running shoes help needed!!

im a weights girly trying to get into a hybrid plan focusing on running (with asthma, pray for me) and i have no idea what shoes to get.

ultimately i want to be running 10 miles comfortably within the next 3-4 months, but right now i’m struggling with 2 lol

i’m completely broke so i need shoe recommendations (ideally under 30-40£) instead of the hundreds of quid ones everyone recommends. i don’t fuss about brands so any rec is welcome

also, can anyone give me an overview of running shoes in general? eg, what makes a good running shoe? where do i look? what brands shall i look at sales for? is it something in the sole or the support that makes a shoe good? how are long distance and shorter distance running shoes different?

i don’t necessarily need an answer for all the questions and i really struggle to find cheap options or websites that give a clear answer.

Reply 1

Ioana2006

Original post by shhhhhwren

im a weights girly trying to get into a hybrid plan focusing on running (with asthma, pray for me) and i have no idea what shoes to get.
ultimately i want to be running 10 miles comfortably within the next 3-4 months, but right now i’m struggling with 2 lol
i’m completely broke so i need shoe recommendations (ideally under 30-40£) instead of the hundreds of quid ones everyone recommends. i don’t fuss about brands so any rec is welcome
also, can anyone give me an overview of running shoes in general? eg, what makes a good running shoe? where do i look? what brands shall i look at sales for? is it something in the sole or the support that makes a shoe good? how are long distance and shorter distance running shoes different?
i don’t necessarily need an answer for all the questions and i really struggle to find cheap options or websites that give a clear answer.

Hiya!

I'm not much of a runner myself, BUT I own a pair of sketchers that I've had for the past 5 years and they still serve me well. Yes they obviously have age related wear and tear however, they are the comfiest shoes I own.

And I bought them from a website called MandM direct - completely genuine retailer, kinda like a cheaper sports direct. There's all types of shoes and trainers on there as well as clothing that is branded but reduced from the RRP pricing (I'm assuming it's stock that is no longer 'on trend')

I think I paid about £39 ish for my pair. They're pretty as well. I know some people don't like sketchers and say they look like old people shoes but honestly they're so comfy it doesn't even matter. I used them for P.E in high school, where we were running quite often, and they've held up pretty well.

Here's a link to the running sketchers on Mandm direct:

https://www.mandmdirect.com/01/womens/trainers/running-shoes?device_type=1&fh_view_size=96&fh_location=//catalog01/en_GB/website%3E{mandmgbp}/productsalesgender%3E{womens}/category%3E{trainers}/subcategory%3E{runningshoes;runningspikes}/brand%3E{skechers;skecherssport}

Explore the website, you might find a good pair there.

Hope that's helped! Good luck!

Reply 2

bl0bf1sh

Original post by shhhhhwren

im a weights girly trying to get into a hybrid plan focusing on running (with asthma, pray for me) and i have no idea what shoes to get.
ultimately i want to be running 10 miles comfortably within the next 3-4 months, but right now i’m struggling with 2 lol
i’m completely broke so i need shoe recommendations (ideally under 30-40£) instead of the hundreds of quid ones everyone recommends. i don’t fuss about brands so any rec is welcome
also, can anyone give me an overview of running shoes in general? eg, what makes a good running shoe? where do i look? what brands shall i look at sales for? is it something in the sole or the support that makes a shoe good? how are long distance and shorter distance running shoes different?
i don’t necessarily need an answer for all the questions and i really struggle to find cheap options or websites that give a clear answer.

Have a look on sportsshoes.com – they often have some decent shoes at a reasonable price
https://www.sportsshoes.com

In terms of brands for running shoes for the types of runs you'll be doing (assuming on roads or similar?), I'd say the top ones are Brooks, Saucony, New Balance, Asics, maybe Hoka, some people like Mizuno and On. Some of the more expensive Nikes are ok for racing but I wouldn't go for the cheaper ones. I don't have much experience with Adidas.

I've run in Brooks most of my life and they've got decent cushioning. They tend to do "neutral" or "support" shoes depending on basically the shape of your foot and pronation etc., which essentially aims to give you the right level of support to try to reduce unnecessary strain on your ankles/achilles/knees etc.. They have a "shoe finder" which can be useful for working out which types of shoes might suit you best; quite a few other brands do similar stability/neutral types of shoes as well so you can just use it as a guide and then look at other brands. Most running shops (like the more independent ones) tend to gait analyses and fittings etc. but the shoes tend to be a bit more expensive (like £130–£150+).
Shoe finder: https://www.brooksrunning.com/en_gb/shoefinder/

Ideally you'd be able to try on a few pairs before you buy anything just to get a feel for sizing and cushioning etc – in terms of size generally you want about a finger's width between the inside end of the shoe and your big toe; remember that your feet will expand a little during a run and also throughout the day, and too small shoes = black toenails for certain. Also for running shoes typically need a slightly bigger size than with your other types of shoes. If there's a bigger chain shop like sports direct that you can go into and try on a few shoes before buying online that'd be great; don't do the same in smaller independent running shops so you're not wasting their time or business etc (i.e. only go in if you intend to buy something – I'm a big advocate for supporting local businesses but it's annoying from their perspective to get customers who don't buy anything).

More on shoes:
Generally, the more time spent on roads/hard surfaces = more cushioning needed ; trail shoes typically have more grippiness but less cushioning so I wouldn't run more than a couple of km on roads in trail shoes. You can kind of see how much cushioning there is by the size of the sole (the rubbery bit) and also the actual shoe round the ankle.
There'a also something called drop which is how high the heel is in relation to the ball of the foot – it's not really something I consider much but might be worth looking into if you find you're susceptible to injuries (if this is the case also look into support and cushioning and so on). Also some shoes have a carbon plate but I wouldn't use carbons for everyday runs (basically they give a bit of extra spring which can be good for racing but not really needed for training runs also I'm not sure how great they are for your feet/ankles/legs long-term).
A bit more on shoe terminology etc: https://runkeeper.com/cms/start-running/anatomy-of-a-running-shoe-heres-what-all-those-technical-terms-actually-mean/
General space/sizing of shoes: from experience, Hokas tend to have a slightly wider toe box, also you'd want to go up a size vs other brands; Asics are a usually a bit narrower (also I find the sole a bit clunky, along with Mizunos); some Sauconys and Brooks have a similar cushiony feel to the sole which I personally quite like. And a lot of Ons have those holes in the soles which might squeak a bit if they're wet?

Sorry that's quite a lot haha.
At the moment there are a few decent Sauconys on the sportsshoes website for around £40, would definitely recommend trying some shoes on before buying any, and get something that's comfortable and fits properly :smile:

Also would recommend wearing running socks (as opposed to normal socks); Primark do some for reasonably cheap :smile:

Reply 3

Surnia

Life & Style Forum Helper

Find somewhere that does free gait analysis to see how you actually run. There's a long list of foot movements for how your feet describe the ground. For starters, have a look at the soles on a pair of flattish shoes that you have worn a lot and see where they are worn, eg around the heel on the outside of your foot. That will be useful information to take along.

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