I got fitted for new running shoes today. I was curious if I needed something with less support, because in May, I had two separate shoe people tell me I did (after analyzing my gait).
What did I end up with? The Asics Cumulus 12 – a neutral shoe.
I wore Asics when I started running in fall of 2006. I switched over to the Brooks Adrenaline 9s (then 10s) – a support shoe – in spring of 2009. I had those fitted at another running store in the Chicago suburbs.
The salesperson who helped me today had already seen me before and was one of the first people to tell me I needed a shoe with less support. When I saw him today, he was really upset to see me running in the Adrenalines. He said they were completely the wrong shoe for me, and that I should go back to the other store and kill whoever sold them to me (he was kind of joking). He kept apologizing that I have been wearing them for so long, and he even said he would have let me return them at their store if I would have bought them there. He told me not to even wear them for walking. He asked me if I had ever had any stress fractures while wearing the Adrenalines… yes. Four.
Dramatic, right? (Him, not my answer about the stress fractures)
Why did he think they were the wrong shoe for me? Well, apparently, he thinks I don’t overpronate. At all. He thinks I actually underpronate (supinate) a little bit, and that the shoes were making me underpronate to the extreme. Or something like that.
It all confuses me (if it confuses you too, here are some videos that explain pronation). All I know is that when I look at my right foot in the picture below, something is NOT right with the way my foot is landing.
And that is how my form looked when I ran the Wisconsin Half Marathon in May, too (same shirt!).
I tried the Asics on and they felt great. So, whether or not the guy is right, I will give them a try on the treadmill to see if they work for me! If I decide to use them though, I will no longer be shoes twins with Erin and Steven (and the many other bloggers who wear Adrenalines)!
What kind of running shoes do you wear? Have you gone through different styles of running shoes? Do you think this salesperson is right about my pronation issues?
Just a random reader, but yes the adrenalines are the wrong shoes for you. In both photos, you are landing way TOO much on the outside of your foot. I also underpronate, but was fitted in adrenalines at one point. Now that I’m in neutral shoes, it completely changed the way I run and my injuries have gone down. I hope the best for ya!
Yay! It is so encouraging to hear they (neutral shoes) helped you. Thanks!
wow, those pictures say a lot! i pronate a ton, and got fitted for shoes that i love. it makes a BIG difference.
Wow the pictures are very telling! I hope the asics work better for you 🙂
Those photos were painful to look at. I am glad you got new shoes!
Oh my god! Those photos look just downright PAINFUL how your foot is landing. Usually I don’t look there, I look at your smiling face. But WOW. I hope your new shoes fix the problem!
Dude. I swear sometimes you live in my head! Check out the one photo you can see of my stride – looks just like yours, and I have a bunch more that look like that. I too wear adrenaline 10s, and am wondering if they are right for me, just based on my pics. And then you post this! Makes me want to get my gait reanalyzed….
I went to the Runner’s Edge in Libertyville. The guy who helped me is named Brian. They are open tomorrow until 5:00. Get some new shoes, girl! 🙂 Maybe WE can be shoe twins 🙂
Yay for Asics! We can be shoe twins now! Well almost! 🙂 Hope these ones work out better for you. There is nothing better than getting new running shoes. And perfect time to try them out – after the big M. So you can feel comfortable breaking them in! (Thanks for all the well wishes! So excited for tomorrow!)
Yay! New shoe twins!
I hope you had a great time today!
Wow- those pictures make it look like you are ready to roll your ankle! I hope your new shoes help and keep you injury-free!
I go back and forth between Adidas and New Balance. I don’t stick to a particular style but I can usually tell by looking at them/trying them on whether or not they’ll work for me.
I have SUCH a hard time buying the right shoes. I have been sold some TERRIBLE pairs before.
The ONLY shoes I have ever been able to run in without pain are my Nike Equalons. Theyre SUPER hard to find, so right now I have a pair of Nike’s that are one step down from the Equalons and theyre actually pretty good.
Looks like you are a supinator for sure! I also run (and walk) on the outside of my foot. I wear Asics Nimbus, a very neutral, cushiony ride. You should notice a big difference. The additional cush should prevent a good deal of road shock from going up your leg!
I say it does look like your shoe store guy is right from those pictures. I actually went for the 3rd time in 1 month to try to find shoes that worked for me yesterday and walked out with a pair that I am 99% sure are going to work. But I went from wearing a neutral shoe (and actually those Asics are the first ones I tried) to a stability shoe – the Brooks Ravenna.
I was talking with this woman who was helping me at the running store though. I over-pronate quite a bit, but if I’m running in shoes with a lot of stability I am just plain old uncomfortable. So the Ravennas are my happy medium; they offer me mild stability but are actually comfortable to wear. 🙂
I’ve had those recommended to me! I hope they work well for you! Let us know what you think of them!
The shoe store guy makes a very convincing case, with asking you if you’ve ever had stress fractures. We know you have! Hope the neutral shoe will be the end of your leg problems.
dang girl look how you land your feet 🙂 I love my asics though lately I’ve been bit of a brooks minimalist shoe girl. 8 years of asics and no issues!
Whoa – those pictures definitely don’t look right. Kinda scary! I bet you will be a lot happier with a different shoe. I run in Asics too and I love them – I have been very very happy in the Gel Nimbus and not intending to switch anytime soon. I got fitted in some Brooks at one point but did not like them at all – they gave me blisters if I ran longer than 40 minutes or so.
Woah that is one interesting stride. I wear asics and really have never had a problem. Hope the new shoes work out for you!
Whoa, those pictures DO tell a lot!! It’s funny, but kind of the same thing happened to me…I’ve been running in shoes meant for pronators for YEARS, but I recently got checked and they said I have a neutral gait! WTH? Well, here’s hoping our neutral shoes help us! 🙂
Yay! I hope so!
I can’t imagine our feet changed… were we just given the wrong recommendation?
That looks like it should be wicked painful! Do you mind if I ask how much the new shoes are and where you got them? Katie and I have used Naperville Running Company and will likely try Geneva Running Outfitters next unless you have a better suggestion.
This time I went to the Runner’s Edge in Libertyville. The shoes were $100 (that is what I expect to pay for running shoes).
Before (spring ’09)we went to Fleet Feet. They gave us both problem shoes.
Good luck!
So, I read an interesting book this summer called “Born to Run” which is about a lot of different random threads, all pertaining to running. Anyway, it posits the idea that contemporary running shoes are injuring people because they offer them TOO much support. It’s a fun book to read, and it also talks about bare-foot running. When I ran the 10k last month, I actually saw 1 person who was totally barefoot, and then two others who wore non-running shoes (more like sporty-sandals).
I have heard a ton about that book but have not read it yet! It sounds good. I am not sure if I will ever want to run bare-foot though!
Ha, this is funny. I had the Asics Cumulus 11, and finally got fitted for new shoes this weekend and was told I needed stability not neutral shoes (I had been fitted for my neutral shoes too!). Go figure!
The way you’re landing is kinda freaky. Looks painful!
Asics is my favorite running/workout shoe. It’s been the most comfortable shoe that I’ve had and one that has never given me a blister or has hurt my feet.
Ah yes, you definately supinate. 😮 A shoe with too much support can almost be worse than one with not enough. I work in a podiatry office and have learned that wearing the right kind of shoes can be lifesavers to our foot pain. I wear a neutral pair of Asics because I have a custom pair of orthotics to help with my over-pronation. If your insurance covers orthotics, you might see if you can find a podiatrist to make you some. Running shoe stores are great with helping people get the right shoes! Steven’s German chocolate cake looks mighty fine!
I didn’t know you worked in a podiatry office! I feel like I just hit the jackpot, lol! I took some pics of me in my new shoes tonight to post next Sunday. I am going to ask Steven to take a few more pics and some vids to see what you guys think!
Ahhhhhh, yep that is TOTAL supination. I really hope that they help for you!!!!! (I wish I could give more advice, but I hesitate to since your stride is the total opp of mine)