So, I bought a pair of New Balance cross trainers about 6 months ago. I've been having hip pain for a while and went and saw a doc, had x-rays to rule out arthritis, went to the chiropractor, and on and on. Well, about two weeks ago I stopped wearing the new balance because its been wet and snowy and they have this mesh on top that gets wet and air vents in the sole that lets water in. hip pain gone. It was the shoes. So, any suggestions on good shoes? I like to walk outdoors on trails and gravel paths as well as indoors on the elliptical, treadmill and recumbent bike. I have a pretty average foot, high arch, not wide or anything.

I have a pair of walking sneakers that I got from TJ Max for $16 that I swear are the best pair of shoes I have ever worn in my life.

They are LA Gear brand and nothing to look at but I picked them up because they were cheap and felt comfortable in the store.

I wish I bought every single pair of them that day. I think the difference in these sneakers compared to any others I have had is the wide foot bed. It's not a wide width sneaker but I think the design of the shoe, since it's made for walking, gives my foot room to open up and support me well.

These sneakers are dreamy, it's like walking on a pillow. It actually made me happy to write this reply, I wish for everyone to have this wonderful foot feeling. I never had this before!

I hope you find something to help.

I love Sketchers. Alot will depend on your feet and gait. I have a high arch, narrow foot (funny, since it's the only narrow thing on me). You can also go to a specialty store that will have trained staff who can analyze your gait, they should be able to tell you a good shoe. We have a NB store here that does it. It could have merely been the make of the shoe, instead of the brand.

Hi,

I use Dr. Comfort which are fitted by my podiatrist. They are great. However, I must tell you that I have also used New Balance and they were good for me. The Dr. Comfort's are just a step up and I know they are fit right.

Good luck,
Sheridan

I would recommend going to a fitness store for a professional fitting/consultation. Before making a purchase, find out about their return policy. Sometimes what seems like the perfect shoe at the store is decidedly wrong when you actually hit the road.

You could also check the websites of some shoe brands to see if they have a "shoe advisory" - you answer some questions and they give recommendations for what would be the best shoe for you in their brand. (I know for certain that you can do this on the Brooks website...not sure about other ones. I adore my "Brooks Ghost" for running!)

I second what others have said -- get a professional to take a look at your foot and analyze your gait. It's often assumed that heavier people have flat feet and overpronate, but that's definitely not always the case. I have a high arch and I tend to supinate. The New Balance motion control shoes I started out in were just causing me all sorts of trouble!

I have two different workout shoes: Saucony Rides for running (a neutral shoe with nice cushioning in the heel) and New Balance 1157s (cross trainers) for pretty much everything else (and I sometimes run in them if I'm feeling particularly inspired after a class).

A word of advice -- if you ever get into group fitness classes, particularly the dance-based ones like Zumba or Werq, don't try to do them in a running shoe. A running shoe doesn't have the lateral support that you need for all of those side-to-side and bouncy movements. I learned the hard (and painful) way!

Yes. Totally worth it to have the right fit. They can also assess your run to see if you pronate and need a shoe that is specific for that. Once fitted, I always buy a pair of shoes to be nice, then buy cheaper form Ebay from there on out.

For regular day to day walking around or light hiking, I wear OTZ shoes - which are not super to look at but are the most comfortable shoes I've EVER had.

For running/hiking/working out, I wear Merrell Pace Gloves - like the ones here.

Do you have RoadRunner Sports near you? They will fit you for the right shoe based on your feet and how you walk and they have a 30 day return policy and its extended to 90 days if you join their club!

Okay, I should mention I live in the middle of nowhere and will only be able to buy shoes online. No shoe store in over 800 miles of cold wet ocean. I'm going to look up some of these terms thrown out, and see if I can figure out what I need on my own...maybe I'll call my chiropractor and se what ideas he has...

It mght just be that it was time for a new pair. If you're working out in them a lot, then they need to be replaced frequently. New shoes can be the difference in avoiding aches, pains, and injuries.

That's tricky, not being able to try them on. That was going to be my suggestion: get a professional's help. I went to a running store and have had the people there work with me for over an hour.

My personal favourites are Asics, but I do use professional orthotics for running/treadmilling. For every day use, I wear regular shoes, and I wear running shoes without orthotics for Zumba.

No way, really?! To me, they look like they have no support! Mmm. Thinking about making a buy.

I'm currently in Asics but before that I had Saucony and they were great supportive shoes for the heavier runner. I ordered my shoes online and had them shipped because where I live there are ZERO running shoe shops, not to talk of specialty kinds that analyse gait.

That being said, I have a lower arch and slightly overpronate (another fun term you'll see a lot of in the world of trying to be your own sneaker expert). I highly recommend googling your foot type and going from there (I read lots of suggestions of good running shoes for my specific foot type from runnersworld forums, the about website, zappos etc). Google is definitely a good option here. Once I'd narrowed down the sort of shoes I wanted, I did an amazon search and read the reviews.