Ok all this talk about buying shoes locally or online or off the back of a truck or from a part Inuit sherpa at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro has got me thinking about my own shoe situation, not in terms of where to buy but in terms of which ones to buy!

You'd think I shld know better but after 2 years of wearing "real" running shoes I'm still none the wiser about which shoe is my ultimate and given the changing nature of running shoes with new models and types and technology etc I suppose there may not actually be any such thing!

I currently wear Mizuno Wave Inspires (on my second pair).
In the past I have worn:
Brooks Trance
Brooks Glycerin
Adistar Cushion
Asics DS Trainers

I currently wear off the shelf orthotics.

Apparently I am a mild pronator (it's a little more pronounced in my left foot).

Apart from the Trance which were my first shoe and purchased and worn when I was lucky to have been running 15km a week I have gotten varying injuries with all pairs so I dont actually think the shoe is to blame, it's my dodgy biomechanics.

I think of all of them the DS Trainers have been my favourite and I'm thinking of either reverting back to them or trying a new pair all together!

So my questions are simple:

Should I go back to a podiatrist and get my gait assessed again?
Can you wear orthotics in any shoe?
Given the scant information provided, what other shoes can you suggest?!


Apologies for the "me, me, me" nature of the post... I think I'm allowed though as I've been advised I technically scrape into Gen Y!

Nike Structure Triax
Nike Equalon
New Balance 1224 (or 1223 which is the previous model)
Saucony Omni
Saucony Hurricane
Brooks Adrenaline
Asics Kayano
Asics 2140

All these are support shoes like the Trance-I could be wrong but isn't the Glycerin nuetral? All of these will be heavier than the DS and more like the Trance and Inspires.
Is it urgent? If you wait until you move to Sydney you can go to a specialist store who can give you better advice. I have no idea if there's one in Perth.
Or nip up to Brissie while you are at Gold Coast for the marathon and speak to Steve the Footman. He might even have a stand at the expo-pm him and ask.

Thanks WOOH...
It's not urgent...I'm not messing with shoes 3 weeks out from a marathon but i'll be due for a new pair afterwards (Perth marathon - I'm not doing GCM).

Yep Glycerin are neutral but the first podiatrist I saw said my pronation was mild enough I could gt away with them. I actually hated these shoes and didn't wear them out before I switched shoes.

I really need to go to a shoe haven where I can access any pair of shoes I want, try them on, walk around, have a bit of a jog but with no sales person in sight... they freak me out... or at least the perceived pressure to buy freaks me out!

I don't know what you want to know, but It you are into Wave Inspires. I am a Mizuno addict.

Inspires suit me to a 't'.

And I do like your photo!

New Balance MR720GR x 4 - would've stuck with them forever, but the twats at NB took 'em out of production.

Asics DSTrainer12 were good, but hated the DSTrainer13.

Brooks Adrenaline 8 - could only just run 5K's in them, but have become quite a good 'B'cross trainer.

Mizuno Wave Inspire 4 then 5 have been good. My 'B' runner is currently Asics Gel Stratus 2.

On cross trainers I'm a long term fan of the mx100x series.

If you have 'dodgy biomechanics' then going to a pod to get your feet checked out is the best. They will then recommend whether or not you need real orthotics and what shoe would be the best suited for your gait line. Like wombat pointed out glycerin is a neutral shoe, so is adistar cush, whereas trance and inspire are for mild overpronators.

Last two trips to Runners World I have just tried on shoes at leisure running up and down Fitzgerald st with the same guy who coincidiently buys new shoes on the same days as me. Can't get more chilled out than Bob on a Sunday afternoon with the footy on and store of customers

What did the second pod recommend?

Have been assessed by 2 pods and at least 2 physios over the last year!



I think when I went to see 2nd Pod (Darryn) I had randomly decided I wanted Adidas and asked which adidas wld be best... hence the adistars... he also mentioned Aiscs Gel Nimbus.

Bah...maybe I shld just stick to my Mizunos... and experient with a "B" set of shoes... damn expensive experimenting!

Brewer I think my DS Trainers were the 12s..

This isn't helpful at all, but I've been running a couple of years also and have no idea what are the best shoes I should have. I don't even know what type the shoes I currently have are except that I have some adidas and brooks. Um so in closing, you are not alone.

End useless post.

Stella apart from 'biomechanically challenged' have the pods or physios highlighted what the cause is and what can be done to solve it (eg strength training) or reduce the impact? I'm curious as both pods have recommended you wear neutral shoes (Glycerin & Nimbus) which would suggest your gait is fine. Have you advised you are using off the shelf orthotics as this will effect the type of shoe you do choose.

I'm also having troubles, after being a very happy Glycerin wearer my feet have changed with the last pregnancy and I can't quite seem to find the right shoe. Have switched from Adrenalines to Trance to this week Kayano's and now have an injury , no idea what made me change shoes 3 weeks from the marathon but the good leg feels better. My PT thinks I have an imbalance in my hip which is affecting my left leg in the form of ITB and the calf strain (or whatever I have done). Will wait and see what the physio thinks. The only foot purchase I'm going to make in the next month is new ankle floats for deep water running.

Stella,
What is the reason you are using orthotics. As others have questioned, did your podiatrists know or advise you to wear them? You say you are a mild pronator, well all I can see is the orthotics are just going to cancel your natural and necessary pronation.
Bloody Gen Y......

Orthotics/Inserts given to me by my physio not a podiatrist. I only saw podiatrists for the purpose initally of gait assessment ("coz everyone was doing it mum") and then again when I had PF in my right foot.

The biomechanics are a matter of glute strengthening... another matter entirely!


Ah well, I have 3 weeks to muse over it all and decide on a plan of action.

Thanks all