using inserts VS finding the perfect shoe
gell VS foam

is there any science to it? or just whatever feels best?

11/18/2006 12:05:30 PM

First off, you need to find the right shoe for your foot. If you have high arches, generally you need a shoe with a curved last. If you have mid arches, a semi-curved last will do. For flat feet, you need a straight last shoe.

If you overpronate (feet roll to the inside) you need a shoe with stability. If you are neutral or supinate (feet roll to the outside) you need a neutral/cushioning shoe.

If you SEVERELY overpronate/have flat feet, you could probably use a motion control shoe. These shoes are built on a straight last, and provide a crazy amount of stability for your foot.

My personal favorites for each style shoe:

Neutral/Cushioning shoe
Asics Nimbus
Asics Cumulus (not as pricey as the Nimbus, and not as much cushioning)
Brooks Radius (has medial arch pod that provides a slight hint of stability for people who just need a touch of stability)
Brooks Glycerine
Saucony Trigon Ride 4

Stability
Brooks Trance 6 - Best stability shoe imho. Has more technology built in than a jumbo jet.
Asics Kayano - Superb cushioning, awesome arch support.
Asics 2110/2120 - best stability shoe for the price. Great cushioning, very good arch support.
Brooks Adrenaline - cushioning is not up to par with the 2110 or 2120, but some people swear by them.
Brooks Axiom - VERY LIGHT shoe, with just a touch of stability.
Saucony Trigon Guide - great all around stability shoe.
Saucony Grid Omni - great all around stability shoe

Motion Control
Brooks Beast (womens model is called the "Ariel")
Brooks Addiction 7
Saucony Grid Stabil


INSERTS
After you have found the right shoe, you can add inserts if you want. Most shoes, with exception of the Brooks Beast/Ariel, have mediocre inserts.

While Spenco shoe inserts are really soft and squishy, this will break down over time.

THE ABSOLUTE BEST insert you can get IMHO is the SuperFeet brand insert. These are not soft by any means, and are not squishy. They DO however have a very deep heel cup that allows it to push all of the fat from under your heel (called the "fat pad") and gives your body it's NATURAL cushioning back. Over time, the fat under our heels move to the side, but the SuperFeet inserts pull all this fat back in place. There is a break-in period with these inserts of about 3-4 days, but after that, you'll love them. They even give you a 60 day MONEY BACK GUARANTEE.


All of these products can be found at The Athletes Foot in Cameron Village. Come stop by and let us do a free gait analysis for you (analyze how you walk) and we'll put you in the perfect shoe.

11/18/2006 12:35:03 PM

Find the perfect shoe and be open to all brands. Don't try to compensate with inserts. I have found trial and error to be the only way to find the best pair. I run a lot and own many, many pairs.

There is a little science to it based on your foot and stride characteristics. There are different running shoe classes like stability, neutral, and motion control. You can try a specialty running store or the New Balance store for an initial opinion about your arch, pronation, etc. They'll tell you what will probably work best for you.

If you can't find a shoe that works for you, you could consider a custom running orthotic but I wouldn't mess around with off the shelf inserts.

Don't get sucked in with gimicks like the Nike 360. If you go to a mall store the clerk will probably tell you it's the best because of the price but it's a crappy running shoe. Not very stable and the clear sole makes it heavy. Also, don't go on a very long run the first time you wear a new pair. I bought Asics Gel Kayano XII's earlier this year, ran about 10 miles on them the first time, and could barely walk the next day because of a foot injury which lasted all summer. They felt great when I was running but I wasn't getting proper support.

Good luck!

11/18/2006 12:48:55 PM

another WORD on superfeet-- not soft or squishy, but very good on correcting overpronation. They hold up, too, and I could tell the difference when I got them.

11/18/2006 1:00:56 PM

I like Saucony Grid Jazz for cushion.

11/18/2006 8:08:19 PM

thanks, this was very helpful guys!

11/19/2006 9:15:36 AM

go to athletes foot at cameron village...they got good running shoes and the people that work there are generally pretty helpful

11/19/2006 1:26:47 PM

^ and you get an nc state discount

11/19/2006 1:40:28 PM