| Filthy Animal |
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As an overpronater am I going to have problems running in a neutral running shoe? When I first started running I simply bought the cheapest pair of running shoes I could find, which happened to have been Saucony Pro Grid Guides. I never paid attention to the name of the shoe, but since I liked them and they were relatively cheap, I bought multiple pairs of what I thought were all the same shoe. Anyway, after a brief experiment with minimilist running shoes (I got them for free) that led to a mild csse of achilles tendonitis as well as the diagnosis that I'm an overpronater, I decided to return to what had always worked for me. However, it looks like the only unused pair of Sauconys that I have are Rides (a neutral shoe) and not the guides that I had been running in. They look almost exactly the same and really don't feel that much different, but I'm a little worried that they are considered a neutral shoe and not a stability shoe. I went for a short run in them today and they felt ok, but if I'm going to be running 65-75 mpw, should I spring for a pair of stability shoes? |
| another shoe guy |
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Take a pair or two with some wear on them to a good local running specialty store and they should be able to give you amazingly more accurate advice than anonymous Internet posters who might have their own agenda and certainly haven't seen your feet/legs in person. |
| Carl Spackler |
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Try a running shoe store that will give you a free treadmill analysis of your pronation and recommend a few different shoes that would be good for you. |
| Junk Master |
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Take it from a guy who started out three and a half years ago in Brooks Beasts and ran his last marathon in Asics Tarthers (probably not enough shoe)-- just try a few different shoes and you'll find something that works for you. Your achilles tendonitis means your body isn't ready for minimal footwear...yet... Your biggest concern should be building your mileage slowly and not just jumping up to 65-70. Take your time. Work towards less shoe. Wear more shoe for long runs on asphalt. Try some barefoot on grass. I love MT 101's, 110's for trails. Lots of perfectly good traditional trainers too. I like my Adidas Tempos. Ultimately, fit is more important than degree of pronation control. It's all good. |
| voiceofreason |
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If you heel strike, whether you have a stability shoe should make a differnece, and if you do pronate you should benefit from a stability shoe. If you are a mid foot or forefoot striker the stability or motion control in the heel shouldn't matter. That said, i think most people would ageee that heel striking is not ideal so moving to better form if you heel strike is ideal. You don't need minimalist shoes for this but they could be helpful. If you move to shoes with a lower heel to toe drop transition slowly. |
| joho |
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I am a over pronator, not real bad, and I have switched to neutral shoes. I ran in stability shoes for years and had PF issues. Since switching to lighter, less stability shoes my feet feel much better. I also ran in the minimalist Brooks Pure Flow and I liked them. What I find that works best is to have 2 pair of shoes and switch daily. I find that running in the neutral Mizuno Precisions and the Flows are a good combo for my feet. I have run high mileage using this combo. For whatever reason, the true stability shoes don't work well for me even though I over pronate. |
| Say Your Prayers |
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A stability shoe supposedly corrects "overpronation" because the firm foam or plastic on the inside keeps you foot from rolling inward as much. The idea that "overpronation" is bad and needs to be corrected is really unproven in a scientific way. I agree with the advice that you should experiment and find what works for you and not wear shoes that are any heavier than necessary or that have added gadgets like firmer foam on the inside unless you find them more comfortable. You also shouldn't switch from one kind of shoe to a drastically different kind without some transition (lower miles or intermediate kind of shoe). |
| yes |
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If your feet roll inwards, it's because they are meant to do that naturally. The idea that such runners need special shoes to protect them is just another way for shoe companies to charge more money for their products. |
| another shoe guy |
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Yes and no. Pronation and supination are part of the natural gait cycle. Both are necessary in order for us to move. OVER or UNDER pronation are when people have problems. Too much of one without enough of the other can cause poor bio-mechanical alignment. Poor bio-mechanical alignment can lead to injuries. The right shoe for the right person can help even out the over/under equation and help prevent injuries. |
| hold on there |
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Over pronation is NOT a problem. It is a natural part of the gait cycle for many runners. Why choose an over built shoe that will slow you down and prevent your natural running style. It will take time to adjust from a 'stability shoe' to a neutral shoe, but it is a good idea to consider the move, for any runner who is serious about competition. |
| Say Your Prayers |
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I think you have to ask what is "over" pronation and what is "normal" pronation. Or what is "bad" pronation and what is "good" pronation, where you draw the line, and how do you know what is "bad" and what is "good". I don't think there are scientifically supported answers to any of these questions. You can find a lot on the internet about this but I think the basic point is that the premise that overpronation is bad and should be corrected by support shoes is, at best, not proven, and, at worst, may actually be wrong and harmful- http://www.runblogger.com/2010/07/pronation-control-paradgim-is-starting.html That's why I would say experiment on yourself and figure out what works best for you, without any preconceptions about having to correct "over" pronation by wearing support shoes. |
| another shoe guy |
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hold on there Did you even really read what I said. Come on man. If you did, then maybe you need to seriously study the definition of "over" as applied here. |
| M & M |
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I get what you are saying about switching to a neutral shoe. I actually really liked the New Balance Minimus shoes that I won at first and I can't say for a fact that these shoes led to achilles pain. All I know is that when running in the Saucony Guides I never had any problems. The Rides which are classified as neutral actually seem more cushioned and a bit clunkier than the guides which are classified as a stability shoe, so I guess I don't fully understand the difference between the two. |