Recommend a running shoe

Meursault

Hi All,

Can you recommend a decent pair of running shoes for road running? Maybe around the €100 to €120 mark? Leaving aside current restrictions, I normally do no more than 6km to 10km. I've always used asics, without putting too much thought in to a particular type.

In terms of support, i do have slight fallen arches.

anyway, any recommendations would be great.

Thanks

Charlie19

I had previously wore Asics for years, they were a very sturdy runner, but have changed in the last year to a Nike Presto and I can't recommend enough. It's a very light weight fit but just so comfortable.

Ceepo

Meursault wrote: »

Hi All,

Can you recommend a decent pair of running shoes for road running? Maybe around the €100 to €120 mark? Leaving aside current restrictions, I normally do no more than 6km to 10km. I've always used asics, without putting too much thought in to a particular type.

In terms of support, i do have slight fallen arches.

anyway, any recommendations would be great.

Thanks

The most important part of a "good" running shoe is comfort..
So it very hard for anyone to make recommend, as they'll only be suggesting a shoe that feels right to them..
As for stability over neutral etc, theres no evidence to say one is better than the other at preventing injury.

You best bet is to got to as many shops as possible and try on a good few pairs and see what feels right for you.
When current restrictions are lifted of course

Meursault

Ceepo wrote: »

The most important part of a "good" running shoe is comfort..
So it very hard for anyone to make recommend, as they'll only be suggesting a shoe that feels right to them..
As for stability over neutral etc, theres no evidence to say one is better than the other at preventing injury.

You best bet is to got to as many shops as possible and try on a good few pairs and see what feels right for you.
When current restrictions are lifted of course

Agree but not possible at the moment, unfortunately. Might just go with Asics again. Served me well enough up to now I guess.

Thanks again All.

caff

Meursault wrote: »

Agree but not possible at the moment, unfortunately. Might just go with Asics again. Served me well enough up to now I guess.

Thanks again All.

Used to wear asics until they changed the position of the seam on the instep and caused blisters.

Swiper the fox

Meursault wrote: »

Agree but not possible at the moment, unfortunately. Might just go with Asics again. Served me well enough up to now I guess.

Thanks again All.

Try out Saucony guide13, you won’t regret it, light, cushioned and with the support you need, a great shoe

Ceepo

Swiper the fox wrote: »

Try out Saucony guide13, you won’t regret it, light, cushioned and with the support you need, a great shoe

Curious to know what you base the above on?
Do you think my previous post was acutate ?

Swiper the fox

Ceepo wrote: »

Curious to know what you base the above on?
Do you think my previous post was acutate ?

Of course, but the luxury of visiting numerous running shops won’t be with us for quite a while, the spec sounded similar to my own and I recommended a show for somebody who probably wants them soon.

Swashbuckler

If you like Asics then the Dynaflyte is a great buy. Nice comfortable shoe for easy miles.

First Up

The brand name means nothing. Get shoes that suit you. Do you pronate or or underpronate? Do you need cushioned shoes or stability shoes?.Get yourself checked by a shop that knows what they are doing.

skyblue46

Swashbuckler wrote: »

If you like Asics then the Dynaflyte is a great buy. Nice comfortable shoe for easy miles.

I've worn them and liked them but Asics have upped their game significantly recently. The Evoride is in a different league to the Dynaflyte....too new to get any reductions or deals on but a super shoe.

First Up

Wise up lads. Wearing someone elses shoes is like taking someone elses medicine.

If you are serious about your running, find out what suits you.

skyblue46

First Up wrote: »

Wise up lads. Wearing someone elses shoes is like taking someone elses medicine.

If you are serious about your running, find out what suits you.

I'd agree...but whether they are neutral or support shoes probably wont come into the equation. There is no evidence to back up the idea that there are benefits to choosing one over the other. Try them on, if they feel good then buy them.

bilbot79

Nike pegasus

First Up

skyblue46 wrote:

I'd agree...but whether they are neutral or support shoes probably wont come into the equation. There is no evidence to back up the idea that there are benefits to choosing one over the other. Try them on, if they feel good then buy them.

What feels good when sitting in the shoe shop? Yeah, that'll set you up for 100+miles a month and a few 20 milers.

You'll find out eventually.

skyblue46

First Up wrote: »

What feels good when sitting in the shoe shop? Yeah, that'll set you up for 100+miles a month and a few 20 milers.

You'll find out eventually.

No, what feels comfortable on a run. Anywhere I buy runners gives me the option to return them after a few runs if they don't suit.

Swashbuckler

OP ignore the scaremongering. It's well within reason to just try a pair and see how they suit. All the analysis in the world won't make a difference. A lot of myths and hyperbole surrounding pronation and cushioning/support. If you like Asics then it's worth checking out the runners recommended by myself and skyblue. If you start to run into issues then consider digging a little deeper.

First Up

Swashbuckler wrote: »

OP ignore the scaremongering. It's well within reason to just try a pair and see how they suit. All the analysis in the world won't make a difference. A lot of myths and hyperbole surrounding pronation and cushioning/support. If you like Asics then it's worth checking out the runners recommended by myself and skyblue. If you start to run into issues then consider digging a little deeper.

Yes, and I recommend medicine made by Bayer. If it doesn't work you can always go to a doctor or something.

Asics make shoes that suit your weight, gait, mileage and pocket. So do Adidas, Nike, Brooks, Saucony, New Balance and everyone else. And they all make shoes that don't suit you too.

If you are serious about your running (and shoes), listen to people who know what they are talking about. Go to a proper shop.

Swiper the fox

First Up wrote: »

Yes, and I recommend medicine made by Bayer. If it doesn't work you can always go to a doctor or something.

Asics make shoes that suit your weight, gait, mileage and pocket. So do Adidas, Nike, Brooks, Saucony, New Balance and everyone else. And they all make shoes that don't suit you too.

If you are serious about your running (and shoes), listen to people who know what they are talking about. Go to a proper shop.

There’s no shops open and this person wants to run now, there’s plenty of safe options going on what the OP has said, your advice is to wait a few months?

NoviGlitzko

Are running shops still open though? Maybe the OP wants to get out now and run. Anyway, well done for getting back into the running. Make sure you make full use of your running app.

My go-to exercising was cycling and I've only started jogging in the past couple of weeks. I bought a pair of Saucony Ride Iso 2 and I'm really happy with them. Lightweight, very comfortable, great on the road, great design, and not too expensive. I'm so happy with the brand that I just bought the Iso 5 Triumph (max cushioning version) but have yet to test them out. I will today!

First Up

Swiper the fox wrote: »

There’s no shops open and this person wants to run now, there’s plenty of safe options going on what the OP has said, your advice is to wait a few months?

I think he already has Asics. He asked for recommendations for getting a new pair. Spending €100 - €120 merits a bit of research; if he really wants to buy now, then at least look into it online.

I certainly wouldn't ask here and the responses show why. Recommending brands means nothing; recommending specific shoes without knowing anything about the person who will wear them is irresponsible.

Swiper the fox

First Up wrote: »

I think he already has Asics. He asked for recommendations for getting a new pair. Spending €100 - €120 merits a bit of research; if he really wants to buy now, then at least look into it online.

I certainly wouldn't ask here and the responses show why. Recommending brands means nothing; recommending specific shoes without knowing anything about the person who will wear them is irresponsible.

Would you go so far as to say it’s evil?
Apologies to the OP, I was merely trying to help

First Up

Swiper the fox wrote:

Would you go so far as to say it’s evil? Apologies to the OP, I was merely trying to help

Not evil, but if you ask a silly question......

KSU

First Up wrote: »

Yes, and I recommend medicine made by Bayer. If it doesn't work you can always go to a doctor or something.

Asics make shoes that suit your weight, gait, mileage and pocket. So do Adidas, Nike, Brooks, Saucony, New Balance and everyone else. And they all make shoes that don't suit you too.

If you are serious about your running (and shoes), listen to people who know what they are talking about. Go to a proper shop.

The medicine comparison is a fallacy as they are not like for like.

Throughout majority of research done in the area there is actually very little to say that shoes have any major impact on injury prevention. As has been said before comfort has been one of the most reliable guides in terms of shoe choice.

Some brands will have similar traits from a comfort perspective (toe box fit etc so recommendations on that regard can be useful but other than that a if you are looking from injury risk perspective better of spending time on bio-mechanics and injury prevention rather than relying on the shoes.

FWIW I always found Brooks heavier shoes tend to have a good bit of Cross over with the Asics so could be worth looking for as pricewise they tend to be a bit more reasonable.

First Up

The medicine comparison is perfectly valid. Brands can be of some value as a measure of quality but they are no value whatever as a guide to what shoe is best for you.

Trying shoes on in a shop (or looking at them online) won't tell you how comfortable they will be for high mileage. Even a superficial analysis of your gait (for example looking at which side of your shoes are most worn down) will show if you pronate, over pronate or supinate and that will point you towards cushioned or stability shoes. The OP mentioned a problem with his arches. That is usually an indicator of over pronation and raises the possibility that he has been wearing the wrong type for his gait.

He is not going to get that sort of analysis or advice on Boards.

Swashbuckler

So in summary, the Evoride, Dynaflyte or Pegasus. Happy days.

KSU

First Up wrote: »

The medicine comparison is perfectly valid. Brands can be of some value as a measure of quality but they are no value whatever as a guide to what shoe is best for you.

Trying shoes on in a shop (or looking at them online) won't tell you how comfortable they will be for high mileage. Even a superficial analysis of your gait (for example looking at which side of your shoes are most worn down) will show if you pronate, over pronate or supinate and that will point you towards cushioned or stability shoes. The OP mentioned a problem with his arches. That is usually an indicator of over pronation and raises the possibility that he has been wearing the wrong type for his gait.

He is not going to get that sort of analysis or advice on Boards.

They might tell you your type of gait but they give absolutely no indication of why your gait is as such.

Take excessive over-pronation for example and the arches as mentioned, trunk instability, short tight piriformis muscles, tight posterior tibialis and a host of other imbalances in muscles along the kinetic chain will have a bearing on this. A shoe won't combat this in any shape or form it simply kicks the can down the road through compensation (normally affecting another area on the kinetic chain)

There is no wrong type (this is the myth) as long as the muscles are conditioned correctly they will adapt to a gait change. It's a sudden change to what the person (and there muscles) are used to that creates over-use issues (this is where I agree with your statement taht he won't get this sort of Analysis on boards or online in general). This is why comfort and not the "right type" is important despite the many marketing claims that are made

Casey78

Swashbuckler wrote: »

So in summary, the Evoride, Dynaflyte or Pegasus. Happy days.

Prefer the New Balance Beacon myself

First Up

KSU wrote: »

They might tell you your type of gait but they give absolutely no indication of why your gait is as such.

Take excessive over-pronation for example and the arches as mentioned, trunk instability, short tight piriformis muscles, tight posterior tibialis and a host of other imbalances in muscles along the kinetic chain will have a bearing on this. A shoe won't combat this in any shape or form it simply kicks the can down the road through compensation (normally affecting another area on the kinetic chain)

There is no wrong type (this is the myth) as long as the muscles are conditioned correctly they will adapt to a gait change. It's a sudden change to what the person (and there muscles) are used to that creates over-use issues (this is where I agree with your statement taht he won't get this sort of Analysis on boards or online in general). This is why comfort and not the "right type" is important despite the many marketing claims that are made

The OP can decide for himself if he wants to try to change the gait he was born with. I'm just suggesting that in the meantime, he wear shoes that suit him.

I've advised him to listen to people who know what they are talking about. He can decide for himself who they are.

Quay_Inn

First Up wrote: »

The OP can decide for himself if he wants to try to change the gait he was born with. I'm just suggesting that in the meantime, he wear shoes that suit him.

I've advised him to listen to people who know what they are talking about. He can decide for himself who they are.

Christ you're insufferable. He's deciding on a pair of shoes, not a chemotherapy treatment. The medicine comparison is just ludicrous. There is a consensus about which shoe manufacturers produce decent running shoes, and when given a few options he can make the final decision himself. If he ends up ordering a pair that turns out to be a bad fit, he can easily return them.

Saying that you cannot advise somebody is not helpful. If you won't help, then leave it to the people who will.

OP - I suggest a pair of Hoka Clifton 6. They're 20 euro above your budget but are very well regarded in the running community. I've had my pair for over a year and they're holding up well - very comfortable.

KSU

First Up wrote: »

The OP can decide for himself if he wants to try to change the gait he was born with. I'm just suggesting that in the meantime, he wear shoes that suit him.

Your gait is not pre-determined though, it's in a state of flux just think of how many times a minute your muscles will go through contraction cycle and all the variables such as hydration, fatigue, mineral content will affect each muscle fibre and how this affects muscle recruitment and in turn how muscles act and react with each other.

Strong, healthy muscles will be able to deal with change and the point is that building up this foundation is more important than the shoes you run in outside of what feels natural to you (which is not a pre determined state)

First Up

Quay_Inn wrote: »

Christ you're insufferable. He's deciding on a pair of shoes, not a chemotherapy treatment. The medicine comparison is just ludicrous. There is a consensus about which shoe manufacturers produce decent running shoes, and when given a few options he can make the final decision himself. If he ends up ordering a pair that turns out to be a bad fit, he can easily return them.

Saying that you cannot advise somebody is not helpful. If you won't help, then leave it to the people who will.

OP - I suggest a pair of Hoka Clifton 6. They're 20 euro above your budget but are very well regarded in the running community. I've had my pair for over a year and they're holding up well - very comfortable.

The medicine example illustrates the stupidity of relying on brands.

Plucking names out of the air is not advising him.

If you don't understand the importance of foot mechanics, then leave it to people who do.

I'm delighted your shoes fit you.

First Up

KSU wrote: »

Your gait is not pre-determined though, it's in a state of flux just think of how many times a minute your muscles will go through contraction cycle and all the variables such as hydration, fatigue, mineral content will affect each muscle fibre and how this affects muscle recruitment and in turn how muscles act and react with each other.

Strong, healthy muscles will be able to deal with change and the point is that building up this foundation is more important than the shoes you run in outside of what feels natural to you (which is not a pre determined state)

Hydration or fatigue have nothing to do with under pronation or overpronation. if you do one, other or neither, you will do it all the time. Running shoes help manage whichever you do. I have run far and reasonably seriously for a good few years and I have under pronated for every mile of it.

caff

Only injury I ever got from having the wrong shoes was due to the sole wearing unevenly forcing foot strike mechanic to change. No way to predict that in a shop one way or the other. Just buy a shoe run in it and if its not working bin it and move on to the next one.

KSU

First Up wrote: »

Hydration or fatigue have nothing to do with under pronation or overpronation. if you do one, other or neither, you will do it all the time. Running shoes help manage whichever you do. I have run far and reasonably seriously for a good few years and I have under pronated for every mile of it.

That first bit is simply not true. Hip actions make up a huge component of the gait cycle and any sort of fatigue here will compromise trunk stability which will influence load bearing, not to mention that hip musculature in a chronic shortened position can replicate apparent leg length discrepancies. This is a major problem with a lot of gait analysis, the rarely look beyond the ankle and even those that do don't look to the why.

It's like taking a portrait painting it might look pretty but it doesn't tell you anything about the person in the picture.

First Up

KSU wrote:

That first bit is simply not true. Hip actions make up a huge component of the gait cycle and any sort of fatigue here will compromise trunk stability which will influence load bearing, not to mention that hip musculature in a chronic shortened position can replication apparent leg length discrepancies. This is a major problem with a lot of gait analysis, the rarely look beyond the ankle and even those that do don't look to the why.

Fatigue may accentuate underpronation or overpronation but it won't turn one into the other.

healy1835

Www.solereview.com

Have goo on there. Pretty thorough reviews, have always found it pretty reliable.

First Up

caff wrote:

Only injury I ever got from having the wrong shoes was due to the sole wearing unevenly forcing foot strike mechanic to change. No way to predict that in a shop one way or the other. Just buy a shoe run in it and if its not working bin it and move on to the next one.

You could save some money (and foot pain) by informing yourself.

KSU

First Up wrote: »

Fatigue may accentuate underpronation or overpronation but it won't turn one into the other.

Out of interest roughly how many people excessively under pronate?

Also pronation is natural occurrence it only becomes an issue when it becomes excessive shouldn't the accentuation be a driving factor rather than simply having equipment that will allow compensation to occur in another area of the kinetic chain?

Murph_D

First Up wrote: »

You could save some money (and foot pain) by informing yourself.

You could save some agression and have a look at actual research about the effect of gait on both performance and injury risk. You’ll find no evidence for making meaningful shoe recommendations based on gait. The only evidence available suggests subjective feelings of ‘comfort’ is the key, as has been pointed out several times.

First Up

Murph_D wrote:

You could save some agression and have a look at actual research about the effect of gait on both performance and injury risk. You’ll find no evidence for making meaningful shoe recommendations based on gait. The only evidence available suggests subjective feelings of ‘comfort’ is the key, as has been pointed out several times.

All I have done in this discussion is suggest people get expert advice. If you find that aggressive, it is your problem and nobody else's.

Murph_D

First Up wrote: »

All I have done in this discussion is suggest people get expert advice. If you find that aggressive, it is your problem and nobody else's.

You started out by equating expert advice with getting gait analysis done in a running shop. That suggests you know more about marketing than about meaningful advice. Since then you've just dug in. You're welcome to your opinion about running shops and the people who work in them, many of which are indeed excellent. But anyone who points me towards the gait analysis machine gets politely declined because it's a gimmick. Many of us on this forum are fairly knowledgable about the sport we pursue, and we know this.

It's certainly a good idea to try on lots of shoes in the price range and pick the one that feels best, then try it for a few runs, as has been suggested. The OP of course can't do that in the current climate, so if s/he can't wait for the shops to reopen, a punt is unfortunately necessary.

First Up

Murph_D wrote:

You started out by equating expert advice with getting gait analysis done in a running shop. That suggests you know more about marketing than about meaningful advice. Since then you've just dug in. You're welcome to your opinion about running shops and the people who work in them, many of which are indeed excellent. But anyone who points me towards the gait analysis machine gets politely declined because it's a gimmick. Many of us on this forum are fairly knowledgable about the sport we pursue, and we know this.

I started out by saying that suggesting brands or your own shoes does not constitute advice and suggesting that the OP look for a trustworthy source.

We can swap each other's expertise if you like but that is not my point. As this thread shows, asking for advice in an internet forum is not a good idea.

Swashbuckler

Well to be technical he/she did ask us to recommend a runner, not for advice on gait analysis. If he/she asked for advice on the latter I'd have said nothing......

So for sure, this is a good place to come look for commentary on a shoe. I've never had gait analysis and amazingly my legs haven't fallen off yet......

First Up

Swashbuckler wrote:

Well to be technical he/she did ask us to recommend a runner, not for advice on gait analysis. If he/she asked for advice on the latter I'd have said nothing......

I mentioned gait analysis as an example of why a buyer will get more useful information from someone in the shoe business than from anonymous people in Boards.

I am no more in a position to recommend shoes than anyone else here. I do however have a much better understanding of where useful information and advice can be found.

MY BAD

I'm with Murph_D on on this one. Gait analysis is largely a marketing ploy. Getting advice from some young lad working part-time in Elverys who will then advise to buy some insoles along with stability shoes.... Comfort and the drop is the most important for me anyways but each to their own.

First Up

Mellow Yellow 26.2 wrote:

I'm with Murph_D on on this one. Gait analysis is largely a marketing ploy. Getting advice from some young lad working part-time in Elverys who will then advise to buy some insoles along with stability shoes.... Comfort and the drop is the most important for me anyways but each to their own.

Tell that to the OP with his arch problems and the other poster with bruised feet from his worn down shoes.

There's better sources of advice than young lads in Elverys. If you are serious about running (on roads especially) you will go to a proper shop.

MY BAD

First Up wrote: »

Tell that to the OP with his arch problems and the other poster with bruised feet from his worn down shoes.

There's better sources of advice than young lads in Elverys. If you are serious about running (on roads especially) you will go to a proper shop.

Worn Down shoes should be replaced. I have got gait analysis done a good few times in running specialist shops with different results. I'll always try and support local running shops to be fair. I'm mainly a road runner too covering 3000 plus km per year so I've a good knowledge of what works for me. Like I said each to their own.

KSU

Mellow Yellow 26.2 wrote: »

I'm with Murph_D on on this one. Gait analysis is largely a marketing ploy. Getting advice from some young lad working part-time in Elverys who will then advise to buy some insoles along with stability shoes.... Comfort and the drop is the most important for me anyways but each to their own.

While I agree with you I have to laugh at the example simply because a mate of mine was working for them part time when he started off in the sports therapy gig. Had plenty of experience (worked with NZ All Blacks during Autumn tours over here etc) but hadn't yet took the plunge to go out on his own and wanted to establish contacts he had built up while there.

Interestingly didn't toe the line regarding some questionable products backed by science and didn't last too much longer when he wouldn't push said product and meet sales targets.

KSU

First Up wrote: »

Tell that to the OP with his arch problems and the other poster with bruised feet from his worn down shoes.

Shoes will alleviate the symptom not the problem. Need to be looking deeper at the why of the wear pattern and whether the body is sufficiently coping with it.

First Up

Mellow Yellow 26.2 wrote:

Worn Down shoes should be replaced. I have got gait analysis done a good few times in running specialist shops with different results. I'll always try and support local running shops to be fair. I'm mainly a road runner too covering 3000 plus km per year so I've a good knowledge of what works for me. Like I said each to their own.

The poster with the worn soles said his shoes wore down unevenly. He went on to say there was no way to predict this so he was just going to buy shoes and if they didn't work out, he would buy more.

This flies in the face of both the proven connection between gait and shoe choice and the availability of proper advice.

There is no reason to be that stupid.