall.)

--Female, 5'4", 155 lbs, shoe size @7.5-8 depending on the shoe
--I walk and/or run - heel to toe regardless of the shoe I'm in.
--Full stride when running (I don't short-step when I run).
--Most of my running will be on a treadmill but possibly some pavement.
--I'm heavy enough so a lightweight shoe is preferred.
--I cannot pay $100+ for a pair of shoes right now & my only running will be a couple of days per week to keep the cardio switched up so I don't get bored with one activity.

If I decide to run more often then I will purchase a better shoe but for now I just need to get something to get me started.

Your recommendations are very much appreciated.

 

[feli]

I'm a student podiatrist (and runner) right now, and I'll tell you that the fit is probably the most important part of the equation. Try shoes on in the late afternoon (your feet swell a bit during the day), and you need the correct width (B, D, E, EE, etc), size, and ARCH. Someone with flat feet who is running in a shoe with support for regular arches is not getting the ideal fit. A person with high arches running in a shoe with little arch support will often get plantar faciitis pretty quickly.

The best way to get the right fit is simply to visit a podiatrist (esp one who deals with sports med a lot), but it sounds like you are on a limited budget. Some running shoe specialty stores have employees who are pretty up on their shoe fitting knowledge and can help you because they are avid runners themselves, but you will often pay top dollar at those same stores compared to what you'd pay online or at a discount store. Be careful how much you trust someone who might just have a high school diploma or a BA in business at best, though. You have to remember that a lot of shoe/clothing store employees work on commission and might try to use gimmicks to sell the shoes that are high priced or that they're overstocked on.

Asics and New Balance are my personal preferences (probably because the American Pod Med Assoc endorses them and members get discounts lol); they are defintely great shoes, though. Asics are probably my favorite for fit and durability. I think Asics does a great job of describing the fit of their shoes on the website or in catalogues, and it will show you which shoes earned the APMA approval.
http://www.asicsamerica.com/category.asp?PARENT_CATEGORY_ID=250001180

Their fancy info does little to help if you don't understand terms, though. Pronation is key... for your purposes, it basically just means the arch of the sole. An overpronator would have an excessively high arch, and an under pronator is getting towards "flat-footed."

Nike and Saucony are also good ones, but I have little experience. The Nike Pegasus is probably one of the most popular running shoes ever (men or women), but it is fitted mostly for people with a normal foot arch. It all comes down to finding a brand that is well constructed, but the right fit is the key thing. Everyone has different feet and the running shoe that works great for your sister/friend/cousin probably isn't the greatest shoe for you.

This is a guide with basic some info on shoe selection. It's written for walking, but most of the same principles apply for running shoe fit (size, width, arch, etc):
http://www.apma.org/s_apma/doc.asp?...D=0&CIDQS=&Taxonomy=False&specialSearch=False

 

[Fashionista]

the person above was very helpful!