How to determine best shoes for running

[cayres67]

Hi guys,

I have recently started running and was making great progress. I am 23 5’11” 215lbs but very active. Hockey, football, baseball, lacrosse throughout childhood and high school. I got into weigh training in college ad made great progress. This spring/summer I got the itch to get into more endurance based activities and wrk my way up to a marathon. I got to the point were I was able to run 10 miles on long runs and easily 5-6 miles multiple times a week. Everything felt great and I never had any unusual joint pain in knee or ankles. One morning about a month ago after a run I woke up with some pretty bad pain ont he side of my foot about half way in between heel and pinky toe knuckle. It has taken me about a month to get back to the point were I can run. I am now taking it easy only running about 1-3 miles at a time.

I really don’t have any explanation as to why this happened and I’m wondering if I need better shoes or more support. I have been running in oncloud cloudmonsters. How long do they last before they need to be replaced. Thanks for the help.

 

[Marbles]

Sounds like over training and possibly stress fracture. The answer is decrease speed and/or distance and work up more slowly.

This can be accomplished in several ways, personally I recommend continuing to move, so slower runs, but still running, and work in some walking for active recovery. If you are really concerned, then see someone in Sports Medicine and get a more educated opinion.

Shoes are a bandaid, not a solution.

 

[cayres67]

Sounds like over training and possibly stress fracture. The answer is decrease speed and/or distance and work up more slowly.

This can be accomplished in several ways, personally I recommend continuing to move, so slower runs, but still running, and work in some walking for active recovery. If you are really concerned, then see someone in Sports Medicine and get a more educated opinion.

Shoes are a bandaid, not a solution.

Thanks marbles. I will continue to work back up. I was thinking stress fracture myself but I wasn’t sure if that was common.

 

[Slugz]

Sounds like peroneal tendinitis.
I have that issue when I walk around in flat shoes like Hey Dudes too much.
Doctor has me ensuring the calf and IT Band are stretched daily.

Like Marbles said above. Go see a professional Dr to be 100% sure for a solution.

Note: Most Runners Worlds have a foot scanner.
It's worth it just to get a double check on type of shoe needed. All-Around, Stability, Fast Runs, Max Cushion, Racing, Trail, Walking, Track and Field, and Cross Country types of shows are very different. Arch check is always good too.

 

[P Carter]

Agree with all of the above. Regarding shoes, I prefer to have a few on hand to rotate through. Usually one “traditional” road shoe, one big padded shoe (hoka or arctyrex norvan ld) and one light shoe, usually a trail shoe. I never buy all at once - I just scan runners warehouse clearance shoes and will try different ones as my current ones wear out. I don't have a strict mileage number to determine when a shoe is "worn out." I've found that shoes vary wildly in the number of miles they can handle. I tend to over-pronate; a shoe is "worn out" for me when the lateral midsole of the right shoe is compressed such that I can feel instability when I'm walking. That can happen in a month, 3 months, or 6 months, depending on the shoe. Rotating shoes every few months can be expensive, which is why I focuse on clearance shoes. But one or two trips to a PT is typically even more expensive...

I’ve been injury free the past few years. Not solely due to the shoe rotation, but I think it helps. As a runner, consistency is your friend but also your enemy - you have to consistently put in the work, below your injury threshold, to build resiliency. But the repetitive load is also the mechanism for injury. I think mixing the shoes, as well as the surfaces (road, path, trail, dirt, rock) and distances helps. Regardless, get that foot fixed and hang in there, it’s a long-term project.

 

[bigbuckdj]

I have the same recommendation as above. Run in different shoes from all the way to like a very cushioned max support to a “race shoe” and keep several pairs in the rotation at once. I think it helps to run in shoes that offer different heel drops and cushion levels. It may also give you a hint at what kind cause problem.

I don’t ever run in the same shoe back to back days, I don’t feel like they really have time to dry and decompress. I’m a heavier guy at 5’11 220, running 25 miles is per week and I feel like the way I manage my shoes does have a significant effect on how my lower body feels.

 

[Coach Chris]

How long do they last before they need to be replaced. Thanks for the help.

My lightest runner, who weighs between 100 - 110#, gets about 150mi. out of a pair of shoes.

My heaviest runner, who weighs between 140 - 150#, gets about 110mi. out of a pair of shoes.

All of my ultra-runner's rotate shoes on a regular basis.
They all have different shoes for different surfaces, conditions and training parameters.

Hope that helps

Good Journey!

 

[Marbles]

I have chosen to ignore most advice on shoes as it originates with companies that make shoes. I do think having multiple pairs is good. Beyond that, I run in my shoes until they no longer hold my feet (I can see my socks through two pairs at the moment) and half the time I pull the factory insoles and go with nothing.

I use to have peroneal subluxation, stress fractures, and shin splints to the extent I did not run much after getting out of the military. Those issues developed despite fancy insoles matched to my feet and replacing my shoes frequently.

A few years ago I started rucking and light running (like 1-2 miles). Then in Feb of 2022 I got tired of being fat, started running and walking a ton, way more walking than running. Told myself I was tired of acting crippled and if I was going to act crippled I might as well pound through the pain until I actually was. I also intentionally broke myself of the 'no pain, no gain' mentality and forced myself to slow down and again, lots of walking.

I ran a marathon distance and 50K (not racing) by June. Still lots of walking. Last summer I ran 50K twice. Those long distances did not help me much under a pack, so I have backed down on the distance this year and put more focus on moderate to heavy rucking.

Walking does wonders for healing running injuries as it is low stress, but keeps the body building structures. Slowing down does a lot because impact forces go up rapidly as stride length gets longer and form tends to break down at the same time with more heal striking.

Now, take all that with a grain of salt as there is large variation between individuals and there are certainly people who had the opposite experience with shoes.

 

[cayres67]

Thanks for all the good advice. I never thought about rotating shoes and the benefit it may have.

 

[mtbraun]

No way to know if its shoes or an actual injury. Get some medical advice (meaning an actual Dr.), and when you have that ruled out and are ready for proper shoes, go to a reputable running store for proper sizing and analysis.

Then, spend the money to get a running analysis done. The things you will learn about your gait, foot strike, etc. will be invaluable and help craft a strength/stability exercise program that will complement your running.

 

[P Carter]

I have chosen to ignore most advice on shoes as it originates with companies that make shoes. I do think having multiple pairs is good. Beyond that, I run in my shoes until they no longer hold my feet (I can see my socks through two pairs at the moment) and half the time I pull the factory insoles and go with nothing.

I use to have peroneal subluxation, stress fractures, and shin splints to the extent I did not run much after getting out of the military. Those issues developed despite fancy insoles matched to my feet and replacing my shoes frequently.

A few years ago I started rucking and light running (like 1-2 miles). Then in Feb of 2022 I got tired of being fat, started running and walking a ton, way more walking than running. Told myself I was tired of acting crippled and if I was going to act crippled I might as well pound through the pain until I actually was. I also intentionally broke myself of the 'no pain, no gain' mentality and forced myself to slow down and again, lots of walking.

I ran a marathon distance and 50K (not racing) by June. Still lots of walking. Last summer I ran 50K twice. Those long distances did not help me much under a pack, so I have backed down on the distance this year and put more focus on moderate to heavy rucking.

Walking does wonders for healing running injuries as it is low stress, but keeps the body building structures. Slowing down does a lot because impact forces go up rapidly as stride length gets longer and form tends to break down at the same time with more heal striking.

Now, take all that with a grain of salt as there is large variation between individuals and there are certainly people who had the opposite experience with shoes.

This is great advice. Slow down, way down, for a significant period of time until the speed naturally increases at the same level of effort.

 

[RDT415]

If you are close to a Fleet Feet they do free shoe fittings. They will have you walk as they scan your feet. You'll find the right drop and shoe type for your specific foot/stride. Ditto all the above, a good shoe rotation is ideal if you can afford a few pairs such as a cushy shoe for long runs and an all purpose or "fast shoe" for tempo runs etc. Will let the PB Foam or whatever cushy magic is in the shoe to rebound/recover, or so I was told by people much faster and adept than I am at running. Ran my last half in Asics Novablast 3's and they are heavily discounted, cant recommend them enough if they work with your feet.

 

[northernalpine]

To add some context for multiple shoes in rotation:

1. Make sure all shoes have the same drop measurement. Your stride and natural run mechanics will feel weird if they are different.
2. Use cushioned shoes for longer runs.
3. Use lighter shoes for speed, pace, and interval runs.

 

[stv117]

If you like it, buy it. If you want it, then buy it. 87% of all this is nothing more than personal opinions and the most important opinion is yours.
there are lots of grate choice's out there and are all really grate.. it comes down to what fits.

 

[bigbuckdj]

My lightest runner, who weighs between 100 - 110#, gets about 150mi. out of a pair of shoes.

My heaviest runner, who weighs between 140 - 150#, gets about 110mi. out of a pair of shoes.

All of my ultra-runner's rotate shoes on a regular basis.
They all have different shoes for different surfaces, conditions and training parameters.

Hope that helps

Good Journey!

I’m curious how they/you know when the shoes are done? I’d imagine with the light runners and relatively low mileage the shoes look to be in great condition.

 

[P Carter]

I’m curious how they/you know when the shoes are done? I’d imagine with the light runners and relatively low mileage the shoes look to be in great condition.

I question these numbers. Ultra runners typically cover 40-80 miles a week. By those numbers these runners would be buying new shoes every two weeks. For me, it’s more like like 250-300 miles, some less, some more. At a minimum, perhaps take those numbers as the very low end of the scale.

 

[geoff995]

I’ve been an avid runner for the last 8 years. I run on a trail system near my work and average 90-100 miles per month. I will keep a pair of shoes until the tread is completely gone on them which is generally around 1200-1500 miles of use depending on the shoe. I have never had any type of foot or knee injury from running. IMO these numbers for shoe replacement mileage is pushed by shoe companies to move product.

 

[BKM]

I am 165lbs and have around 100 miles on my latest trail shoe and it’s still more or less in like new condition. I expect to get at least 300 out of them.

If you have a wide foot or just like a wide toe box look into Topo shoes. I was a Altra shoe guy until I got my current Topo’s and love them.

 

[mtbraun]

I question these numbers. Ultra runners typically cover 40-80 miles a week. By those numbers these runners would be buying new shoes every two weeks. For me, it’s more like like 250-300 miles, some less, some more. At a minimum, perhaps take those numbers as the very low end of the scale.

Agree, I've been getting 500 +/- per pair for the last several years with no issues.

 

[CMCctx]

"Shoe life" I believe is a double edged sword. By mfg specs and peak performance standards to their tech? Sure, I can imagine the wide range of numbers stated above is partially correct. To the end user, however, I think the actual lifetime of the shoe is far beyond that. When I got serious about running years ago I bit hard on those mfg numbers and bought more shoes than I care to admit, planning on rotating (which is still good advice no matter what lifespan you personally put on your shoes) then tossing shoes as they wore out. Not a waste of money because I did eventually do both, but I didn't need to spend all of that money at once like I was led to believe.

OP, I agree that it sounds like overtraining and/or stress fracture. I'm no medical professional, so that opinion is worth what it's worth. If I were in your situation, I'd stay relatively low-impact active until it feels better then slowly build back up. For me personally, what broke me into the higher mileage runs was simply time on feet. I stopped trying to average a time (per mile or overall for whatever what on the schedule) and scaled the effort back to a disgustingly slow pace. For easy runs, this equaled longer time on my feet, more steps, more reps.

Again, I'm just a nobody on the internet. These are just a few of my own observations in my journey.