I like Pumas and new balance. Don’t bother wasting time on Jordans or any other shoe with stupid pumps or bubbles. Just buy what feels good on your foot.
Oh, and I tend to go against the crowd WRT the 991. I think it is a terrible running shoe. Keep in mind that it is designed for over-pronating. Another note, Amateur shoe fitters are convinced that everyone overpronates so they all recommend the 991.
I wear the 991 casually, but would never… ever… run in them.
Plus, they are heavy.
As has been indicated, the best shoe is highly individualized. I would suggest that you buy your first pair from a specialty running store that is staffed by people who have significant experience assessing for pronation etc. and will get you a proper fit.
Do not pick shoes because they look cool.
Whatever classification you fall in regarding degree of motion control/cushioning, try on similar shoes from several different brands to see which ones feel best to you.
The most expensive shoes aren’t necessarily the best.
There are several studies that have examined running shoes and their effect on gait/pronation/injury. You can get all the info you would ever want by doing a Google or Pubmed search.
If you are getting into long distance running, I would suggest that you get the book Lore of Running by Tim Noakes.
Take care,
Ryan
[quote]hoosierdaddy wrote:
PGA200X wrote:
Shox are the most cushining shoes available. They do wonders for your legs. Try a pair, you wont be dissapointed.
So says the man with the Nike insignia in his avatar.
[/quote]
I can’t stand my Shox, they tend to run narrow and a size small in my oppinion. I had to special order them in size 15 and they were to small, so the guys at footaction got me some 15 wides. I personaly much prefer NB and Adidas though. And I’ve had shin splints, I was always told it was from my high arch causing over rotation and pulling the tendons, so look for a shoe with good heel support to counteract that. But just like everyone else has said, everyones foot is different so go try a bunch.
Anyone remember L.A. Lights by Nike? The ones that would light up when you hit the ground? I wish they still made em, they were awesome.
[quote]Nate_0_raid wrote:
Anyone remember L.A. Lights by Nike? The ones that would light up when you hit the ground? I wish they still made em, they were awesome. [/quote]
Hell ya…
They have more high-tech ones now though.
Funny story about those light up shoes.
On one of those America’s Stupidest Criminals shows, the cops were chasing some guy in a car. He ditched the car and took off running through a forest. It was night, and he would have got away, but the cops followed him because his shoes lit up every time his foot hit the ground. Classic.
[quote]Eric Cressey wrote:
PGA200X wrote:
Shox are the most cushining shoes available. They do wonders for your legs. Try a pair, you wont be dissapointed.
Are you serious? Next to high-heels, Shox are the single-worst thing that you can put on your feet to run, jump, squat, or even just sit around in.[/quote]
Who said I squat or dead in them? They are perfectly fine for running and jumping. I’ve used them for years and have not had a single problem with them and as I said before they helped my “shin splints”. Sorry Cressey, cant take your view/advice on this one, bud.
I had the same problem last year, doing a little running much like you are talking about. I was going about two to three miles and the next day I’d have shin splints out the ass.
I then bought the New Balance 991’s, on my third pair now. Their great shoes, I couldn’t do without them. Started wearing them and all my problems went out the window.
Shox are BS. Google it, there’s pleanty of articles about how shox don’t do a thing.
[quote]GriffinC wrote:
Shox are BS. Google it, there’s pleanty of articles about how shox don’t do a thing.[/quote]
I can give two shits about “articles.” I’ve used them and they helped me. Though I made that frighteningly clear?
Anybody have recommendations for a good cross trainer type shoe? Something for lifting, agility, jumping, etc. yet you could still use for a distance run a few times a week? Thanks.
[quote]PGA200X wrote:
GriffinC wrote:
Shox are BS. Google it, there’s pleanty of articles about how shox don’t do a thing.
I can give two shits about “articles.” I’ve used them and they helped me. Though I made that frighteningly clear?[/quote]
I also happen to think the shox suck… but this perfectly illistrates the point that each person will have a shoe that works best for them… it is very specialized and really trial and error is the best. I worked in a specialty shoe store which carried 50% running shoues and the rest sports related shoes, no casual sneaks at all. While we can help a little bit, it is something that you will just have to get a feel for. the other thing is that your store fitting is not what the sneaker will feel like in 10 runs or so…
V
[quote]PGA200X wrote:
GriffinC wrote:
Shox are BS. Google it, there’s pleanty of articles about how shox don’t do a thing.
I can give two shits about “articles.” I’ve used them and they helped me. Though I made that frighteningly clear?[/quote]
Helped you do what? Jump higher? Absorb shock when landing from a high jump? Please explain what they did, so I can attack it 
[quote]jnessland wrote:
Anybody have recommendations for a good cross trainer type shoe? Something for lifting, agility, jumping, etc. yet you could still use for a distance run a few times a week? Thanks.[/quote]
Such a shoe doesn’t exist, unfortunately. For lifting, esp squats and deads, you are going to want a flat soled shoe (like Chuck T’s, Wrestling Shoes, etc…) for agility type work you are going to want a cross trainer or tennis (as in the sport) shoe, which would however be to heavy for a distance running shoe. It just doesn’t seem plausible.
I love Nike Shox. They’re comfortable as hell, and provide great stability. I underpronate like a mofo, and they seem to help me. Also, at the bottom position of a squat in Nike Shox, I feel more balanced. Just my opinion, everybody is different.
You need to get a shoe that fits you. Super Runners Shop http://www.superrunnersshop.com/ has knowledgable salespeople who can help you get the best shoe for you. They look at the wear patterns on your shoes, watch you walk/run and based on your needs they recommend a shoe. I’d look for something similar to that if you can.
I don’t know that one can go so far as to say shox are “crap” or “they suck” or “they don’t do anything and are all bullshit” and count their comment as more than an opinion. There’s no research or even educated observation to back those remarks.
Like everyone has said, the best shoes are very much dependant on the feet their being put on. All the rest are opinions, or at best reviews from their own experiences.
Shox don’t work at all for some people because the shox themselves force the heel to rest farther off the ground than other shoes (maybe somewhat to the order of what Mr. Cressey pointed out about the high heel effect). For some people this is a real problem and can cause shin, foot, and ankle pain/injuries. Also with the heel higher there is a greater potential for ankle rolls (though Nike and Adidas with their new a3 shoes have countered this by widening the base of the shoe under the heel).
Additionally, with the heel raised some people experience arch pains (in fact some of the first iterations of the shox were recalled due to this). This has been alleviated in the shox by hardening the material underneath the arch so that the foot is supported and not having to withstand the impact from each landing in the middle of your foot. But again this causes the foot to lay with your heal higher in the shoe. The raised heel effect isn’t as pronounced in shox versions where the shox system is utilized beneath the entire shoe (the Nike VC3 was evidence of that).
At the end of the day, the raised heel and added impact support that the shox system provides work really well for some feet. It is important to recognize that the shox do not provide added cushioning, in fact these shoes are particularly known for being less “cushy” and often having a longer break in time. But their impact support is better than most other systems, which is what the shox columns were designed for.
Unfortunately Nike decided to market these shoes originally with that stupid “boing, boing” commercial and screwed the pooch on what perception on these shoes was.
As a side note, any Nikes with the Air system in them will provide superior cushioning and your foot will sit lower in the shoe than any of the shox or adidas a3’s. But the impact transfer won’t be as good as shox.
…Somebodies spent too much time on the internet…must find a life now…
Greg
[quote]hoosierdaddy wrote:
jnessland wrote:
Anybody have recommendations for a good cross trainer type shoe? Something for lifting, agility, jumping, etc. yet you could still use for a distance run a few times a week? Thanks.
Such a shoe doesn’t exist, unfortunately. For lifting, esp squats and deads, you are going to want a flat soled shoe (like Chuck T’s, Wrestling Shoes, etc…) for agility type work you are going to want a cross trainer or tennis (as in the sport) shoe, which would however be to heavy for a distance running shoe. It just doesn’t seem plausible.[/quote]
Exactly, the only possibility you could have here would be a trail running shoe like the Nike ACG, which is a great trail shoe. If you are doing really heavy squats though, the possibility exists of the cussioning in the shoe becoming “wobbly”? running a few times a week in anything other than a running shoe will really mess you up. your legs and back will get beaten.
V
[quote]ggarrett wrote:
I don’t know that one can go so far as to say shox are “crap” or “they suck” or “they don’t do anything and are all bullshit” and count their comment as more than an opinion. There’s no research or even educated observation to back those remarks.
[/quote]
There are several articles out, google is your freind.
I would never dare put on a Nike Shox for anything involving running…
Who knows though… I’m just a triathlete