25 replies to this topic

[bertrevert]

Hiya

C'mon get over it, the ALDI runners, which go on sale cylically once a year are just fine. Thy cost $40 bucks, buy 'em once ayear, add $40 sorbothane insoles and you'er fine. No need to sepnd $200, forget it, just spend $40+40 and you're done. Mine are beyond a year and they are fine - cheap and happy running.

Last time they had the running gear on sale (about a month or two ago) there must have been twenty people waiting outside the store to get in. it was graet. Great gear, great price, save some money, no I Don't work there. Just impressed by my little ol' running shoes...

Actually you gotta love the shoes you're in otherwise it's apin all the way!

[FakePlasticTrees]

What's the point of that? I can go to the Nike factory outlet and get brand new nike shoes for less than $80.

[Jogger]

bert - who was having a go at them ? no one I could see

[rodthehornet]

Bert,

Some might think from your post that you are having a swipe at people who wear $200 shoes. Then again you might just think people are having a go at your shoe choice..... Or else, the voices are telling you that someone in a parallel universe is talking about your shoes. Or if you spell Aldi backwards it is Idla so someone may be thinking because you wear Aldi shoes you idle at the start of your race.

Then again the most logical option is noone really cares what shoes Bertevert wears. I think I saw you in line waiting to get my $10 shirt - I hope people arent talking about my shirt.......

Whatever floats your boat Bert.

[wombatoutofhell]

wouldn't know about the aldi shoes-i would have tried on a pair but they didn't seem to have the larger sizes (i'm a 12 or 13 depending on brand). I did buy 2 $10 shirts and 2 pair $10 shorts, which have become my prefered running gear-even over my nike shirt and new balance shorts. Tried my $20 aldi running jacket on the weekend-that seemed to work well. Haven't tried my $20 long pants yet-hasn't been cold enough

[freddy]

I think I can beat your cheap shoes bertevert.
Last week at Brandsmart Parramatta i purchased a pair of "Diadora Mythos" shoes for the pricely some of $10. (Also bought two pair of reebok socks which cost as much as the shoes.)
They sound similar to the Aldi shoes, they fit and feel pretty good except have a poor insole.
I keep them at work and use them if I get motivated enough for a lunchtime run around the scenic Parramatta Park.

[bertrevert]

Well, just no-one had mentioned the cheaper alternatives that are perfectly feasible and good.

Indeed, it is true that is absolutely necessary to replace the insoles. It's a hidden cost with cheaper shoes, but you must insert something better than what they have in them.

When I say cheaper I don't mean quality. I just mean price. I've even seen KT?? something-something runners in Kmart, that were about $40. Fantastic. I just run in Winter but I don't replace my shoes too quickly due to expense, but when I see what you can pay I was just shocked at what was considered a reasonable price to pay. And this is a shout out for the alternative. These Aldi ones still have the plastic arch strengthening found in more expensive shoes, padded tongue, spacious box.

However now I'm off to Brandsmart!

[Bristol City FC]

FakePlasticTrees, on Jun 6 2007, 05:19 PM, said:

What's the point of that? I can go to the Nike factory outlet and get brand new nike shoes for less than $80.

Maybe you can FPT, but think of all that child sweatshop labour that went into making them....

[FakePlasticTrees]

Bristol City FC, on Jun 7 2007, 10:00 AM, said:

Maybe you can FPT, but think of all that child sweatshop labour that went into making them....

Yeah, none of the other shoe makers use similar labour conditions that's why their shoes are so expensive. Nothing to do with price fixing. Aldi shoes at $40? I'm sure they're made by aussie workers getting $20 per hour.

[Bristol City FC]

FakePlasticTrees, on Jun 7 2007, 10:25 AM, said:

Yeah, none of the other shoe makers use similar labour conditions that's why their shoes are so expensive. Nothing to do with price fixing. Aldi shoes at $40? I'm sure they're made by aussie workers getting $20 per hour.

[brizza]

if you are biomechanically well lined up you can wear no shoes if you want,cheap shoes are fine but for the rest of us we have to buy the best shoes we can afford,i saw a guy last night who had no shoe wear after aboutthree months of about 100ks per week,he was skinny,slightly bow legged and had a PB of 46 mins at the c2s,mid foot striker,made no ground impact sound-groovy

[tim]

as long as you are out there putting one foot in front of the other in something that vaguely resembles running who cares what you are wearing.

well I went bare chested the other day and some youths yelled mean things out the window so I guess they cared.

if you are getting in the miles then it is all good.

[Bristol City FC]

Quote

well I went bare chested the other day and some youths yelled mean things out the window so I guess they cared.

[dcl]

Its an interesting topic. somewhere recently (I wish i could remember) some researchers tested runners from a range of prices and found that there was often minimal diffrence between the prestige models and cheaper alternatives in terms of support, cushioning etc.

Often the no name brands are being made on the same production line as Nike, adidas etc. You pay for the name.

Since I started running seriously i've gradually gone downmarket (there's no way I could afford $250+ runners) without any seeming ill effects. Last pair were $80 Mizunos from the Bargain bin.

Money I saved has gone towards a Garmin :-)

That said, some El Cheapos will be genuinely crap, while others will do the job. You need to experiment.

[Whippet gal]

brizza, on Jun 7 2007, 10:51 AM, said:

if you are biomechanically well lined up you can wear no shoes if you want,cheap shoes are fine but for the rest of us we have to buy the best shoes we can afford,i saw a guy last night who had no shoe wear after aboutthree months of about 100ks per week,he was skinny,slightly bow legged and had a PB of 46 mins at the c2s,mid foot striker,made no ground impact sound-groovy

Yup - if I could get away with cheaper shoes I certainly would. Bad luck for me that I'm lined up like the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the body falls apart if I try reasonably priced footwear.

[beatlloydy]

I did see the Alsi shoes and was severely tempted. They looked the part, very similar to Asics. However, I backed off thinking that I could save $120 or so in shoes but it could cost me $hundreds in physio/chiro bills. Just not willing to play russian roulette with my feet when doing longer runs. If I even change brands from Asics my feet seem to sense it and I start getting niggling worries. However, I think next time I may try the newer mizunos as their new range looks the goods but not any cheaper anyway.

[Flying Dog]

Dude, you have to watch who you're bagging out here. Yes, my runners cost $170 plus $70 inserts - but I still beat you on the weekend didn't I?

There have been many posts about how you don't have to spend a fortune on running gear.



So bert, why don't you tell everyone how much you spend on tennis ?? Shoes (how many pairs?) how much for a racket? how many balls do you go through? court fees etc etc etc ...

You could cut-down on the number of sweat bands you buy and use the money to buy some Loco Runners (I'll have that big sack of money now Kev)

Even better - just go for the good old Dunlop KT 26's - I still see plenty of runners, better than me, wearing them.

[bertrevert]

No did not buy my racquet there. Yep bought the ALDI tennis shoes as well. Heh.

Planning on sending my kids to the ALDI school. Buying an ALDI car. All together now... "we're all living in an Aldi world..."

That's it those Dunlop KT ones are ultra cheap and yet fantastic. That'll be my next pair gotten from Kmart or wherever I can.

Yeah yeah yr runners cost a lot, still it's all good seems that universally everyone has top put in better insoles regularly than anything else so why don't they just jolly well make them with something substantial in them I ask? Even when you buy upmarket you still have to substitute something inside them taht's just daft.

[laotze]

You can make your own shoes out of the cardboard boxes behind the Aldi store. Just cut out a sole the shape of your foot, wrap another piece over the top and hold together with that wide sticky tape that you can peel off the old boxes.

They don't last long, but your feet feel really free after a while.

And with the money you save you can buy a lot of elastoplast. You can make shoes out of that too.

Edited by awiseman, 07 June 2007 - 10:35 PM.

[lazydays]

I've banned Aldi from my shopping list. I just don't agree with their practice of "bait" advertising. Or type em up in google and see what fair trading has to say about supplying commercial quantity of goods for sale items.
I tried complaining. Go to their website and No store phone numbers are listed. They don't even list an email address. The only phone number you can find is the capital city headquarters, not even an 1800 number. Ring em STD and you still get a recorded message saying they will not talk to you about stock in store.

[bertrevert]

Heh heh yeah low on staff, low on staff morale.

They just plop it all out on pallets and go get 'em is all you can do.

But the quality is ok.

And that's what I'm saying here. For a cheap alternative, made in China (see the file Manufactured Landscapes for a fascinating glimpse of China factory life), they are surprisingly alright and have stood up okay after one year's use.

Not saying I run as much as many here, just saying they are darn alright.

Style wise I dunno. Gimme the cardboard boxes anyday.

(I guess I'm someone who'll buy the Chinese or Indian new car when they come.)

Back to running in them - how can you tell when shoes are worn out. I just assume they'll tell me, but am I crazy to be listening to my shoes?

[laotze]

bertrevert, on Jun 8 2007, 09:02 AM, said:

Back to running in them - how can you tell when shoes are worn out. I just assume they'll tell me, but am I crazy to be listening to my shoes?

Depends. When they start speaking with a forked tongue it is time to get another pair. Or when you stand on a five cent piece and can tell whether it is heads or tails.

Edited by awiseman, 08 June 2007 - 11:46 PM.

[felisaffie]

awiseman, on Jun 8 2007, 11:45 PM, said:

Depends. When they start speaking with a forked tongue it is time to get another pair. Or when you stand on a five cent piece and can tell whether it is heads or tails.

Mine communicate through the sense of smell. But I really know it is time to get a new pair when they get too big for their boots mutiny and take over my feet navigating the shortest possible route to a shoe store.

[sneakergal]

awiseman, on Jun 8 2007, 11:45 PM, said:

Depends. When they start speaking with a forked tongue it is time to get another pair. Or when you stand on a five cent piece and can tell whether it is heads or tails.

Thanks for the laugh

Um, this will probably come back to haunt me but what are insoles? Do you mean those flat soft things for 10 bucks u get at the pharmacy and they feel all nice for about 4 days?

Or the $40 pair in the hard plastic? If so how do you know which ones to get? What if you get a high curvy one and its not right for your foot type?

Please someone enlighten me and save me from dinner party laughter and pointing...'i can't believe she's that dumb...etc'

[fitnessfreak]

ive never tried on aldi shoes but i do rekon my nike free 5.0's would be a alot beter than them
at a pricey $170 though but i aint complaining ive been reeling in the good timed since ive brought them .but as long as the aldi shoes are light comfortable and durable is all goodd .

[Rudolf]

I am using all the top brand mentioned here.
Nike frees for 70$ from factory
Aldi for 39.95, I have 3 pairs (first one would not pass Sarahs smell test, third bough last week)
and Dunlops 4 pairs, 2 of KT26 and 2 of Volleys

each model and brand usually in 2 sizes, the correct size and 1 size up fror ultras.

I rotate shoes during the week, using Volleys for trails, dirt and grass
Nike frees for road and bike paths (no gravel for obvious reasons)
Aldi mainly to get feet structure some rest and when the fet are too sensitive or blistered, than Aldi shoes are heaven.

Aldi shoes are also good for occasional training in heavy shoes, since their are significantly heavier than racers.

I am also happy with Aldi short and long running pants, and my wife would not run in anything else, she has about 4 different pairs of Aldi pants.

The whole family just bough last week the complete downhill skiing winter outfit from Aldi.

And yes, after years of not being able to buy reasonably priced rollerblades to replace my 10 years old blades from Kmart
I bought Aldi rollerblades about 3 months ago, they fit my legs so perfectly, better then than 300% blades of top brand from specialist shoped I did tried in the past.

Disclaimer - I never buy any food from Aldi, and the shop assistents are not as cute as in other shops