shoes for running
 

hi all getting more into running bit with long term goal of doing a trii do mostly trail running
but like build tolerance more to roadi need suggestions of a good road shoeprefer for runs 2hour plus
that work well and less injury pronesuggestions please

For shoes - they vary greatly per person - kind of like saddles on bikes.

I've run in Nike, Asics - and my last 4 pairs have been UnderArmour. I replace them after 500 miles.

Any good pair of shoes will usually run $70 - $100 dollars at a minimum.

My best investment was replacing the shoe's laces with the elastic laces with the clamp - $7ish on Amazon.

Once you get the tension right, you never have to adjust them again. Plus they slip on quick for T1 transition.

Huge selection of running shoes now, too many to offer any suggestions.

When I resuming jogging last autumn, after a 40 year hiatus (I'm 63 now, mostly cyclist, just wanted a change up in my workouts), I just grabbed my adidas Daily 2.0 sneakers and started slowly, 100 yards jogging, 100 yards walking, etc., for about a mile out of my usual 5 mile walking loop. They weren't bad for smooth pavement, not great for trail, chipseal or shoulders littered with gravel and debris.

In late November I grabbed a pair of 2019 adidas EQT Gazelles, mostly because adidas run a little narrow and my feet are A or B width, so even the adidas regular width fit okay. And the shoes were only $22 on sale.

I wasn't expecting much but the EQT Gazelles turned out to be appropriate for casual trail running, gravel, rough pavement, chipseal, etc. There's a mid-sole rock plate that doubles as really good arch support -- critical for me because I've always had problems with arch spasms.

I'm up to jogging 3-4 miles out of my usual 5 mile loop, walking half a mile to warm up and cool down. Nothing fast, my fastest splits are around 12'/mile. I can speed-walk nearly that fast, usually 13'-14'/mile. But because it's been so long since I last did any running I'm starting cautiously to avoid injury. My route includes some hills, around 5% grade, on a mix of rough mowed prairie and gravel, some gravel shoulders, some chipseal pavement -- depends on what's available, traffic and road construction issues.

The EQT Gazelles chunky and odd looking, and seemed mostly targeted at the fashion market, although it's built like a proper casual running shoe.

However now I'm looking for something a little lighter and for mostly smooth pavement. The choices are overwhelming. And I haven't found any useful videos on YouTube. I've watched a dozen or so channels and every reviewer is either strictly a fashionista, zero interest in running, or a running channel that's just promoting uncritical spam for sponsors without any evidence of practical road testing.

Ditto most reviews on Amazon, manufacturers and vendors of running shoes. Very little useful content or reviews from runners. Mostly comments about the cosmetics or how comfortable the shoes are for grocery shopping.

So now I'm sifting through a few running oriented websites with actual reviews. But, again, with literally hundreds of choices it's a daunting task.

My wife, teenage daughter and I all run. The quickest way to narrow down the hundreds of options is to start by deciding if you want a natural width toe-box (e.g. Altra brand) or a regular/narrow one that brings your toes slightly together. We all started out with the regular/narrow brands (Nike, Saucony, ASICS), but have all ended up finding that the wider toe-box brands are way more comfortable. We do not have especially wide feet, it just leaves a lot more room for the natural movement of your toes and fore-foot. I wouldn't go so far as to recommend them to someone I don't know, but I would encourage you to at least try it. If you decide you like the wider toe-box, it will narrow your choices to 6-7 brands and it'll be easier to choose. Or if you know you don't want that, you've eliminated a bunch of brands. Good luck.

Brooks has a pretty good online fitment guide. Which is nice in the Covid times.

If you can go to a store with a treadmill in it, they can watch you walk and run on it and make suggestions. I'd start there.

Another fan of "lock laces" here. I only used them ever in a single duathlon two years ago, but as a cyclist I now use them in both pairs of run shoes I own. They're great.

Remember to add your shoes to your Strava, it will let you know when to start looking for a new pair. I was surprised (even as a cyclist!) how soon it was time for more. Sure enough, when I got the notification.......the tread on the soles had some solid wear to it.

highly subjective!!!
I like Merrill sneakers for general active stuff, running or the gym. I recently got some Altra sneakers for trail running and they feel fantastic. I don't have "wide" feet but the hate the feeling of most shoes that are apparently designed to crush your toes together into a point. that's not the way feet do!

Try Hoka. nice comfy shoes. costly but do help keep feet from getting beat dow.
but shoes and what works varies from person to person. Saucony fit me well.

Since my January post I've added better shoes as my conditioning improved to the point that I could run 5 miles continuously without walking.

I still generally prefer adidas because they fit my narrow feet so well and are cheap at discounters like Ross and Marshalls. In January I added a pair of adidas Solar Boost with moderate thickness Boost soles, and adidas Adizero Prime, with a thinner Boost sole that appears to be intended mainly for shorter runs, up to a 5k or maybe 10k. Both are very good and cost only around $30 each (heavily discounted 2018 models).

But a couple of weeks ago I tried a pair of 2018 Under Armour Hovr Sonics, also $30, and like them better than the adidas Boost. It's lighter, firmer and more responsive without sacrificing comfort on my usual runs of 2-7 miles.

Based on input from other runners with narrow feet like mine, I'm planning to try Nike Pegasus (the Peg 37 gets good reviews) and perhaps the new startup Atreyu shoes, which offers custom shoes at a deep discount on a subscription basis.

I think Atreyu shoes cost $95 for a one time purchase and $75 with subscription. It's an interesting business model, operated by a running enthusiast. Rather than competing with branding like Boost, FreshFoam, etc., they use state of the art generic EVA soles, no additional rubber tread, just a hardening application to extend the life of the shoe to about 200 miles. After that point, the Atreyu owner says most shoe soles are breaking down and flattening out, losing their responsiveness, even when the uppers and rubber tread appears to have plenty of life remaining. So to save money they skip the frills and concentrate on comfortable, well fitting uppers and proven EVA soles designed to be worn only for the optimal life of the shoe. Then the company sends the subscriber a fresh pair of shoes. I'm not sure how the subscription is billed. But it's an interesting option for folks who run a lot and prefer to continue using the same shoe, but with a fresh sole and upper. The shoe looks pretty much like the adidas Boston and Nike Pegasus lineup, so it should be suitable for running up to marathon distances.

I'd consider Atreyu, but I'm still early in my base conditioning and still exploring shoes to decide what I want. So for now I'll keep shopping at Ross and Marshall and buy whatever serious running shoes they have from unsold new/old stock for around $30. The only tricky bit to this kind of thing is that many adidas shoes are lifestyle/fashion shoes. They look like running shoes, but aren't. So whenever I shop I Google reviews on my phone before buying. Last time I shopped for shoes a couple of weeks ago I went through six different pairs of adidas that *looked* suitable for running, but were just lifestyle/fashion shoes with weird stuff like laces that can't be properly tightened, or silly cosmetic doodads made of plastic that add weight but no performance, and sometimes jabbed my ankles or Achilles tendons. I was about to give up for the day when I noticed the single pair of Under Armour Hovr Sonics in my size, which turned out to be excellent running shoes.

Best thing you can do is go to a specialty running shop. The good ones will have people who have run for years and can help you decide based on your stride, style, etc.
like some have said, lots of good shoes, but you need one that fits you.

Like Bobs indicated above…I believe the most important factor to consider for running shoes is the fit. And not only in size, but width. And you likely want to get a running shoe a little bigger than your non-running shoes, including width. Generally, my foot is a size 12 (US). But I get size 13 (or 12½ if available) for my running shoes. The extra width and length allows your foot to splay on impact. Excessive, prolonged running is shoes that don’t allow your foot to splay can lead to injuries such as Morton’s Neuroma, and others.

Dan

Good advice. I remember my first "real" running shoe(80s). I think it was the Nike pegasus. I had it in a 8! I am in 10 now. I normally wear a 8.5-9.5.