O/T running shoes

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Ranger

New Member
Location
Fife borders
I have been given a fitness programme at the gym I go to, part of which involves a run workout on the treadmill three times a week. I enjoy it but am wanting to run outdoors now the weather is better and thinking I can then do the run part during my lunchbreak (apparently it is OK to split the parts of the programme)

I have a pair of trainers I use in the gym for classes, but am wondering if it worth going to a running shop and getting a proper fitting to make sure I am not damaging myself any more than necessary.

Any opinions/advice gratefully received
 

Vidor06

Long term loafer
Yes, best to get a gait analysis done to ensure you dont do yourself any damage. In Belfast there is a shop called 'Up & Running' and they do a video analysis which is free if you then buy shoes or about £20 otherwise.
 
OP
OP
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Ranger

New Member
Location
Fife borders
Cheers for the quick replies, I will limit myself to what I am doing until payday and then make my way to the shop Jogger recommended as it is only 10 minutes cycle away
 
It IS worthwhile but don't forget that they still are in the business of selling you shoes...

I'd prefer to go on local recommendations

I found out the hard way and ended up shelling out £80 on some shoes which just made my feet painful for days after an 8-10k jog (and that could have been worse, the £80 was our store cost price from work - though not a line we stock we are allowed to get staff orders at cost if we order at the same time as a bulk order is going in). They were much worse than the £20 reebok trainers I initially bought for a few jogs ound the block.

Ended up getting some Asics Trabuco from Decathlon which are fantastic for me, as I have started doing the odd on-road 10K but prefer to run on a mixture of tarmac and light trail and, though heavy for a trail shoe, have adequate padding for the tarmac but capable enough on light trail

Point being, the first £80, I might as well have used to wipe my backside on, trying to buy through reading the odd review and being drawn by a good price...
 

Telemark

Cycling is fun ...
Location
Edinburgh
Run & Become in Edinburgh (Dalry Road, 2 min walk from Haymarket) has always been excellent (family run business), they'll sort you out. They are very helpful and try to work to your budget as well as what works for your feet/gait, rather than selling you the most expensive shoes ;).

If you are going there on a Saturday, go early, as it gets quite busy!

T
 

Vikeonabike

CC Neighbourhood Police Constable
Speaking as someone who has a list of running related injuries from years of running in boots and the wrong shoes. Get the right pair from a good local running shop and don't be fobbed off by fashion. If you find something that works buy 2 or 3 pairs (before they change the spec) for the following year!

Holds true whether you are running 100 miles a week or 100 miles a year! It's not worth ruining your health for!
 

3tyretrackterry

Active Member
Location
East Midlands UK
sports direct are a good place to go good prices and selection i bought myself and my son a pair of Asics and they have been worth every penny
 

jay clock

Massive member
Location
Hampshire UK
agreed. get a fitting. And agreed, once you hvae a pair you like buy more online partic once the following year's model is launched. I have several pairs of New Balance which suit me. Just got some trails shoes online for £24.99 - previous ones (identical) I paid about £60
 

Rob3rt

Man or Moose!
Location
Manchester
Ive had a fitting at Sweatshop, yes they are a business and want you to spend your cash, but they are also quite forward in saying, "this is what you need, our website has more choice in this type of shoe" i.e. if you dont like whats in store feel free to take the advice and shop around. At least the sales assistants in the Manchester Arndale branch are like this.

I had my fitting, and took the best shoes for me that they had in store, cost me about £70 I think. I had a £15 off voucher as I do the weekly parkrun 5km run that sweatshop sponsor. Anyone can sign up and will recieve a £15 off voucher for doing so, worth signing up online at http://www.parkrun.org.uk/ for the voucher.

Here is the Edinburgh run, you may or may not be interested.
http://www.parkrun.org.uk/edinburgh/Home.aspx
 

Crankarm

Guru
Location
Nr Cambridge
I would take specialist fittings by these so called running shops with a pinch of salt. I went to one in Cambridge with, yes the analysis of your running gait on tread mill by video. I have never run on treadmill and made that clear to the overweight and slightly perspiring shop assistant so my running might be affected. He didn't even seem to appreciate this telling me not to worry. As if!

If you've not done much running before then you don't know how you run or how your shoes wear which can tell you a great deal how you are running. I have been running about 6-7 miles a day 5-6 days a week for 20+ years. My running shoes have always been Nike Air Maxes as I find them extremely supportive and comfortable.

Anyway said shop did not stock Nike shoes, but instead lined up various brands, the one the guy was most keen on was a New Balance shoe which he said best suited my 'running gait'. They were supposedly a specialist running shoe giving me all the sales patter and on offer. So stupidly I ignored my quarter of a century experience and bought them on his recommendation. After 3 days of running my calves and Achilles were in agony. I had to take them back and get a refund. They weren't too keen at first. Then I enquired as to what sport science or medical qualifications they had to be analysing people's running/walking gaits by looking at a video? None apparently. I got a refund. I then went to one of the chains and bought a new pair of Nike Air Maxes or Volumetrico running specific shoes. The transformation was bliss. I am still running in these shoes 3 years later. So don't be duped into believing these shops are acting in your best interests. They are there to serve their own business interests whether it's selling you the most expensive running shoe whether or not it is quite by chance suitable for you or they are just trying to convince you to buy an obscure shoe as they need to shift the stock. For me first impressions of how a shoe feel count for a lot not what some numptee who was probably working in call centre the previous month is trying to sell you. All they wanted to do was get me on this treadmill start filming and then look at the footage (no pun intended). They said there was a fee of £20 if you didn't then buy a pair of shoes from them, WTF! End of.

You obviously need a shoe that fits, gives your foot and ankle proper support and is comfortable. What they should be doing is estalishing how high the arches of your feet are but no mention of this was made when I bought my shoes from this so called specialist running shop. Some are flat footed where as others have high arches. You need an inner sole that is suited to your arches.
 

Rob3rt

Man or Moose!
Location
Manchester
Crankarm said:
They said there was a fee of £20 if you didn't then buy a pair of shoes from them, WTF! End of.

You obviously need a shoe that fits, gives your foot and ankle proper support and is comfortable. What they should be doing is estalishing how high the arches of your feet are but no mention of this was made when I bought my shoes from this so called specialist running shop. Some are flat footed where as others have high arches. You need an inner sole that is suited to your arches.

Which chain?

Sweatshop staff are to my knowledge pretty much all runners (some of them very good runners in the local branch to me, coming in top 50 of Bupa manchester run etc), they dont charge for gait analysis and they stock nike! No pressure to buy. Worth a punt crankarm, maybe you just dealt with a moron?


Of course everyone will have different experience, my running shoes (Brooks - unknown model), took a little to get used to, because they of course corrected my poor form (I supernate badly in my right ankle), this caused some initial discomfort in my knees as it was forcing my foot not to roll inward hence most likely changing the way my knee reacts while running, but since then they are a dream to run in (Im injury prone and have been able to run much more often than usual).
 
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