14 replies to this topic

[KeithE]

Hi All,

I'm out of touch with current shoe trends...

Generally there were Adidas & Nike when I used to run ... now there seems to be an endless list of manufacturers..

I used to find Nike was a narrow fitting, and prefered the Adidas shoe which was wider ...

Just as a rough guide, how would you rate the following manufacturers? (1 being the top rating)

ASICS
ADDIDAS
NIKE
BROOKES
NB
MIZUNO
SAUCONY

Are Adidas still up with the better shoes?

I am male, middle aged, heavy build, so probably need as much cushioning as possible ...

Looking forward to your views...

Keith

[maryclaire]

I think you'll find it's highly personal and very subjective. For me, with a high arch and very rigid feet, as a supinator I also need cushioned shoes. My personal preference at the moment is Adidas. Next would be Nike and Asics. Haven't tried Brooks. I dabbled with Mizunos and they were ok until my mileage got quite high.

[Bellthorpe]

Keith, it's not possible to rank those manufacturers in any meaningful way. Anyone who attempts to do so will put the brand he wears at the top, and brands he's not tried at the bottom.

My own favourite is Mizuno ... because I've gone through about 20 pairs without complaint. And my experience is different to maryclaire's as I do get decent mileage from them. That doesn't mean they make the perfect shoe though. I just happened to try a pair a few years back and liked them. Chances are there's a model to suit me (and you) from each of those brands.

They all make high quality shoes. You just have to find the one that's right for you. And although there will doubtless be people in this thread who will say you need to go to a podiatrist immediately to get advice, I just think it's trial and error.

[KeithE]

maryclaire, on Feb 22 2010, 03:28 PM, said:

I think you'll find it's highly personal and very subjective. For me, with a high arch and very rigid feet, as a supinator I also need cushioned shoes. My personal preference at the moment is Adidas. Next would be Nike and Asics. Haven't tried Brooks. I dabbled with Mizunos and they were ok until my mileage got quite high.

Hi Maryclaire...

Thanks for the advice ... understand its a very personal choice..

Just so many to choose from .... thought there may be two or three "Top" brands to narrow the selection down ...

Regards,

Keith

[Louise]

get yourself to a decent shoe shop (ie, not Rebel) and get the salespeople to choose something for you. Then go to another decent shoe shop and see what they say there. Rinse, repeat, until you get an idea of what might work for you.

The only real test is to wear them for a few hundred kms, so some experimentation is bound to occur.

[swaggerer]

Hi Keith,

You could have look at teh latest (Feb-Mar 2010) edition of R4YL magazine. It has a pretty good running shoe guide that may help.

http://www.runforyou....au/current.php


Cheers,
ronnie.

Edited by swaggerer, 22 February 2010 - 04:56 PM.

[DontStop]

KeithE, on Feb 22 2010, 03:54 PM, said:

Hi All,

I'm out of touch with current shoe trends...

Generally there were Adidas & Nike when I used to run ... now there seems to be an endless list of manufacturers..

I used to find Nike was a narrow fitting, and prefered the Adidas shoe which was wider ...

Just as a rough guide, how would you rate the following manufacturers? (1 being the top rating)

ASICS
ADDIDAS
NIKE
BROOKES
NB
MIZUNO
SAUCONY

Are Adidas still up with the better shoes?

I am male, middle aged, heavy build, so probably need as much cushioning as possible ...

Looking forward to your views...

Keith

Hey Keith,

You might be surprised about the cushioning thing. A lot of heavier runners actually need more stability than highly cushioned shoes. In fact, it's the lighter runners who need midsoles that easily compress (ie, they're kinda spongy) because they don't have the weight to compress the firmer midsoles you often find on traditional stable shoes.

For example, you might try on a pair of Nike Vomero's , which feel really cushioned and plush. But they're the last shoe I'd recommend to a heavier runner for the above reason (I'm 57kg and they're one of the shoes I run in).

Mostly all shoes that are classified as stability shoes will have sufficient cushioning for heavier runners. That's the bulk of the market really, so you'll find you're pretty well-catered to.

As others have said, I'd get on down to a good store that perhaps has a podiatrist working in it (or at least a knowledgeable runner). A really good store will chuck you on the treadmill, have a look at the way your feet behave, chat about the running you want to do, and make some recommendations.

Despite Bellthorpe's wise words, I'm going to rank your list anyway. Based purely on personal experience, and inbuilt bias (which makes it quite worthless really):

Companies whose shoes impress me (most to least impressive):

Nike
Saucony
Brooks
Asics
Mizuno
New Balance
Adidas

Dunno how long it's been since you've been out of the loop, but Nike and Adidas are a lot different from the way they used to be. And even within their own ranges, there's heaps of variance.

The current edition of Run 4 Your Life magazine has a big shoe guide, which would probably be pretty useful for you to read. I think you can order single issues from their website:

http://www.runforyourlife.com.au/

[aDrain]

And the latest Runners World Australia also has a shoe review.

Must be the season for it.

[KeithE]

Hi All, (just a quick follow-up)

Thanks for all the advice ...
I picked up a copy of R4YL mag... very helpful with my shoe selection.
I decided to stick with Adidas ....
Was going to buy a pair of adiStar Ride 2 for $AU240 ... but checked online stores to get a comparison...
Wow!! what an eye opener...
Ended up buying
1 x Supanova Glide 2
1 x adiStar Ride 2
Total price delivered to my work address was $AU250... $AU10 more than I was going to spend ...
BUT... getting an extra pair...
They would have cost $AU440 if I had purchased locally.
How could you turn down $AU190 saving on 2 x pairs ????
Why are they so expensive in OZ? is it taxes or excessive profits???

Keith ..

PS: I have since found out I could have used a coupon and received further discounts ...

[FatboyCsaba]

KeithE, on Feb 22 2010, 02:54 PM, said:

Hi All,

I'm out of touch with current shoe trends...

Generally there were Adidas & Nike when I used to run ... now there seems to be an endless list of manufacturers..

I used to find Nike was a narrow fitting, and prefered the Adidas shoe which was wider ...

Just as a rough guide, how would you rate the following manufacturers? (1 being the top rating)

ASICS
ADDIDAS
NIKE
BROOKES
NB
MIZUNO
SAUCONY

Are Adidas still up with the better shoes?

I am male, middle aged, heavy build, so probably need as much cushioning as possible ...

Looking forward to your views...

Keith

I think you should go and see a podietrist who will recommend a shoe. If you run in shoes that dont equate to your biomechanics you will get injuries and be sore after your run.

[WetWeek]

KeithE, on Mar 8 2010, 09:16 PM, said:

.....Why are they so expensive in OZ? is it taxes or excessive profits???

Hi Keith

My local running shoe store claims the price difference is down to import duty - I have no idea if this is correct. Perhaps someone else is in a position to comment? I've long pondered the inflated local prices, but haven't seen a valid explanation for it yet, which leads me to suspect profiteering.

Edit: Perhaps my suspicions of profiteering are correct:
From January 1 (2010), ..... footwear tariffs dropped to 5 per cent from either 10 per cent or 7.5 per cent.

From http://www.smh.com.au/business/employers-w...00103-lnaq.html

Edited by WetWeek, 09 March 2010 - 08:55 PM.

[KeithE]

WetWeek, on Mar 9 2010, 05:35 PM, said:

Edit: Perhaps my suspicions of profiteering are correct:
From January 1 (2010), ..... footwear tariffs dropped to 5 per cent from either 10 per cent or 7.5 per cent.

From http://www.smh.com.au/business/employers-w...00103-lnaq.html

Wasn't GST supposed to replace all tarrifs ????

[tomh]

Interesting question is why, with the tariffs lowering and dollar as high as it is, shoe prices haven't dropped at all?

[DontStop]

WetWeek, on Mar 9 2010, 06:35 PM, said:

Hi Keith

My local running shoe store claims the price difference is down to import duty - I have no idea if this is correct. Perhaps someone else is in a position to comment? I've long pondered the inflated local prices, but haven't seen a valid explanation for it yet, which leads me to suspect profiteering.

Edit: Perhaps my suspicions of profiteering are correct:
From January 1 (2010), ..... footwear tariffs dropped to 5 per cent from either 10 per cent or 7.5 per cent.

From http://www.smh.com.au/business/employers-w...00103-lnaq.html

Evil and greedy middlemen are our problem here.

There's a big bugger of a wall between the overseas manufacturer, and the local retailer. It's called a 'distributor' who basically gets a huge chunk of your money for supplying absolutely zero value to either you or the local retailer.

That's why we all go online to buy our shoes. Without these guys taking their slice, local retailers would be a much more attractive proposition for runners. That's not to say the big retail chains don't make a buck, they do. But the bulk of the nearly 100% price difference between Australia and the US and Europe can be put down to the middlemen.

[BigBert]

Hi,

I respect the rules on CR preventing the publishing of the names of reccomended online retaileers, so could you guys in the know, please send me a note with your secret suppliers names.

Thanks.

Rob