Running shoes

I need a new pair of running shoes. Just for jogging. Any good ones out there? Must be under $100! I'm looking into ones that can bend and have good ventilation.

That's a bigger question than you probably anticipated....

If you're not sure what shoes you need, I'd HIGHLY recommend that you go to a specialized running shoe for your first purchase. There are a vast number of different specialized shoes available, and if you get some advice from an expert up front you can avoid the 'trial and error' method of finding comfortbale shoes. There are lots of variables - if you under/over pronate [runnersworld.com], where you're running, how far, how fast, how often, how heavy you are, etc.

If you're lucky, this will be a one time exercise. Once you have a brand & type of shoe that works for you, then you can set a deal alert for it the next time you need them & you can find them at a discount.

Quote from Jeffbx : That's a bigger question than you probably anticipated.... If you're not sure what shoes you need, I'd HIGHLY recommend that you go to a specialized running shoe for your first purchase. There are a vast number of different specialized shoes available, and if you get some advice from an expert up front you can avoid the 'trial and error' method of finding comfortbale shoes. There are lots of variables - if you under/over pronate [runnersworld.com], where you're running, how far, how fast, how often, how heavy you are, etc. If you're lucky, this will be a one time exercise. Once you have a brand & type of shoe that works for you, then you can set a deal alert for it the next time you need them & you can find them at a discount.

Ahh. Didn't know it can get that serious. I run like twice a week and I run for about 30 minutes each time. Indeed, these are the first running shoe I am actively searching for.

I will agree with going to a running shoe store.

Also take your smart phone with you though to compare prices and try to price match. The services they provide are excellent and worth a little extra in the sale, but my experience is they can charge almost double what you can find online.

Take a look at the:
Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11 and Ravenna 2
Mizuno Wave Inspire 7, Nexus 5 and Alchemy 10 or 11
Asics Gel-1150 or 1160.

Should all normally be priced around $80-$100 but can find them for less.

I'll third it: go to a running shoes store. At least get fitted your first time, so that you know your correct size (most people don't), correct width, whether you are a neutral runner or under or over-pronator, etc. They should put you on a machine that tests much of this, and if it's a good store, they will either take you outside or put you on a treadmill to watch you run. Heck, my store had associates that would ask, "How does it feel? Why don't you go take a lap around the block to see?" Getting correctly sized will keep the injuries at bay, even if you're just running a few times a week for a short time. Buy your first pair of running shoes from there. You'll find that most running shops sell three brands, which are coincidentally the three brands that are representative of 85% of the field at most any running event, from track meets to marathons: Brooks, Saucony, Asics. The other brands CAN make some decent shoes, but they also make a lot of crap.

Once you are comfortable with them, and you know your gait, you can start reading online to find similar shoes. For example, I ended up with Saucony Ride, which is a neutral shoe, and is fairly padded because I do most of my running on sidewalks and parking lots. Most importantly, it wasn't any more expensive than normal prices of the various well-known online shoe stores! So, I know that now on slickdeals, I can look out for these shoes when I see a large online store having a clearance or special sale:
-Saucony Ride, which is what I have, for neutral runners
-Saucony Triumph, which is like the Ride but with more cushioning
And then other brands I've researched:
-Brooks Ghost and Adidas Supernova, which are similar style to my shoes
-Asics Nimbus, which is like my Ride but slightly more cushioned

My brother, on the other hand, has a flatter foot, so he overpronates (as most people do). Therefore, he needs something like the Asics Kayano instead of the Nimbus. Look at the photo of the inside of the shoe, where there is gray foam in the sole. That is for stability for his style of running. Once you have your shoes, you can do some quick google searches, and TONS of discussions from the various running forums will pop up.

Apart from going to the running store and finding what you need/like-
you can shop for older models also. Stores like amazon and most running stores (b&m) will sell older models cheaper.

I have a brooks outlet nearby and I normally buy older models for cheap there (They have stock round the year)
I have purchased older model from other running stores and also from amazon. (Seasonal)

Quote from slickyneed : Apart from going to the running store and finding what you need/like- you can shop for older models also. Stores like amazon and most running stores (b&m) will sell older models cheaper. I have a brooks outlet nearby and I normally buy older models for cheap there (They have stock round the year) I have purchased older model from other running stores and also from amazon. (Seasonal)

Yeah definitely, but you need to know what to shop for in the first place. After you're sized, go crazy, that's what I did. I even posted a deal about a shoe I found at the Saucony outlet store last year:
http://slickdeals.net/f/3221042-S...B-M-Outlet
One could always just guess safely and get a mild overpronator shoe, as that's the most common gait, but why not know the first time? It costs you a maximum of $40 more for the first pair, and you get the peace of mind of knowing that you're right. Your knees suck, because if you damage them, they don't heal. You live with that for the rest of your life.

Quote from shnitz : Yeah definitely, but you need to know what to shop for in the first place. After you're sized, go crazy, that's what I did. I even posted a deal about a shoe I found at the Saucony outlet store last year: http://slickdeals.net/f/3221042-S...B-M-Outlet One could always just guess safely and get a mild overpronator shoe, as that's the most common gait, but why not know the first time? It costs you a maximum of $40 more for the first pair, and you get the peace of mind of knowing that you're right. Your knees suck, because if you damage them, they don't heal. You live with that for the rest of your life.

You are right. I meant knowing what you need and then shopping around. But I agree with you, since it can get complicated. It can take a while to find your perfect shoe and B&M (dedicated running stores) can offer customer service before and after.

$100???!!! Do people pay that for shoes?! I won't pay over $29.99 for a pair of shoes.

Just set a deal alert for the shoes you're looking for and stock up when a good deal comes around. I have never paid more than $27 for the New Balance running shoes I wear.

Quote from Brian1 : $100???!!! Do people pay that for shoes?! I won't pay over $29.99 for a pair of shoes. Just set a deal alert for the shoes you're looking for and stock up when a good deal comes around. I have never paid more than $27 for the New Balance running shoes I wear.

And how much do you think your hospital bills are going to be in the future due to chronic knee/ankle problems. What about the cost of lost opportunities, like my father's friends that can no long go skiing, mountain climbing, etc? As I said, knees are one of the parts of the body that don't heal on their own. You have to go through surgery for repairs, and even afterwards you don't get back to 100%.

Also, come on, New Balance?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk0roE34zLw

New Balance are also-rans in the performance category.
http://www.runnersworld.com/commu...225st-good

Quote from shnitz : And how much do you think your hospital bills are going to be in the future due to chronic knee/ankle problems. What about the cost of lost opportunities, like my father's friends that can no long go skiing, mountain climbing, etc? As I said, knees are one of the parts of the body that don't heal on their own. You have to go through surgery for repairs, and even afterwards you don't get back to 100%. Also, come on, New Balance? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk0roE34zLw New Balance are also-rans in the performance category. http://www.runnersworld.com/commu...225st-good

Wow, so many logical fallacies I don't know where to start.

So, your position is I will have "chronic knee/ankle problems" as well as "lost opportunities, like [your] father's friends that can no long go skiing, mountain climbing, etc." and I will "have to go through surgery for repairs, and even afterwards [I won't] get back to 100%" unless I spend a certain amount of money on shoes on buy a particular brand?

Quote from Brian1 : Wow, so many logical fallacies I don't know where to start. So, your position is I will have "chronic knee/ankle problems" as well as "lost opportunities, like [your] father's friends that can no long go skiing, mountain climbing, etc." and I will "have to go through surgery for repairs, and even afterwards [I won't] get back to 100%" unless I spend a certain amount of money on shoes on buy a particular brand?

Care to point out my supposed fallacies? Cheap tennis shoes may look the part and be fine for day-to-day wear, but they don't have the design or the materials in them to hold up to high-impact workouts. Crappy cushioning, poor stability, subpar midsole materials, poor structure, etc. They don't have correct stability controlThis is true of every brand, as there is a difference between a $30 pair of Nikes and a $100 pair; they know that some people just won't really be running in their sneakers. Ligaments and cartilage don't have blood supply like muscles do, so when you injure them, you have a body part that doesn't heal itself, unlike a torn or sore muscle which will get better fairly quickly. Of course, you can buy clearance shoes, like the link I posted, and the shoe was even cheaper recently if you live in the western US.
http://slickdeals.net/f/4631668-M...ting-Goods
That's different than just buying a $30 shoe, because the Ride is a $75-$80 shoe. But overall, you are going to be hard-pressed to find truly worthwhile shoes at sub-$30, even using slickdeals. If you really stock up, you can get away with $40-$60 pairs, but going below that you leave the market of runnable shoes.

Relevant link:
http://www.runnersworld.com/artic...-F,00.html
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com..._Feb04.htm


Go to any gathering of older active people, and you'll see exactly what I mean. People all the time that report lost motion, chronic pain, the tell-tale cellophane noise when bending (rheumatoid arthritis), etc. etc. Go and really notice at any ski lodges how many older people are struggling on the mountain because of damage they caused to their joints decades ago. Look at how many people in running and hiking clubs have a careful and dedicated warm-up and cool-down routine so as not to exacerbate previous injuries. But, by all means, enjoy your $30 New Balances. They look like running shoes, so they must be running shoes! While you're at it, go stick a spoiler on your Toyota Corolla, because if you make it look like a race car, then it will perform like a race car! Right?

Yeah, I'm going to agree with shnitz on this one - you CAN run in cheap shoes, but you will increase your risk of injury over the long term. I know several people who have had to get knee replacements in their 50's due to sports related injuries or repetitive stress - the bad thing about this is that artificial knees only last about 20 years, so they're facing another surgery when they're in their 70s, which is pretty high risk.

The other important thing that many people miss out on is that you should replace your shoes every 300-500 miles. They DO break down/wear out over time.

I don't spend a lot on my shoes (maybe $60 for Asics 1150's when I get them on sale), but I do replace them every ~6 months, which is about 500 miles for me. One of the posters above mentioned buying older models, which is great advice. Shoe companies are like car companies - they put out new models every year or so. Catch them at the switchover & you can usually get a good sale on the previous version. Kohls carries a small but decent selection of running shoes, and I can usually find them there.