Do shoes really matter?

[rich_wolves]

When i started couch to 5k i bought some £30 running shoes from sports direct. I still use them today. I wonderedif it really matters? I see lots of pictures on here of expensive shoes but my £30 adidas shoes do the job , don't they ?

[suebuzz Graduate]

If your shoes are fine then why worry. Depending on how long you had them would determine whether they were still effective. I bought some cheaper off the peg shoes when I first started out. They were fine until about a year in when I started having knee and ankle problems on one side. Thought I would invest in some "proper" shoes and the problems went away. Ever since them I've felt it worthwhile investing in decent shoes. Especially when you are mature and the joints are not perhaps what they used to be. I think it has to be a personal choice. 👍

[AncientMum Graduate]

If they fit and you've not had any injuries, then yes, they're doing the job just fine for you. However, lots of us are less fortunate with our initial choice of footware. I had some cheapo Karrimor shoes when I first started that didn't have any cushioning, and I found that running on roads was just too painful for my joints. Gait analysis showed the type of shoe was ok but just lacking in cushioning. I got some more expensive gel shoes and never looked back (well apart from a broken ankle, but that's another story 😀)

[rich_wolves Graduate in reply to AncientMum]

OO, do they analyse your running anywhere on the high street? I don't suffer from injuries but always from calf pain, heel pain or some other pain!

[LauraLouP Graduate in reply to rich_wolves]

google gait analysis. my nearest was on an industrial estate in Peterborough but it was the bets thing i ever did!

[AncientMum Graduate in reply to rich_wolves]

Lots of specialist sports shops do gait analysis. I had mine done at Sweatshop because that's the nearest running shop to me, but there are lots of others. Try googling gait analysis and your town, or specialist running shops and your town. Good luck.

Edit: sounds from your description of calf/ heel pain that you could do with some more cushioned-type shoes. In the meantime, as a short term fix, you could buy some full gel insoles from Sports Direct or Boots and use them in place of the insoles currently in your trainers. You'd be surprised quite how efficient they are as shock absorbers.

[rich_wolves Graduate in reply to AncientMum]

I've found a local independent shop that will do an analysis for me, so I shall see what they say!

[susiewoo75 Graduate]

I've been using my Karrimors since I started and they are really comfortable. I bought some gel inserts on the advice of a lovely lady in Sports Direct. I'd recommend these with the cheaper shoes which are great if you're on a budget. Aldi running socks are also good.

im going to treat myself to a gait analysis and new shoes on my year anniversary of starting C25K

[Realfoodieclub Graduate]

If they work for you then their are fine. You would know if they didn't suit you as you would start to get niggles. Price is irrelevant sometimes. I bought the expensive ones and when they were running down I looked for exactly the same ones but because they were white (for some reason white runners were cheaper) I got the same make, year and size for £38.00. So I have done both. I always think the best thing you can do with trainers is learn to read the treads. That way you will know when you need to change them before your body starts to niggle. It's sort of the same principal as not running your car on bare tyres.

[ju-ju- Graduate]

They do, but if you are having no problems its not worth breaking the bank for!!!

[davelinks Graduate]

If your getting pain, are you stretching properly if at all after running?

And yes defo get a gait analysis done, and you may need some better cushioning..

[misswobble Graduate]

Very probably. I still have my original Karrimor Tempo cheapo ones from SD. I do love my Saucony Kinvara though, but they weren't dear as I got an earlier model

[roseabi]

telegraph.co.uk/men/active/...

Nice representation of different points of view in this article, I think*

Personally I feel suspicious of the use of gait analysis in retail. It seems to me that it could just be a technique for selling shoes, and also, if it is done on a treadmill I wonder how it would really work for anyone like me who has never run on a treadmill! I don't in any way object to shoe shops making money, or to people buying whatever shoes they want. But I don't like the implication that people MUST spend a substantial amount of money on shoes in order to run. It would be a pity if some people were put off exercising because of that, wouldn't it?

*You have to excuse the misdefinition of overpronation in the second paragraph of the article though

[GoogleMe Graduate]

The shoes are not better because they cost more but it may be that the best fitting shoes for a particular individual's feet and purpose cost quite a bit.

It sounds as though in practice you *are* getting niggles (it is at least as likely to be felt in the rest of your body as in your feet) and they may or may not mysteriously go away with new shoes. The unfortunate thing is that you can't tell which ones will be right in practice in advance and I am not sure if there is anywhere now which will let you return shoes after a few outings unless the shoes themselves are faulty. Once upon a time I was fitted with expensive trail running shoes which were fine in the shop and my knees literally knocked together and I could hardly stay upright running outdoors... much worse than my light walking boots, running shoes bought off the internet... and I was able to swap them for similarly priced shoes which were heaven.

If you could then stick to that shoe, it would be great... but designs are ever changing!

If you are running all or most of the time on hard surfaces the body has not evolved to cope with, you may need a bit of serious kit to avoid trouble.

My problem is that the uppers are seemingly not robust enough, ever with my big toe busting through the top or the big toe joint at the side within a short space of time. The only shoes I have where this hasn't happened are a pair of Vivobarefoot trails bought for something like £20 from Sports Direct (RRP round about £100) - and I am not sure I could take the shame of ever giving that retailer my money again - but although all my shoes are pretty minimal and that's the way I like it, if I am running on one of the surfaced trails round here in my Vivobarefoots, my body doesn't like it that much.

It is all a ghastly business if you ask me.

[the_tea_fairy Graduate in reply to GoogleMe]

My salomon fellraisers are pretty resilient and have a tough but round your toes because kicking scree isn't fun. They might do the trick for your escapee toe? Not cheap though, and although they're low drop, they're definitely not barefoot.

On the road I have a pair of Nike Frees (still ashamed about what evils you've given money to?!!?!?) and I really rate them - relatively minimalist but enough cushion to keep my knees in one piece when I'm forced out of the fields!

[GoogleMe Graduate in reply to the_tea_fairy]

I'd be wary of Salomons (on a general basis) since those were the ones that made my knees knock together (doesn't this just go to show how individual running footwear is?)

Pondering Brooks Pure Grit or maybe Walsh (the latter made in the UK). I don't know how much the holes matter other than aesthetically (my Brooks Green Silence though my big toe got stuck in the hole and that was definitely *not* good)

rich_wolves, what I find is that I decide I really ought to get a new pair but I don't end up throwing out the old pair and use them as well. In my case many of my runs involve bringing home half a peat bog so they have not always dried out by the time of my next run, so spares are handy. I'd suggest that if you happen to come across something that suits at a bargain price, snap it up.

[the_tea_fairy Graduate in reply to GoogleMe]

Have heard good things about Walshes, but they're narrow for my hobbit feet!

[GoogleMe Graduate in reply to the_tea_fairy]

Ah, probably no good for me either then...and clearly I need a toe box the size of a palace...

[the_tea_fairy Graduate in reply to GoogleMe]

Could be worth a go though - I've got narrow heels and very wide toes (too many shoeless summers when I was growing), so they're extra awkward!

[goonkeepgoing Graduate in reply to GoogleMe]

I have the Puregrit and I love them (£30). Dare I say it though .... I think it is because they suit my narrow feet!

[Zev1963 Graduate]

In my experience, shoes make a difference. I started C25K with a pair of cheap white addidas running shoes from Décathlon. They were fine, and the only reason I stopped wearing them is because I treated myself to a pair of Brooks Ghost 7 as a C25K graduation present to myself. I still have the addidas shoes in reserve!

After about 6 months running in the Ghosts I started to get some ankle pain, so I bought another new pair of Ghosts. I found that the new pair felt much more cushioned than the old pair. I measured the old ghosts against the new pair and found that although they had not worn significantly, there was about 2mm of compression set in the old pair. It seems that they loose their resilience.

In September last year, the second pair of Ghosts were feeling dead, so I decided to try something different. I bought a pair of Addidas Super Nover Glide Boost from Décathlon. Strangely, these felt less bouncy at the start of a run, but I found that my feet and legs felt significantly less tired at the end of a run than with the Ghosts. I'm finding that the Addidas Super Novas are maintaining their resilience much better than the Ghosts. I have a newer pair of Super Novas, and I alternate between these and the older pair, and I still feel no difference between the two.

I think that most people will probably be able to run in most running shoes. Some people will prefer some shoes to others though, and some shoes may last better than others. The ones that feel the best from new, may only feel that way for a short time, whereas others may feel good for longer.

My advice would be to try a different shoe if you are experiencing discomfort. You might find one that works better for you. here are lots of reviews of running shoes on the internet. There is no substitute for trying them yourself though.

PS Another thing I like about the Addidas Super Nove Glide Boosts is the way they seem to be slip free on virtually any surface, the tread really does seem very good indeed.