Running Shoes

[personchester]

One OP asked for advice as to "where to buy running shoes" the matter is of course more complicated than people realize, first of all he must establish his own running status, that is to say are you a runner or a walker, if you are a runner then what type of runner are you, long distance or short distance, and where do you do your running, in streets, trails, or fells, all those matters are important when selecting running shoes.

Then you need to establish you physical running style (feet wise) ... overpronation, or supination (and to what extent) or neutral, and then whether you are a heel striker, or a forefoot striker, all important matters in order to avoid serious injuries and not just for the feet but for the whole of the body due to potential spine damage resulting from running in the wrong shoes.

When the above is established then one knows which type of shoes to go fore i.e. motion control shoes, stabilizing shoes, or neutral shoes, one can then go for the appropriate running shoes from the following names ... Asics, Brooks, Adidas, Saucony, Nike, Mizuno, etc...

Unfortunately, they are not easily available in Thailand, try those big dept stores in BKK or C/Mai, but even if they have any of the above names they may not be of the type outlined above and the sizes are often too small for farangs, also running shoes must be about 1/2" bigger/longer than one's normal shoes therefore in order to get the right type and size one has got to buy those shoes online via the UK. or the US. it is worth doing in order to avoid injuries and, because of the health benefits of running.

But if one is only a strutter as opposed to a sportive runner then any type of pimsoll shoe (trainer) will do, as long as the colour is fashionable (What?)

[Maizefarmer]

Personally - Saucony: have had the same pair since 1996 - but its all a bit of a marketing con, isn't it. I mean, you can write all you like about runnng shoes, come up with all sorts of fancy theory and fancy construction techniques with fancy materials - then along comes some barefoot youngster from Kenya, who runs the socks off the lot of the Europeans with their fancy footwear.

[personchester]

Personally - Saucony: have had the same pair since 1996 - but its all a bit of a marketing con, isn't it. I mean, you can write all you like about runnng shoes, come up with all sorts of fancy theory and fancy construction techniques with fancy materials - then along comes some barefoot youngster from Kenya, who runs the socks off the lot of the Europeans with their fancy footwear.

Hi Maizefarmer,

You have missed the point, running barefoot is not comparable with running in shoes, running barefoot is a natural human activity where the feet adjust themselves automatically to any given surface because they are free do do so, but it must be a natural surface, this is why runners ran barefoot on the beach, or on soft lawns because they are natural surfaces.

However, feet placed in running shoes are constrained within them, so if you wear the wrong type of shoe your feet cannot adjust themselves any longer in their natural way and thus are forced to comply with the shoes design, and if the design in not in line with the feet structure then the feet will suffer accordingly, hence the different running shoes in order to prevent this.

Moreover, humans (like say horses) are not meant by nature to run on concrete, as a result the feet must be protected from the hard surfaces hence running shoes and the shoes must be in support of the natural (physical) foot type as outlined by physiotherapists.

[Livinginexile]

So what's your point?

Are you asking advise or making a statement?

Pretty sad state of affairs if you need to ask us what shoes you should buy!

[cdnvic]

I wear a size 13 and for some reason can only find the size I want up north. Phuket and even Bangkok didn't have what I needed.

[Tomasf]

I wear a size 13 and for some reason can only find the size I want up north. Phuket and even Bangkok didn't have what I needed.

Where can I buy size 13 in Thailand and in particular trainers/running shoes

[Pakboong]

Must add a comment here. I have over 40 years of experience with competitive running and just recently bought the most comfortable pair of running shoes I have ever owned and I have owned well into the several hundreds of pairs. I no longer run but I do keep a couple of pair for general walking, etc... I ran 3 New York Marathons in the 80's, all of them in Nikes. I have tried every brand made and last month while in the US, tried on and bought a pair of Eccos, and they fit my feet better than any pair of shoes I have ever tried. My foot is normal with a slight pronation. Never required orthotics or other adjustments. Try on a pair of Eccos. They are great. Too old to run, but I do feel great in them.