Imelda Marcos, who?

If you cannot tell by my uber-clever post title, this one's about shoes.

How important are running shoes?

Very.

Think of your car. You wouldn't get very far without tires, right? Your running shoes are tires for your feet.

Like tires, there are expensive shoes, and inexpensive shoes. Does it matter?

Yes and no.

Cost does not always equate to quality, so take that thought and forget it. Brand name also does not always equate to quality, so add that misconception to the trash pile as well.

What you want on your feet is quality. Much in the same way you would want on your car's wheels. Quality tires protect all kinds of important things that make your car go. Crappy or worn out tires are so bad, the police will ticket you for having poor equipment. Unfortunately there is no running police to stop you from running in crappy worn out shoes. Instead, you pay for it but experiencing knee, hip, and ankle pain. Sometimes the cost is injury. Sometimes the cost is surgery.

So, back to the topic at hand... If cost and brand name cannot be used to measure quality for running shoes, how will you know which to get?

Running is not a science. It's an art. The shoe that may work for you may not work for me. There are a lot of factors that must be taken into account.

How fast do you run?
How many miles a week do you run?
How much do you weigh?
How do you distribute the weight as you run?
Do you over or under pronate?
Do you land on your heel, mid foot or forefoot?
Do you suffer from knee pain and/injuries?

There are more questions and unfortunately your answers are the key to discovering the right shoe for you.

The good news is, you don't need to have the answers. What you do need to do is go to a good running shoe store. Payless won't cut it. Neither will the Nike store, or any Brand affiliated shop.

A good running shoe store will normally provide a free gait analysis, as well as provide a full fitting. (Properly fitted shoes is akin to having your tires at the right pressure. Bad pressure on tires equals bad gas mileage. Bad fitting shoes equals pain, blisters and slower running due to the ouch factor.)

At the running shoe store you will learn the type of shoe that is best for you and your stride. Be it a guidance shoe, a stability shoe, or a neutral shoe, once you have that knowledge you can move onto brand name choices within your criteria. And then try them on and do a test run at the store to make sure. Heck, most good stores have a 10 day return, so you can run in them for 10 days before you decide.


You might find that those $150 shoes you thought you needed are bad for you, but those $80 shoes are perfect.


  I've run in Saucony, Mizuno, Asics, and Newtons.

Prices range between $50 to $175.

I've had good and bad experiences with each. I currently run in Newton Isaacs and am currently switching to   Terra Momentum.


I like them. They feel good to me. At the end, that's all that matters.