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Is it worth investing in high quality running shoes?
The Internet seems to be broadly aligned that running shoes need to be replaced somewhere between 350-500 miles, which can add up for those who run 10+ miles a week. My personal experience tracks this paradigm--even at 350 miles, a well-reviewed pair of shoes have insoles that look beat up, and maybe this is confirmation bias, but running feels more effortful and even painful compared to immediately switching to a new pair.
On the other hand, there's the poverty tax example about how a rich man buys an expensive pair of boots that last 10 years, and a poor man has to buy a new pair of cheap boots every year, and in the end the rich man actually spends less money.
Ideally I'd like to buy expensive but high-quality shoes that in the long term saves money because they get more mileage per dollar. But do such running shoes exist? I've bought and run in Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Saucony, Reebok, etc. ranging from $35 to $150, and haven't had particular luck yet for something that seems "investment grade".
Thoughts welcome and appreciated.
I've always found this claim hilarious. There is an element of truth that the cheapest options are sometimes not cost effective, but if you look at cars, the total cost of ownership is pretty clearly lower for a Toyota than a BMW.
I've owned lots of boots and running shoes in my life and would solidly recommend options in the middle: the really fast Nike carbon-plated shoes are known to break easily (as it turns out, they sacrifice durability for weight and speed), and I wouldn't recommend the cheapest shoe on AliExpress either. But a normal model from a reputable brand might make 5-600 miles if you are gentle with them.
Absolutely, this is not from any scientific data, but trying to optimize for weight often results in sacrificing a lot of material. Material which provides important structure and support for the shoe.
I’d personally suggest Nike Winflo 4. I had a pair for 4 years and they are yet to fail on me. >>>600km of causal walking, trashing it in water, mud, you name it, I’ve stepped on it.
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Spending more money on running shoes gets you more comfort and support, not durability. It may actually get you less durability because that support will generally wear out a lot faster than the soles. Still worth it to me but ymmv.
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Are you racing competitively? If not, I'd say buy cheapest shoes that feel comfortable to you.
I spent about £150 on running shoes. Then, when they wore out I spent £15 on another pair. I can't tell the difference when I'm running in them.
The Grimes boot theory may have made sense in the age of leather boots with no synthetics, but these days, I think technology has shrunk the gap between expensive and cheap shoes. You'd be paying for a label.
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No; by God, I'm going to out myself as a nut. Running shoes are a huge industrial grift to sell you cheap crap that doesn't work because a few kenyans can use heel striking to break a 2 hour marathon or something. I swear to God, heel striking is a learned bad habit perpetuated by technology that makes zero damn sense. Think about it, by striking your heel against the ground first while running you are placing all of the force of your stride onto bone. And not just that, but your ankle, designed specifically to naturally spring with your foot arch and Achilles, does nothing. Your knee? Nothing. Your hips? nothing. You get straight force all the way up your leg, into your hip socket, and forcing your back to take a bunch of the force (back pain, runners?). I recommend Knowing Better's incredible video on the topic, but I've held this opinion for nearly a decade and have always stood behind my stride.
The biomechanically safe strike is on the ball of your foot. The arch flexes, the ankle bends, the knee reciprocates, and the hip bounces. This protects your spinal column from inadvertent force by dispelling the force in the body parts designed to bleed this energy first. Technically this is the "less efficient" stride because you aren't able to take as large strides and a significant portion of your energy is spent stabilizing the bounce (trust me I'm not particularly fast long distance) but what you lose in mechanical stability you gain in physical safety. I've been a runner for well over a decade and I have suffered a total of 3 injuries, all of which were shin splints and all of which were minor issues. I've competed in half iron mans, countless 5ks and 10ks, and ran varsity for track in high school. All of this was done on the balls of my feet, and I will remain on my toes because of my track record (pun not intended).
I personally think the bioneer does a good job explaining the benefits of and how to participate in toe running here. Ditch running shoes entirely and embrace the toe strike you'll save thousands of dollars on shoes and medical bills in the long run (What the hell is with these puns today?). Let me know if you have any specific questions regarding the technique, I'm modestly more qualified than most on the topic and have some war stories that can be helpful, lol.
Curious what kind of shoe you’d recommend running in? I do strike on the forefoot but I think I put a lot of stress on the ankle.
My issue is that I tend to get tenderness and pain around the outer edge of my ankles around the bone after running regularly for a while. My weeks are usually 10-15 miles right now, but I can get up to 30-40 in the summer.
Shoot, I completely forgot to reply, Got a little tied up this week. Better late than never, lol, sorry for that. Anyway...
Especially for ball strike, shoes don't really matter. Most cushioning in any cushioned shoes is going to be under the heel, so for the forefoot strike any plain shoe should be fine. Really, what you want is to strengthen the reverse motion of the strike. This is something that Ben Patrick generally advocates for as a restorative process for joints. When our feet strike the way you or I do our ankles take a bunch of force, less than a heel runner but still pulling some Gs. Doing some strength training like elevated calf raises or band presses with your toes would probably help a bit.
Also getting wider toe space in your toes would likely help with stability and prevent ankle rolling, which might be exacerbating the ankle issue. Most any "barefoot" shoes would help, you want a wide toe compartment so your toes can splay out and start grabbing the ground a bit more. Do some research, I don't own any but have been looking at getting a pair at some point for lifting and trail running. That's my general advice, not a physician so take it with a grain of salt and maybe consult someone with PT knowledge. Hope you get the pain figured out, never fun to have that type of overuse discomfort. :)
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Go to a running store that can analyze your running form, and they can recommend a shoe specifically for your running body mechanics. Some people strike with the outside of their feet, some hit the road with a more neutral form. Some are midfoot strikers, vs striking on the balls of your feet or your heel. Get a shoe that compliments your running style.
Also, when shopping for running shoes I've found that some shoes can fit well around my toes and on the sole of my foot, but felt a bit loose around my ankles. Learning how to tie a heel-lock with the shoe's laces has worked really well to correct this one particular problem I've found with shopping for the right shoe.
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