Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The fads in running are so funny. When I started running, minimalist was in, so I learned how to run in those. I run in FiveFingers or Merrell Pace Gloves. But I started in those, so I've adapted. If I tried running in my supported Asics, I would get an injury because the two shoes influence a different type of impact.
Well, I went to the running store today, instead of waiting until Friday. And, after all of my few days of obsessive online research, assumptions about what I needed, endless professional and amateur reviews, the answer to the question of "which shoes are a good fit for me" was alarming - Asics GT 2000 4.
This is an incredibly unsexy choice for me since I was kind of thinking I'd have to jump to something new and exciting. I've had multiple pairs of Asics GT 2000 series over the years and never really thought much about it. These are shoes that I picked myself before I ever knew about types of shoes or ever went to a running specialty store. I'd get them on sale at Sports Authority. And, it's unsexy because they're such a standard, popular shoe. Sort of the Toyota Camry of running shoes.
Anyway, a couple big surprises:
1. I didn't need a motion control shoe, just a stability shoe. I'm 5'9, 207 (I weighed myself today, I said 200 upthread), and have what I thought was a fairly low foot arch (but not flat). I was getting ready for something like Brooks Beasts. But, the guy looked at how I walked and watched as I jogged around the store and said right away - stability shoe. He also thought my foot arch wasn't quite as low as I perceived.
2. Sizing -- much bigger than expected!! We all know shoes vary, between brands, between types. Any sort of casual shoes or boots, I wear between 10 and 11. For years I wore size 11 running shoes and then 10.5 and then 10. Why? Well, I also play tennis and in tennis, I (and many other players) like a snug fit. You're constantly planting and changing directions and your feet will slide in your shoes and you want to avoid that as much as possible. So you generally don't leave a finger nail or 1/2 inch at the tip like I always learned. In fact, some players use what are technically undersized shoes with their toes jammed right up to the edge. So I think that transferred to running. I just got used to snugger shoes and maybe my feet did change a bit, so I started dropping sizes not really considering the difference between running and tennis.
So, the salesman asks me what size and I say 10. Too snug he says and then we go to 10.5. Still, not much room at all on my right (bigger) foot. We go to 11 and still not ideal room. Finally settle at 11.5 and I'm beyond shocked. The shoes feel very good, but I object repeatedly - "this can't be."
We then try on Saucony's, New Balance and Brooks. I liked the Brooks. Swimming a bit in the Sauconys and NB. Problem is that we used 11.5 as the size standard and didn't try on a full range of sizes in the other brands. I did try on 11s in the Sauconys and Brooks but nothing smaller.
The Asics were the only 11 or 11.5s that still felt like a great fit around the heel. I also tried the Asics Gel Kayanos which felt pretty good, but not enough of an improvement over the 2000s to justify the extra $40.
So, I was looking to this entirely new beginning with a new sort of shoe and I'm back to square one. Lol. As I said in my original post, I haven't been running consistently, and when I do I've been wearing very old Asics 2000 series or 1000 series. I know old shoes are not optimal, but I didn't realize the enormous difference that simple newness could make.
Lastly, I'm STILL freaked out about the upsizing. But, I took them out for a three mile run tonight and they felt very good. I really like the extra space in the forefoot and the heel was stable. Cushioning was good but not too mushy. As someone who is fairly heavy on my feet (no matter what size I am), an overcushioned shoe would probably make me grind harder into the ground so I can feel it. These shoes combined cushion and "feel" pretty well. I know it's only been one run, so I can't tell that much yet. But, it looks promising. I just wish you could demo shoes for 4 days and try a lot of different shoes in real-world running situations.
So this is my first shoe in my hopefully new consistent running phase. I learned a lot on this thread, thank you. We'll see how these work out. In a few months maybe I'll try something new, having a better understanding of what I need. And, I really learned you have to replace your shoes (duh).
Last question. If you get a second pair of shoes to rotate (I've never really done this), should you absolutely get the same exact shoes?
Last edited by goillini8; 07-12-2016 at 11:01 PM..
Congrats on the 'new' shoes! hehe Kinda funny you ended up with the same model but that happens. If they work, stick with 'em. I used to rotate different shoe models, same brand but different models. Never had a problem.
After doing my shoe research, I really want to try Brooks Beasts, even though according to the running shoe store guy, I don't need such an extreme stability shoe. I just want to see what they're like. But, there's no demos for running shoes, lol.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I used to rotate different shoe models, same brand but different models. Never had a problem.
