Printable View
One of my DDs is taking up running. Does anyone have a shoe they recommend? This will be for distance. She doesn't need the most expensive pair, she may decide she doesn't like running, but I do want her to have a good pair. She's still in kids sizes, and has a long, skinny, flat foot.
There are several good brands for running. Try Asics, Saucony, and New Balance. Avoid Nike. My family tends to have wide feet, so I’m not sure which styles of those brands work well for narrow feet. Also, does she pronate? Different styles are better for the different ways the foot falls while running. You can tell a lot about what you need in a shoe from a wet footprint and examining the wear on shoes that have been worn for a while. I don’t have time right now to google, but I bet runnersworld.com or roadrunnersports or some similar website will have advice on interpreting footprints and figuring out pronation. Then you can chat to a salesperson at a real running shoe website. My son wears Asics GT-1000 7. He also has a pair of Asics Gel-Venture 7. These shoes are expensive, but you can get deals. It’s worth investing in a good pair of running shoes, though, especially for a beginner, because how she feels about running may have a lot to do with how good her footwear is!
Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains
Go to a running store and have her fitted. Most will "run test" on a treadmill to observe gate and foot pronation and then recommend the best shoe. I'm a loyal Saucony wearer but my running friends swear by Brooks. It really is an individual preference. After you've tried things on her and find the best one go online for the best deal. I can usually score deep discounts on amazon and running specific online stores. Ask the running store people if the model you all pick has changed from the previous model...and if not then look for the previous model for even deeper discount. Most running sneaker brands update the model yearly and sometimes the only change is the colorway.
I was going to say that we love Nike, lol. Why should we avoid? DS2 LOVES his. I confess we buy them because we live very near the outlet and my neighbor gets an additional 30% off there as her SIL works for the company. They've served us very well. My kids tend to have wide feet. I like Nikes and have narrow feet. Nobody in my family has feet that are particularly fussy though.
I don’t personally know much about shoe design, but I’ve been told by running “experts” that Nikes are just not designed as technical running shoes the way some other brands are. In my experience, in the running world they are considered more of a fashion brand, but if your child is happy, that’s the important thing. If it ain’t broke...Quote:
Originally Posted by bisous
I really need technical running shoes, or I get injuries. It’s unlikely kids will have the kinds of problems a 48 year old woman has! Kid bodies are able to withstand a whole lot more stress.
Brooks is also a good running shoe brand by reputation. I’ve never worn them, though. My feet and knees like Saucony best. My son likes Asics.
Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains
It is going to depend on how the shoe fits. Dd1 who has a flat foot that is slightly wide does best with New Balance (she has worn New Balance since she was a toddler). Nike wides are too narrow, but again that is just her foot (Dd2 can wear Nike’s with no problem as does my DH). I haven’t been able to wear Nikes in 20+ years (and I even tried some men’s ones) and currently wear Hoka One One, but prior to last years models wore Brooks Addiction more often than not for 20 years (I would buy discontinued Asics Gel 2000s on Amazon as well). I would take her to a running store and have her sized and be honest that X is your price point and you don’t want to go over that. I have found shoes on clearance on Amazon as well but that was only after being sized at a store and the finding the discontinued colors or models in my size. I will say another advantage to the running store is the no hassle returns (my local store is 90 days). I returned two pairs for myself before finally finding a pair that worked.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I know this would be ideal, but I think she would rather just skip running rather than go to a store to get fitted. God blessed me with kids who hate shopping. I think they were switched at birth. She's never once gone with me to try on clothes/shoes. Her twin has gone shopping with me three times. They do not care what they wear. Now I don't even shop for tops, they basically wear t-shirts they get from their teams/scouts/school events.Quote:
Originally Posted by wendibird22
I ordered a pair of Asics and one Saucony. She does pronate, so I searched the reviews for people who said they were good for pronators. Fingers crossed! Thanks for all your advice.
Mizuno is another brand to consider. They have an excellent reputation for running shoes and are often recommended at those specialty running stores. Amazon sometimes has great deals on them.
https://www.amazon.com/Mizuno-Womens...-14&th=1&psc=1