Holly - do you size up for your running shoes? I wear a 7 1/2 in street shoes but wear a size 8 1/2 for my running shoes. I used to have the same problem with the Rides, but once I started wearing a bigger shoe, the problem stopped.
+1. I wear an 8 1/2 in street shoes and a 10 in nearly every running shoe. I've never had a black toenail from running and went through many pairs of Rides with no troubles.
Once a runner . . .
I have 2 pair of 2160's which I found very comfortable ...for about 150 miles, and then only about 5-6 miles at a crack. They hurt my feet pretty bad after that. Good light shoe for track or speed workouts tho! I'm a Nike Pegasus guy, and have over 500 miles on several pair. Much better and longer lasting cushioning. I'm a forefoot striker tho, so looking more for that cushioning. I have always bought the shoes that felt the best out of the box. Don't buy too much into the different shoe types per the "reviews" & ads. Just gotta try em, and decide for yourself. Way too much emphasis is put on "getting the right shoe for your foot". Just IMO. Oh, and I put in several years of 80 mpw with that philosophy, and no injuries. ...and NEVER pay full price! Get em on sale! WOO! HOO!
I wore Mizuno Waveriders forever (both rail and road), which I found to be very comfortable, except for the fact I was susceptible to blisters. Unfortunately, with the injury to my foot, the toe box is too narrow for me now, as well.
I recently changed to Inov-8s (both trail and road) and find them to be very comfortable. Because they have a wider toe box, I haven't experienced a single blister and my foot issue has improved significantly. However, because they have a lower profile than the Mizunos, I am experiencing low back issues when running on the road (mid-foot to heal striker here).
Not sure what I'm going to do. If it's not one thing, it's another.
Leslie Living and Running Behind the Redwood Curtain -------------
Trail Runner Nation
Sally McCrae-Choose Strong
Bare Performance
Marathon Maniac #957
Holly - do you size up for your running shoes?
Yes, a full size. I wear a 6.5 in street shoes, but 7.5 in running shoes. Like I said, I think it has to do with the placement of the seam on the shoe. My toes don't hit the front, but the top of the shoe. This is not a problem when I run lower mileage.
Life is a headlong rush into the unknown. We can hunker down and hope nothing hits us or we can stand tall, lean into the wind and say, "Bring it on, darlin', and don't be stingy with the jalapenos."
have ReDiscovered Nikes which have wider toeboxes
Really? I have always found Nike to be the narrowest of shoes. (having almost no arches myself)
MM #6177
Nike redesigned their shoes to be wider, while New Balance now runs narrower. Interesting how people still view them with the former archetypes.
who says life doesn't have a soundtrack?
Interesting how people still view them with the former archetypes.
(sigh)
Rose Colored Glasses
Back in the early 90's I ran in Pegasus. At some point in time Nike discontinued them. So I got mad at Nike and ran in New Balance. Then New Balance discontinued whatever I was running in and liked. So I got mad at New Balance. By this time my daughter and husband were raving about Asics. So I got a pair of those. I ran in them and wanted to like them. I faked it for a long time. And they didn't discontinue them. But I kept have "floppy fibula" symptoms. I seemed to be injured all the time. So. I went back to the Nike. The Pegasus were back. They felt great. Like running with an old friend. Then I read that "snake oil" book about barefoot running and the Indians. So I tried the Nike Free +. Slowly. Walking first. Running a mile next. Then a few miles at a time.
I have found that I can run in the Free's up to 8-13 miles. The double digit runs are pushing it. Perhaps my feet get tired or my form needs more support? I don't know. So I run in the Nike Pegasus Breathe for bigger runs. I'm a Nike Pegasus Gal.
p.s. Also no injuries and high mileage... and NEVER pay full price! My son's friend's dad is a Nike rep. for the military. Oh and my Nike rep. told me that Nike also made a point to study the female anatomy and how we run. Then they designed their women's shoes specifically for women.
I'm a street shoe 10 and a running shoe 10. Not really any problems with toenails, well, ok, maybe a few. But I fear if I went up to 11's I'd be tripping even more than I do now.
"During a marathon, I run about two-thirds of the time. That's plenty." - Margaret Davis, 85 Ed Whitlock regarding his 2:54:48 marathon at age 73, "That was a good day. It was never a struggle."
I forgot to mention shoe size.Street shoes: 9 or 9.5
Nike shoes: 9.5
MM#209 / JapanJoyful#803
I sure got and lost black toes in the original Nike Waffle Stompers (orange) back in those days but not as bad in the blue Brooks Vantage I got a couple of years later. I think they both claimed to be the best shoe for marathons. The Brooks were wider but still ate up toes in trail races. No worries anymore though but I still have them both in case I change my mind. Come to think of it, the last time I wore 'em was about two hours faster than now. Maybe blackened/missing toenails was worth it.
"Enjoy yourself. Your younger days never come again." 100yo T. Igarashi to me in geta at top of Mt. Fuji (8/2/87)
Enke, I wear a 10 in regular shoes, and was wearing a 10.5 in running shoes but went up to an 11 and my feet are much happier. I was concerned about tripping, too, as I'm not the most graceful runner out there. But, so far so good.
Marathon Maniac #3309
Nike did re-design the toe box...much wider to me now, when they use to squish my toes some. Now I can wear the same size as my street shoes, when I did have to go a full size bigger. 10's for both now.....
Running has given me the courage to start, the determination to keep trying, and the childlike spirit to have fun along the way - Run often and run long, but never outrun your Joy of running!
Carolyn
I never got any black toenails the 5 years I ran in Asics. But I've gotten 3 since May, running in minimalist shoes.
That being said, I think both Runner's World shoe guides and toenails are overrated.
I hammered down the trail, passing rocks and trees like they were standing still.
i'm lovin' it... MM#1949
The statement "Best Shoe" implies one style fits all. That is nonsense. It all depends if you are a heel striker or mid/forefoot striker. If you are a heel striker you NEED cushioning on the heel to absorb the shock of slamming your leg into the ground like planting a pole vault pole. If you are a midfoot striker, forces are absorbed by the leg muscles, knees and arch of the foot so a beefy heel is not needed or desired.
My first running shoe was an Asics in 2003 and I've never switched from the 2000 series up through 2160. Along the way I found that my oldest pairs felt the most comfortable and new ones were always clunky. 2150's worse, 2160's worse still. I ran my fall marathon in Asics 2140's with 1800 miles on them and they felt great. I assumed my shoes were lasting and I was running everyday uninjured for over a year becasuse I was landing midfoot.
At the expo I saw a pair of Brooks PureFlow, their new minimalist shoe weighing in at 8oz and only 4 mm heel drop. So I bought a pair. OMG! I'm totally in love with this shoe. 10,000 times better than my Asics 2160, 2150, 2140's in rotation. A shoe made for midfoot landing.
http://www.brooksrunning.com/Brooks-PureFlow/1101071D325.090,default,pd.html?start=1&q=pureflow
I just can't wait to lace them up and go for another run! Is there such thing as a shoegasm?
Perch's Profile "I don't know if running adds years to your life, but it definitely adds life to your years." - Jim Fixx "The secret is to make in your mind possible what was not possible before. The secret is to make easy what was difficult, instead to make difficult what really is easy." - Coach Renato Canova