So after talking to my physiatrist the other day she said that switching over shoes could have been the cause of my injury. I had retired my old Mizuno Wave Inspire 9's after about 300 or so miles. The new ones had 50 miles on them and than I got this injury. I'm wondering if its best to alternate shoes every other day so that there is not a drastic change i.e new shoes vs. old shoes. I don't even feel like the new ones are even broken in yet, and I'm afraid to wear them again. Do I go back to Brooks Adrenalines? I went through only one pair of the Wave Inspires and liked them. Wearing the shoes just to my appointment, I noticed that they were very stiff. What do do for shoes when I get back to running?? I have one pair of Mizuno inspire 9's with only 50 or so miles and a brand new pair sitting in the box.
Running is my mental-Ctrl-Alt-Del.
race obsessed
I seem to be getting more tolerant of shoe changes. (knock on wood). I typically get a new pair when the old ones start to feel worn. I run in the Inspires also for me this happened around 500 miles. Those shoes became my inclement/ wet/ muddy terrain trainers and my primaries were the new ones.
The inspires are definitely less cushy than the Adrenalines. It depends on what you need.
Personally, I like to have several pairs with different mileage on to rotate - and if I'm feeling beat up, I often wear a pair with fewer miles on and then for a short, easy run, I'll use a pair that is near the end of its life. However, I highly doubt switching exclusively to a brand new pair of the same model shoe is the cause of your injury.
Inspires and Adrenalines are both fairly firm shoes. The Adrenalines are more supportive though, if you need more support. But if you are looking for a softer ride, I might try something else. (I don't know what - I am trying Saucony Mirage right now and they are very soft and cushiony but definitely do not have anywhere near the level of support of the Inspires/Adrenalines and I couldn't wear them every day).
I think I need more support but I over pronate so will need a stability shoe. I wore Asics 2100 series for years but switched at the 2170 when they made changes, than the Brooks now Mizuno. It couldn't hurt to go back to Brooks and see. Maybe I'll talk to my physical therapist once I get started again. Frustrating.
You could look at the new Mizuno Paradox which is more supportive than the Inspire. It's more an Adrenaline equivalent support-wise I think. But in general, I think Mizunos are a pretty firm ride. I think Brooks Trance is a more cushy version of the Adrenaline if you want something softer but with that level of support.
Maybe you need to be fitted in a LRS if you have these questions. I have always worn cushioned shoes as I have a high arch. I never went to a LRS until last summer when I won a gift certificate, and got a lot out of it.
I normally put 300 miles on each pair, and retire them. I only alternate if the current pair is wet the day after a run in rain or snow. There is no wrong answer to that question once you find what works for you.
I think I'm going to do that RSX when I'm ready to try running again. Right now its off limits till my injury gets better. Thanks for all the replies.
I'll disagree slightly with your first sentence. But first a caveat...I'm not a doctor or foot expert by any means. But I over-pronate and frankly it is very common. I'm not convinced that just because one over-pronates they necessarily need to be in a stability shoe. If that is the way your foot naturally moves I'm of the opinion it might not be the best thing to try and restrict it from doing so. Anyway, I now run in "neutral" shoes and I also am rotating between pairs of Nike, Brooks, and Hokas for my runs. They also vary from 4-9mm in heel to toe drop.
Now I'm a self-professed shoe whore but I think there may be something to rotating shoes. I've done it the past couple years and then this article/study popped up recently:
You've probably been told that running in two or more pairs of shoes throughout the week can lower your risk of injury. According to a first-of-its-kind study, you've probably been told correctly, as runners who rotated among multiple models during the 22-week study had a 39% lower risk of running injury than those who almost always ran in the same shoes.
Researchers in Luxembourg gathered information on training volume, injury rate, cross-training, shoe usage and other variables from 264 adult recreational runners. During the 22-week study, 87 of the 264 runners suffered at least one running-related injury, which the researchers defined as "a physical pain or complaint located at the lower limbs or lower back region, sustained during or as a result of running practice and impeding planned running activity for at least one day."
Of the 264 runners, 116 were classified as single-shoe wearers; runners in this group did 91% of their mileage in the same shoe, and ran in an average of 1.3 pairs of shoes during the study. The other 148 were classified as multiple-shoe wearers; runners in this group tended to have a main shoe, which they wore for an average of 58% of their mileage, but they rotated among an average of 3.6 pairs of shoes for their training during the study.
Once they crunched the numbers, the researchers found that the multiple-shoe wearers had a 39% lower risk of injury during the study period than the single-shoe wearers.
The researchers wrote that this could well be because different shoes distribute the impact forces of running differently, thereby lessening the strain on any given tissue. Previous research has shown, and runners have long intuitively felt, that factors such as midsole height and midsole firmness create differences in gait components such as stride length and ground reaction time.
As the researchers put it, "the concomitant use of different pairs of running shoes will provide alternation in the running pattern and vary external and active forces on the lower legs during running activity. Whether the reduced [injury] risk can be ascribed to alternation of different shoe characteristics, such as midsole densities, structures or geometries cannot be determined from these results and warrants future research."
Supporting this idea of reducing injury risk by varying tissue loads, the researchers also found that runners who reported more cross-training had a lower incidence of injury.
"Multiple shoe use and participation in other sporting activities are strategies leading to a variation of external and internal loads applied to the musculoskeletal system that could have a beneficial effect on [running injuries]. Although speculative, it could be that any training paradigm that limits excess repetitions will decrease the risk of [running injuries], especially overuse injuries," the researchers wrote.
Again, YMMV. Just another view point to consider.
This is what I do. Right now I have about 6 pairs of shoes that I rotate through - a pair that I only use indoors, some I only use on softer surfaces (less cushioning), and my "go-to" trainers which I have in a couple different states of wear.
20,000 miles behind me, the world still to see.
Chief Unicorn Officer
I was running in neutral shoes before my injury and have since changed to the Brooks Ravenna, and I love them. I'm recovering well from my foot injury and even the nagging Piriformis issue I had hasn't come back, and I'm up to 40 mile weeks again. They're not super super supportive, but worth a look. For what it's worth I found Mizuno's shoes to be WAY too firm, but that's a subjective thing that really is specific to what kind of feel you prefer. I think Brooks are just right in terms of firmness--Asics have always felt a bit too soft for me and my Piriformis issue worsened with those.
Mile 5:49 - 5K 19:58 - 10K 43:06 - HM 1:36:54
Alot of great advice here. Thanks for the cool article fuzzy. MJ I was looking at the Ravenna shoes. I was able to return the brand new Mizuno shoes that were sitting in a box. Yay for getting my money back. I'll probably still use my current pair since I only have like fifty miles on them, but will look at other models to see if that will help some. Finding the perfect shoe is always tough because they are always making changes.
When Asics dropped the 2170, I switched to Adrenalines but wanted something else as backup. I didn't like the Asics 2000, but the woman
at the LRS said that the Asics 1000 fits more like the 2170 so I tried those. So far, they work, though I think they have less support than the 2170 did.
I am currently rotating between Ravennas & Adrenalines. I think they are both designed for normal pronation, but the Adrenaline is the stiffer/more structured version, and the Ravenna is the lighter/more flexible version. Happy with both, but I think the Ravennas are more comfortable.
MJ5 - the new Ravenna 5 is out now - have you tried them, or are you still on the 4's? Wondering if there are any changes, I'm going to be due pretty soon. Also wonder if you have tried the Saucony Guides. I think they are a very similar shoe to the Ravenna, I am considering a pair of those as well.
Dave
When Asics dropped the 2170, I switched to Adrenalines but wanted something else as backup. I didn't like the Asics 2000, but the woman at the LRS said that the Asics 1000 fits more like the 2170 so I tried those. So far, they work, though I think they have less support than the 2170 did.
I tried these on and hated the way they felt. They felt like they had no support at all. I didn't like the the 2170. I stopped buying asics after they stopped making 2160's.
elevenses
Getting shoes right can be such a chore. I was fitted for the Inspire when I had my gait analyzed. I have an odd gait. I over-pronate with my right foot and land neutral with my left. My right leg is turned inward, so my right foot is a bit pigeon-toed. All that said, the folks at the LRS wanted to err on the side of support starting out. I really liked the fit and feel of the Inspires, but after about 4 miles, my left IT band gets very pissy. It was too much support. So, I tried PureCadences and those worked really well. Now I have a pretty good feel for how my body works and know what kind of shoe will or won't work. I can use a shoe with a touch of support and it won't bother my left side while keeping my right side happy or I can get neutral shoes with flat soles and also do well. It did take some time to figure that out, so hang in there and find a place with a good return policy! Find what works with your body and what feels right for you.
I like rotating shoes. I like using lighter shoes for speedy days and having a couple of different ones to choose from otherwise.