Forums > General Running > Stability vs Neutral Shoes
I decided to visit a "real" runners store for the first time looking to purchase some trainers. I have never had a gait analysis completed...I had no idea if I pronate, supinate, high/low arches etc. I began running about a year and a half ago at age 41 and have run about 1000 miles since...probably 700 of those miles in a pair of Nike Free 5.0s. If my feet felt a little tired running in the Frees I would (maybe once a week) run in an old pair of Nike Air Pegasus (maybe eight years old).
I recently purchased some Nike Free 3.0s (which I like a lot...my 5.0s are looking beat up) and I am retiring the Air Pegasus. I thought alternating with another light trainer would make some sense. I was planning on trying the Nike Lunaglide, Sacony Kinvara and I am also sort of intrigued by the Newtons (I like light weight shoes with low heel-toe drops).
So what do I find out? I have a normal to somewhat high arch, I over-pronate (somewhat), I am right-foot dominant (more weight distributed to right foot), my toes point outwards when I stride and my right foot is slightly larger than my left (10 vs 9.5) and I have a D width. Wow! I had no idea my stride was so screwed up! Just kidding although it was a lot more information than I expected...actually according the sales person, I had a pretty normal evaluation for a stability shoe. The sales rep also did a "footbalance" procedure in which she made some custom insoles which I can purchase and use in place of the manufacturer insoles.
I figured, based on my running for the last year or so in the Nike Frees, that I was a neutral runner.
Doesn't the recommendation for stability shoes and custom insoles seem counterintuitive to my training in Nike Frees for the last year? I am wondering if I should stick with neutral shoes with no custom insoles. I have had no injuries since I began running 1 1/2 years ago.
By the way, I thought the store was awesome. It had a great selection of shoes, four treadmills, video equipment etc. and the sales person was super friendly and very, very knowledgable. I dont want to give the wrong impression. There was no sales pressure and she was not "pushing" stability shoes...they were just what she recommended based on the gait analysis.
I am wondering if I should stick with neutral shoes with no custom insoles. I have had no injuries since I began running 1 1/2 years ago.
If it were me, I would stick with what feels right. I've had some horrible shoes recommended by running store people. I've also had some great shoes recommended. To me, the best two things about a running store are a wide selection and a treadmill so I can check them out for a few minutes before I hand over my money.
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When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?
+1
And what if you wanted to start running barefoot? Would you forget about it because you were told you needed a stability shoe?
I'd keep running with what you're currently wearing and don't worry about the analysis. For one thing, you may not be running the same way for the sales person/analyst as you do when you are just out for a run. When you were running for the analysis, you had to have been thinking about your gait and the process of running.
Its kind of like when I went to a golf pro for a swing lesson. I ended up thinking about my swing more then just hitting the ball and consequently, the advice I received didn't translate into better ball striking when I took it out to the course.
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10k = sub 45:00
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Thanks for all the informative comments. Is there a big difference between stability and neutral shoes? I have tried to do research on my own but the information is somewhat confusing. Neutral shoes have "cushioning" whereas stability shoes have "medial support" which I understand is some kind of post in the sole.
I guess what I am looking for is a minimal shoe for training and I am assuming that a neutral shoe is more "minimal" than a stability shoe (all other things being equal) but maybe I am incorrect in that assumption.
I wear nuetral shoes. I have never really had a gait analysis, I just did some reading on the net and felt I fit into the neutral category.
I run mainly in Air Pegasus shoes and also have a pair of Lunarglides and Zoot Ultra TT's. The Air Pegasus has noticeably more cushion in it then the Lunarglides or my Zoots. If you're staying with Nike, you could try the Lunarglides. I can feel the road more in the LG's then I can in the Pegasus, but the Zoots are even more minimalist.
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and that a good store takes returns!
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Just my two cents...
If you knew you were going to reject any advice they gave you, why did you waste everyone's time with the gait analysis?
That's what pisses me off about the stores around here: they only accept returns if the shoes haven't been worn outdoors. This sucks because
Menace to Sobriety
That's what pisses me off about the stores around here: they only accept returns if the shoes haven't been worn outdoors.
Don't some of the online places offer some kind of 30 day return policy?
They do, but I'm in Canada and all of the good mail-order places are in the States. I can order from/return to them (although Asics seem to be an issue), but I have to eat the shipping fee, which is usually $35-ish.
dnstapes: As you may expect, the sales person suggested the gait analysis when she heard that I had never had one. I didnt suggest that we do one. I went into the store because it had an impressive selection of shoes for me to try.
That said, I thought the store and the sales person were great. Based on the time spent with me I plan on frequenting the store and buying additional products from the store (I already spent over $100 there). In addition, I found the information regarding my gait/stride very informative. Doesn't sound like a waste of time for either party.
Moreover, I still may follow the advice offered. The point of my post is that I was surprised by the recommendation for a stability shoe and I am trying to gather futher information regarding the difference between a stability shoe and a neutral shoe. For example, I was under the assumption that a "neutral" shoe was more minimal than a "stability" shoe but maybe I am incorrect in that regard. Therefore, the advice to purchase a stability shoe may be perfectly consistent with my training in Nike Frees for the past year.
The store has a great return policy so my plan is to purchase shoes from the store, run in them for a few weeks and if they dont work out, return them and try another model. This store accepts returns within 30 days regardless of road use.
I would trust the analysis. You are fine now because you just got into real running, and you haven't run enough to injure yourself yet. It will happen. You don't want to get injured down the line on something you could have prevented. There is a lot of science behind it, don't just go and ignore it because its change. As long as its a good running store, they are normally right.
The Lunarglides are a minor stability shoe. THe Lunarflys are the neutral ones. If I recall correclty, anyway.
I like the Pegasus. A foam brick is what I want at the bottom of my feet when running on hard surfaces.
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