Buying a good pair of running or walking shoes is a must for
everybody if you want to save yourself from pain or injuries. A pair of running shoes is said to last
for 400-500 miles. A good pair
costs about $100-$150, which isn’t inexpensive, but it is a good
investment. If you consider
medical expenses incurred from pain or an injury by a wrong pair of shoes, it
isn’t bad at all. It will also be
a great holiday gift for anyone you care.
I don’t recommend you pick a pair by yourself just because
they feel comfortable. Find the
right specialty running shoe store (recommended stores). It is kind of choosing a bra (for
women). Even if you think you know
your size because you think it always
fits you, a trained salesperson might tell you otherwise (it happened to
me). Good shoe stores have
salespeople who are runners and know exactly how to pick the right shoes for
you.
I recently went shopping for a new pair of running shoes,
and I had a great experience. I
always pick a locally owned shoe store highly rated by runners. This time, I found one from Jeff Galloway’s website
because there isn’t a good one around in my area. I ended up spending more than an hour to finally decide on
one, which was the first pair I tried.
I didn’t have any preference for brands, colors, or styles, so a
salesperson brought 5-6 pairs from different brands after she checked the soles
of my old pair I brought, and how I walk, to make sure of my feet type (mine is
neutral). They let me run outside
the store to test each pair that gave me a good first impression. I appreciated my salesperson’s
knowledge and patience, which made me sure that the pair I picked was the RIGHT
ONE.
Here are my 10 TIPS for running shoe shopping. You can find more useful information at
Jeff Galloway’s
website, REI and Runner’s World.
- Make sure a salesperson measures your feet, checks how you walk (feet type), and asks about your running activity.
- Spend at least half an hour or more to pick a pair, preferably at the end of the day.
- Be open to any brands, colors, styles and even a size, so you can have more choices.
- Do not pick the exact model that you had in the previous year or before without trying them on. A new model always changes, for better or worse.
- If anything about fit bothers you, don’t buy the pair. It will only bother you more later, never less.
- Try a few more pairs even if the first pair feels perfect. You never know if there is a better pair.
- Buy special running socks at the store (you don’t find those in regular stores). They never chafe your feet and make a big difference.
- If you still like the model after using it for a while, buy another pair before a new model comes out, especially if you run regularly and need another pair within a year.
- Learn the best way to tie shoe laces.
- Ask about their exchange policy.