[nelie]

borntobefine - The fitter at my running store told me that people generally go up an entire shoe size for running shoes. I wear a 9.5/10 in regular shoes but my running shoes are size 11s. It was a bit of a blow to the ego to go with such a large size but it worked for me at least.

[midwife]

I would never buy a brand or style without being fitted first. $130 for a pair of shoes that you have not tried on? That could be a huge waste of money. What do you mean by custom? I've been to Adidas and Nike stores where you choose your color and style on a computer program and they manufacture them and ship them to you. Is that what you mean? They might be fun to wear with jeans, but for running? I wouldn't do it.

I fifth the advice to go to a running store, have your gait evaluated, your feet measured, and try on a few different brands/styles. Running shoes should be replaced every 400 miles or so, so it depends on how far you go how soon you need to replace them. Shoes break down.

[JulieJ08]

In regards to a couple posts, one good thing about getting fitted at a good running store is that if you go home with the shoes and have problems after a few trial runs, they will take them back

[Shannon in ATL]

Originally Posted by JulieJ08

In regards to a couple posts, one good thing about getting fitted at a good running store is that if you go home with the shoes and have problems after a few trial runs, they will take them back

Very true! I had to go back and tweak mine three times... My feet are different sizes... 7 on the left and 7.5 on the right. I got the 7.5s and my right foot went to sleep, they switched me to the 8s and they were way too big for the right even with a thick sock and a tight lacing pattern so my foot slipped out, went back and they moved me back down to the 7.5 with a different lacing pattern for the right foot to give it more room to move and a pair of really thin, fancy socks. When I buy me next pair we are going to reasses and see if we need to go with the same thing or try to tweak a little more, might even try different shoes now that I know my running patterns better. They were really helpful and didn't give me a hard time about changing shoes back and forth at all.

[Rif]

No, not at all. I usually spend around $100 for a pair (I always buy Saucony) and replace them every 5-6 months. Your knees and hips will thank you for buying higher quality running shoes. I'd recommend going to a running store if there's one in your area so they can test your gait to make sure you're getting the right kind of support for your gait.

[AR4life]

I always get Asics,($140.) they fit me best. The running stores are great at fitting if you get the right person.

I bought a pair of Asics from a stand and I ended up going to physio for my wrecked knee, turns out they were neutral shoes and I needed shoes that pronated. Who knew? lol
I'll never make that mistake again, I didn't like being hurt for fitness.