New Running Shoes - 01

Last week Tanvi went shoe shopping; she wanted a new running shoe. I went along with her and tried a bunch of them.
What happened next can only be described as magical.
A vast new world of comfortable running shoes was opened up to me.

I was always apprehensive of running shoes because I used to believe that running shoes were inherently bad for you because of how they are built. The cusioning, the heel-to-toe drop etc are all bad for you and your feet.

Unlearning anti-shoe propaganda :P

I cant remember how it started but I wa always scared that I would damage my feet by using the wonng type of running shoe. So I went ahead and bought the cheapest shoe I could find with the lowest drop. This was okay for smaller runs, but not great for longer runs. Especially on pavement.

In all my research I completely disregarded the fact that I live in a city and I predominantly run on pavement. This makes cushions slightly more important, especially for a beginner like myself. Especially for someone like me who has dealt with a bunch of knee and ankle related injuries in the past.

What type of running shoes should one buy ?

I know that humans were built for running and a neutral foot is good for the body etc etc. But the point still stands that I am not running in a jungle or on grass. I am running on concrete / asphalt. This causes a lot of extra ground reaction force which is not nice for the joints. This is obviously very subjective to me.

I have friends who tell me that using a cushioned shoe is like using a crutch and instead I should train my body handle these leads. I think I can do both. Since I need to train for the upcoming races, I dont want to spend time to wait for my tendons and ligaments to get better. These tissues take a long time to adapt anyway.

Soft cushions make me feel slightly less confident on roads. So I have decided to get shoes which have a rather supportive cushioning. Here are the top contenders

• Nike Pegasus 39

  • Very stable shoe
  • Felt very good to wear
  • Reddit loves this as a daily workhorse

• Asics Novablast 5

  • VERY cushiony
  • Reddit says that the foam does not last as long as it is claimed to be

• Asics GT 1000 14-TR

  • Supportive Cushion
  • Feels very confident
  • Good for casual trail running as well

• Asics Gel Nimbus

  • Again, Reddit loves it for long, easy run
  • Reddit says cushions last a long time

• Asics Gel Kayano

  • Supportive version of the Nimbus

• Adidas Adizero EVO SL

  • Reddit loves it, says it lasts quite a long time

I am not too fond of cushions and it makes me feel slightly underconfident.
I am leaning towards the Asics Gel Kayano. If not I would get the Pegasus

Also older version of the Gel Kayano and Pegasus are both available at significant discounts at retailer here.

I will update this when I get one.