There are so many brands of running shoes out there. How do I know which one is the right shoe for me? 

Wikipedia alone lists 62 brands of running shoes, but they’re missing a few from the list. We tend to google terms such as Best Running Shoes of 2022 and make that $130 purchase. Hopefully, we’ll get lucky and buy the right shoe with the help of a knowledgeable store employee. 

 In February 2022, I decided that I wanted to run my first marathon in May. I’ve been running casually or CareFree for three years, but I wanted to increase my mileage and experience long-distance races this year. My casual running shoes are my Vibram Fivefingers. Still, I hit a wall with them around mile 16ish—running barefoot for me is a great training tool to strengthen my feet and learn to cope with that infamous “Pain Cave”—but I needed something with more support if I wanted to tackle marathon distances. 

I went to a running shoe store which I’ve never done before, and they even had a little track strip to test shoes on. I asked for advice from an employee who runs marathons themselves on a shoe that I can use on roads and trails—I wanted to focus on trail running after the marathon. I could see that he tried to help, but he seemed perplexed. I told him I was used to shoes that were low to the ground but needed some support. He suggested the Saucony’s Peregrine 12’s, they felt great on their little track strip, so I bought them. 

I’d like to say that the shoe is great if it’s the right shoe for the individual. 

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Lesson #1

When I started running in them, they felt a little like a cast on my feet because I was used to running in my minimalist barefoot shoes. At the beginning of every run, my shin would hurt until about mile 3, and then it would stop—I thought that was normal. 

Lesson # 2

When I steadily increased my mileage, my knees started to hurt, so I bought knee compression sleeves, and the pain went away. I thought this was normal, but I was wrong.

Lesson # 3

While running on paved roads, the tread on the bottom of my shoes was wearing off quickly. After the marathon—yes, I completed the marathon in them—I had to retire the shoes after about 350 miles or three months of running. 

How I solved my Shoe Dilemma

First, I wanted to run ultra-marathons this year, and I was not going to wear a knee compression sleeve. I watched countless videos of ultra-marathoners, and not too many wear a knee compression sleeve—I’m guessing it gets too hot, uncomfortable, and stinky after a while.

Since I was used to running in minimalist shoes, I searched for the lightest low-to-the-ground shoe. I found the Altra Superior 5’s; each shoe weighs about 8.8 oz, the stack height—the amount of material between the foot and the ground— is only 21mm, and it’s a 0 drop shoe—the height of the heel is the same as the forefoot—so my foot was in a neutral position. 

When I ran in these shoes, they felt so light and comfortable, almost like the minimalist shoes I was so used to, but with the support, I was looking for. 

My knee pain disappeared, and I haven’t needed my knee compression sleeve. I’ve run over 30+ miles in single running sessions without a hint of pain.

I’ve stopped running in trail shoes on paved roads to reduce tread usage. I use trail shoes only for trails and road shoes for paved roads. My Altra Superior 5’s have 600 miles on them, and the tread is still great.

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In conclusion, we are all different, and what works for me may not work for you. We must listen to our bodies and resolve the issues as they come. Most running stores have good return policies that allow the consumer to test out the shoes for a month or longer and return them if they’re not the right fit. I’ve done that recently with REI, where I went through four different shoes to find the right road shoe, but that’s a separate article—stay tuned. REI has a 60-day return policy for non-members and a year for members. 

So Go EXPERIMENT!  

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