running Shoes

 A chap i was talking to last night said cheap trainers are just as good as expensives ones.  i disagree with that and it did not help his argument as he does not run. 

 So, would you agree that buying expensive trainers is a waste of money?

I disagree, my expensive trainers are far better than the cheap hateful one is stated running with.   

Comments

  • There are brands that spend millions a year on developing and researching their products for specialist consumption and then there are brands that simply cater for lifestyle/fashion market. There are also brands like Nike that cater for both markets.

    You could easily pay £100 for a pair of "lifestyle training shoes" that perform badly as running shoes, there again you can by a great pair of training shoes from the likes of Brooks or inov8 for £60 that will protect your body whilst running.

    The old addage of" Nothing good is cheap and nothing cheap is good" I largely agree with, but not in all circumstances.

  • I'd say that, as long as the shoe is the right type for your gait, then cheap shoes will do just fine (i.e. if you're a severe over-pronater, a pair of Dunlop Green Flash won't do you much good in a marathon!).  You pay the extra money to have them lighter, in flashier colours or maybe a bit more hard wearing.

    Probably for the average, mid-pack half-marathon runner, a pair of cheap trainers would 'perform' just fine.  Having said that, once you've tried a pair of super-light, well-supported shoes, it's difficult to ever go back.  Overall, the expensive ones aren't always 'a waste of money', but you could probably get by without.

    Others may disagree.

  • I saw the article in the daily snail.

  • Theres some awful expensive trainers out there - does anyone run in the Nike Shox ?

    Most of my trainers have been great and around 60 - 70.  Would a shoe twice the price be any better for me ? I'm not sure.

  • I can say from personal experience I tried running 9miles plus in training for a half marathon in a cheap named pair of trainers and it resulted in both of my big toe nails going black and I got a calf injury. 

    Went out and purchased a new pair for around £50 (in the sale) which offered cushioning ect and once my injury had healed lets just say I felt like I could have given Forest Gump a run for his money image the difference was mega.

    I don't think it is necessarly how much you pay that makes the difference more whether the shoes fit correctly and offer you the correct support ect

  • Article title from the British Journal of Sports Medicine, 11-Oct-2007: <Do you get value for money when you buy an expensive pair of running shoes?>, first named author: Richard Thomas Clinghan.

    A link to the source material (pdf) at the bottom of this article: http://www.beginrunning.com/shoes/cheap-running-shoes-compared-with-expensive/

    NHS.UK commentary: http://www.nhs.uk/news/2007/October/Pages/Dontwasteyourmoneyonexpensivetrainers.aspx

    My opinion: the study only considered initial comfort versus price, not durability versus price, so it wasn't terribly useful. I'd still like to know if more expensive trainers are more durable.

  • I don't buy shoes because they are expensive, I just go with what feels best for me for the run I'm going to do! however, I usually spend about £75-£95 ish (mizuno wave creations and asics gel nimbus), which for the use I get out of them I don't think thats too bad (works out cheaper then a gym membership anyway)

    I think I have found MY shoes, the type I can get out of the box and run in and know they wont cause me an injury, if they are the more expensive makes/models, fine, but I would rather know Im getting comfort from the first to last mile without an injury caused by wrong shoes. If I brought a pair for £30 less, how do I know they are going to last as long? if they dont, I will be buying more shoes over the year which will cost more! how do I know after 100 miles they start causing injurys? a few weeks/months off running and the pain... I think I will spend the extra £30 and stick with what I know......there is always a sale on somewhere, failing that, I use 2 pairs of shoes and replace the older ones, so when it comes to replacing, there is usualy a newer version of the same shoe, even if its just a new colour, if I really wanted to save the money, I will still be able to find a new pair of the older versions (like I have already worn out)

  • why not pop over to matalan or tescos? save even more money! we're all mad for spending money on footwear, we should all go get a cheap £10 pair, the kind people use for other outdoor activities, such as gardening!

    In fact, I challlenge someone to buy a pair, run 10 miles in, and tell me they work just as well as their normal running shoes! (im not going to foot the bill for either the shoes OR the physio....good luck with your recovery)

  • M.ister WM.ister W ✭✭✭
    It's nothing to do with how much the running shoes are and everything to do with them suiting your running style.  I would happily run in a cheap pair of shoes that suited my gait and were comfortable although experience tells me that more expensive shoes tend to be more comfortable and last longer.
  • Cheap ones just don't look as good, and therefore are not as good that is my considered opinionimage 
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