I’ve been meaning to buy some comfortable shoes for running, what would be good value options to look at?
With the $150 budget you mention in the comments you are honestly not really on a budget that restricts anything. It really depends on what specifically you are looking for.
But in general if you are looking at good value running shoes: the puma velocity nitro and Reebok floatride energy are two good daily trainer options that are usually on the cheaper side. Beyond that you can honestly find most shoes, especially last years models on discount if you wait a bit and loom for deals. Saucony for example has quite regular discounts in the US. The difference between the ride 15 and 16 is minimal, so that could also be a good daily trainer option on discount
When I go to a running shop, when we start talking about actual shoes, I say, “I’m on a budget.”. The sales people respect what my budget is, and if we can’t get into the price range I need, they have always been courteous in telling me that. They want customers to feel welcome coming back.
BTW, in the US, Brooks online has a liberal return policy.
What others have already suggested–going to a store that specializes in running–and taking a few mins to figure out what you need is the best option. From there, the previous generation or two of shoes that fit your needs can offer great cost savings.
All that being said, if you are just looking for a quick answer / run of the mill shoe, that is a good value I’ll throw out:
- Nike Pegasus 39; A workhorse of a shoe that will take a lot of miles before you have to replace
- Saucony Triumph or Saucony Kinvara which are, for me, a bit more comfortable but not quite as hard wearing
I want to try the shoe fit thing on a store, but I’m just worried the people there isn’t actually knowledgeable and would just upsell me stuff.
If you go to a dedicated running store they’ll typically be very knowledgeable and want to help. If you go to a footlocker or champs style store they are trying to hit their sales goals, there is a difference (though not always true in every case). I would suggest going to a local running store and being clear with your intentions
The stores I buy from have pretty open return policies if the shoes don’t work. Fleet Feet, for example, has like sixty days or something? I ran about fifty miles in a pair from them before I had to admit that they were too tight. They accepted them back and refunded me in full, and when I asked what happens to the pair of shoes, they told me it just gets donated.
This is all a long way of saying that if you can find a shop with a generous return policy then you can expect that their to priority will be to get you in a shoe that works. (Of course this might just be an option in USA.)
I was in the same boat not too long ago and I’m very much a beginner. The little research I did led me to believe the best option was to go to a store specializing in running equipment and talk to one of the knowledgeable salespeople there. They were able to tell me about what types of shoes would work well for me and help prevent injuries. They didn’t have anything in my price range at the time so I went looking for the previous years’ models of the same shoes and was able to get a good deal. Happily running ever since.
There is definitely nothing wrong with last year’s models on the bargain rack (except maybe the colour scheme) as long as they fit right and feel comfortable. Don’t bother with anything that doesn’t feel really comfortable from the moment you put them on. I also second the suggestion for finding a store with a knowledgeable sales person as the fit might be a bit different from your regular shoes (often a bit larger so you have plenty of room in the toe).