THE PREMISE

I have only recently started running, or jogging (I sort of alternate between jogging and running on the go). The shoes that I use for this activity are wearing out badly, because they are old and they were already in poor condition before I started running with them. Also, they weren't designed for running, anyway.

THE PROBLEM

I know we have some people here who like to move their legs in a fashion that constitutes what is then interpreted as running. I have no idea what sort of shoes I aught to get. I'm looking for info on what I should consider in a pair of shoes, rather than specific models (although that's fine if you want to recommend something particular, it's just that I might not be able to find it in stores in my country). What kind of support should the shoes have for my purposes, do you guys have any recommendations on materials used and why, what should the sole be like etc...or would in fact the best way to go be to try to get the running to feel as close to running bare-feet as possible, so minimal support and thickness and so forth.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

I run about 3.7 miles every day (my route converted from km's to miles), although some days I might do double that (like today). The terrain is partly asphalt, partly dirt road, with some ups and downs. I'm actually not necessarily even looking to increase my distance, because I want to increase my speed as well as stamina. This is why I've been aiming to run the same route a bit faster every day, and I like to take a good sprint for approx. the final 400 meters (which is ~437 yards according to Google). My build is of the lanky sort. I'm almost 29 years old. I have brown hair and eyes. My ultimate goal is to run like the wind, but not for 100 meters or anything silly like that.

FINAL WORDS

Hey thanks, Massassi!

Brooks. If you can get them in Finland. I suggest trying on several pairs because they offer a wide variety of cushioning and arch support. They're also light as a feather.

Take that, Finland! Zing!

You should find you a good sporting good/shoe store where they'll have you walk in the store, run on a treadmill, bring in your previous pair to check for wear patterns, etc.

You can probably self-diagnose a bit, but it'd probably be helpful to talk to someone who can ask you questions about how you run and how you feel when running, etc.

faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaart

Minimalist shoes are pretty popular these days (I have the Merrell Trail Gloves and like them a lot). They make you stress proper running technique (for most people, not letting your heel strike the ground) rather than relying on huge cushy supports. Before using them all the time I recommend checking with a podiatrist or even just your primary care doctor to see if they're suitable for you. Despite what some in the obnoxious barefoot running camp will tell you, they aren't always healthier. For example, people with loose joints from bunions probably shouldn't use them.

Styles aside, Vibram makes some of the best soles and should be very resistant to wear. Look for shoes with their soles on them.

I second this motion. I have a Morton's neuroma on my left foot & while the alcohol injections have been somewhat successful, my podiatrist told me that Vibram shoes would be a terrible idea for me & would likely worsen the issue & potentially lead to surgery.

Hi doods!

So I did my research based pretty much fully on the information I got from you guys, combined with actually trying some shoes out at the store. I ended up with a pair of these:


Nike Anodyne DS

I just did my first jog with them, and I'm very happy! Gone were the knee pains that I got with my old shoes (and failed to mention in the original post) and I just felt much more comfortable overall.

I also got a Sports Tracker heart rate monitor chest strap and linked that with my phone and the Sports Tracker app, so here's my exercise from a small while ago with a myriad of stats: http://www.sports-tracker.com/#/workout/krok84/7dh5d18ub79p0d04

I started typing a bunch of reasons (excuses) about why it makes my fitness level seem quite poor, but then I realized it doesn't matter as I'm not competing against any of you guys!

EDIT: forgot to say - THANK YOU FOR THE HELP, EVERYONE!

Wow, blue and white shoes, what are you planning to do - run to the finish line?

Wow, I like how Sports Tracker presents the data. I use Runkeeper for most of my walking, hiking, cycling activities but comparing layouts it just looks simplistic/dated.

Sadly the only time I jog or run is on the treadmill and I usually just set it to 6.5mph and do 30-40 minutes, so you have me beat for pace and your doing it realworld conditions. My only excuses are I was never much of a runner, and I'm a good deal older than you. :downs:

You're over 84 years old? Whoa

Yeah I love Sports Tracker! Also the social features are amazing, of course I only started using the app today but I already really enjoy it!

As for the latter part of your post, that's encouraging that I'm probably not in terrible shape then. I mean I started this jogging thing exactly one day short of three weeks ago, so I haven't been at it for very long at all...I did have some basic level of aerobic fitness from playing floorball however. My first couple of jogs were a pain, then it's gradually gotten easier and now it doesn't feel very difficult at all. As I said I do this every day and I've made it a point from day one to not take one single walking stride during the exercise, I MUST at least jog, and I suppose it's no wonder that this has yielded some results already, whether or not it would be considered an appropriate way to begin a new type of exercise (I'm guessing it wouldn't). The one thing that I'd say has improved the most from three weeks ago is my recovery time; it feels like I recover in an instant now.

As far as age goes, I've heard before that it is roughly the age of 30 where a man is at the peak of his physical potential, and then it gradually starts getting tougher from there on. I'll be 29 next month, so even though that peak age of 30 is not set in stone, it shouldn't be too long until I have to work harder than before to maintain adequate fitness, as well!

Also, I realize that the heart rate is the best indication of one's actual fitness level. As you can see, my heart rate is rather high during the exercise (161/178 average/highest bpm today) but everything tells me that's not a problem, as I don't have a heart condition or anything, and there's this formula that I read up on where for guys you take 220 minus your age, and you get a rough maximum for your BPM, which for me is 189.

EDIT: okay, so I didn't really bother with the manual until now, and I was wearing the strap way lower than it needs to be worn, so the HR data from my sports tracker link is useless. :/ oh well, at least now I know!

So this time around I got the correct HR measurements, and I was happy to know that they were lower than I thought: http://www.sports-tracker.com/#/workout/krok84/dh6ib4ivjign369r

So my pace was better this time around (I averaged 12km/h which is roughly 7.5mph), my average heart rate was 96 and my peak heart rate was 157 beats per min. The distance measured was 40 meters shorter for some reason, but I did run the same route.

But I shall not turn this into some kind of fitness blog, I mean the thread already served its purpose, so over and out!

Godspeed, Krokodile XVII, son of Krokodile XVI - brother of Northern Chaos Dragon.

Can you outrun a reindeer yet?