New Shoes Thread

[dragitoff]

I'm about to snatch up a few pairs of new running shoes. I'm a mid-foot striker and despite being a bigger runner (205lbs.), I like minimalist shoes. I run 3 miles 3x a week and then 12-13 miles every weekend. I'm looking to replace my Saucony Kinvara Pro Grid. I'll honestly probably buy another pair of them since I love them and now you can get them for $69 a pair. I'm also looking to buy at least one or two more pairs and rotating them out. I'm really liking the new Brooks Pure Connect, but I haven't had the opportunity to try a pair on yet.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me based on the information provided above. I've had a few other threads about shoes and realize keeping the miles down by rotating different shoes for different runs are good. I'm honestly not a fan of heavier shoes, especially for my longer runs, but I understand that might be the best thing for me to do long-term for the health of my knees and joints.

 

[Duanerice]

No one can really recommend shoes for anyone else as we are all so different. What works for me probably won't work for you.

If you find a shoe that works, which it sounds like you have then don't switch.

I've been wearing the same shoes for years (after switching a few times). I use Asics 2160's or prior models of the same shoe. I keep 3 pair in rotation and never wear the same shoes twice in a row. Oldest are for shorter runs, next oldest are for mid runs under 13 miles then keep my newest for the longer distances. The weight doesn't bother me.

Don't try to fix something that isn't broke

enjoy,
Duane

 

[Danhockey04]

I have asics 2160 to run with as well, but don't use them as my main running shoes. I usually wear vibrams, komodos. It takes time to transition into them from normal shoes, took about four months for me. I just got a new pair, going out for first time tonight with 6 miles, then if all goes well, i plan on using them this weekend for the marathon.

Best thing i could say is to go to local running store and have them analyze your stride to recommend which sgoes are best fit for you. Also heavier shoes does not directly mean better for your knees, that all depends on your running stride. Being a heel striker, your send a shock up your leg into your knee, its like hitting the brakes everytime yoy land, you use more energy to keep same speed. Being mid foot or toe striker, you send the shock into the ground and you naturally bounce off of it using less energy and little shock going up your legs. Some shoes out there with the way the heel is built promotes heel strike, but running shoes tend to go away from that, so its not directly the shoe that gives bad knees, its mainly the stride.

 

[dragitoff]

I'm a mid-foot striker. I'm going to find a store somewhere that can see my running stride. Unfortunately, there are none in my town, which is odd because it's a big town (approx. 100,000 people) and there's a pretty active running community around here.

I was just curious what shoes people have had success with (if you're also a mid-foot striker, especially ones that like minimalist shoes)

 

[bunnyfoo]

I really wanted to make the transition to minimalist shoes but couldn't find a pair that worked well once I passed the 10K mark. It could have been all in my head but I felt like my knees were more achy coming back from longer runs. I tried doing the transition gradually too so I'm not sure. It was a pair of Asics but I can't remember the model number.

 

[dragitoff]

I think that's where I got really lucky. Maybe ignorance was a blessing in this case. I started running January with a pair of New Balance Zips, which are basically X-training shoes. They're very heavy. I knew my next pair of running shoes needed to be lighter. I tried on a few different pairs at my local Hibbet Sports and liked the Kinvara the best. I didn't know anything at the time about minimalist or even foot-striking. I just knew they were light and I liked the way they felt on my feet.

At the time I was only treadmill running about 5 miles every other day. I didn't start running outside until August. By then, I had already been running with my Kinvaras for a few months. It was all I knew.

I do 5k's in them and my longer 12-13 mile weekend runs in them as well. I've only noticed minimal knee soreness occasionally, but that was usually when I was running 6 days a week and increasing my weekend mileage.

 

[Sarah_Rose]

I'm with the "don't fix what ain't broke" crowd. If your shoes are working for you, I'd continue wearing them. Your stride and arches can change over time, so if something starts bothering you, definitely head over to a running store to have your arches and stride looked at. Making the trip once over to a good specialty running store can save you years of pain and trouble, so I would highly recommend going that route, even if you have to make a day trip of it.

I also started running blissfully unaware, and I gradually, slowly, over time ruined the tendons that held my cuboid bone into place. One day, during a 10 mile run, it suddenly just popped out of place. OW! This was unfortunately 2 weeks before my first half marathon, and i really paid for it during the half. Though I had the bone put back into place, my running stride was off and I ended up spraining my ankle (again, gradually over the 13 miles) from running on the inside of my foot. It was totally stupid, and it could have been solved by having my running stride analyzed when I first started running. I STILL have problems with that ankle, even 5 years later, and had to apply generous amounts of Biofreeze to get through the Goofy a couple years ago.

I wore Nike Pegasus shoes (a pretty light neutral shoe) for several years but something changed in my arches over time (and a pregnancy). When I started running long distances again, I suddenly had knee problems. I went into my local Road Runner Sports and, sure enough, I had graduated from a neutral shoe to a "stability plus" shoe. I would have never known what was wrong if I hadn't gone in to have my stride re-analyzed.

Anyway, that's my long winded way of saying to keep doing what works for you. If it no longer works for you, seek expert advice. No one here can recommend shoe for you without knowing what your arches look like (whether you have high, neutral, or flat feet) and whether you over-pronate or under-pronate when you run. A good running store will be able to video tape you running barefoot on a treadmill, and find the shoes that compliment your natural stride.