Deals.Woot

Running shoe preferences vary from person to person. You're best bet is to find a reliable running store near where you live that has knoledgeable and helpful staff. Some stores will let you try them out by running up and down the block before purchase, and even let you return in the first week or so if they aren't right for you. You might be better asking for suggestions of a great brick and mortar running store in your area.

@reemus: Yea, I even have a friend that works for a store, however she loves all shoes. She wasn't much help. I would be curious to see if there is something that many people were happy with. I am breaking in the Free's and they get better by the day but I am very open to suggestions.

Let me know as well @hobbit

I've had good luck with Asics Nimbus and Cumulus running shoes. Very cushiony and last a decent amount of time. I get between 300 & 350 miles out of them (running on asphalt) so I'm replacing them about every 3 1/2 months. I like to go up a size to give me more room in the toe box.
Eastbay has some great deals once in awhile but I mostly rely on watching the prices via Amazon.
I'm on the injured list so I'm stuck on a treadmill for the next few months but the Vibram Five Finger shoe has caught my interest. http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/ Very weird design, but sort of they make sense. Always liked running barefoot as a kid!

Get some good music to run to or learn jodies. My favorite tunes of the week have always helped me push through that wall. Love those endorphins!

okay home.

I work part time for the type of running store @anotherhiggins speaks of while mine isn't quite as organized as that we do the same thing. I can't suggest more strongly to find a store like that to get you fitted into the right type of shoe for your foot and gait. If you are in the wrong shoe the last thing you will ever want to do is run/walk/jog/move trust me I have been there I used to wear the wrong shoes. I ended up with plantar fasciitis because I was wearing the wrong shoes.
https://health.google.com/health/ref/Plantar+fasciitis

@catbertthegreat those are lovely shoes if you don't require any kind of support - which basically means if you don't pronate or supinate. I being the type of long distance walker who actually dislikes wearing shoes period can't wear them for other reasons, one being that I need support and two being that they touch my feet and toes oh and three being I have to wear socks because see #2.

@lavikinga: Wasn't really paying attention to what everyone was saying, sorry, the point I was trying to make was above the silly rubber socks.

@poopfacemcgee: I will say one more thing. These are you feet and you really don't want to skimp much on price because you only get one pair to last you until you are 90 years old, so unless you want to be hobbling around at 50 pick something good. You shouldn't have to pay too much I love my Adidas Supernova Sequence, but I Overpronate a bit. The Supernova line is cushy though and I LOVE LOVE that. I also wear Mizuno Inspires, but they aren't cushy they are lighter weight though and great for training and long distance walks/runs. Neither shoe costs more than 90.00 a pair, last time I checked. I also change out my shoes every six months right now, when I was really serious about my training right before my half marathon I was getting new shoes every 500 miles.

Wow, thanks a ton guys, looks like I have to do some homework.

As a side question, do those Dr. Scholls machines work?

I know that's random.

@ shrdlu Dr Scholl machines are in some store which sell shoes. They have a pad you step on which reads your weight distribuition on your feet and suggest what products you need, such as arch supports etc. They suggest specific Dr scholl products to help you though, so I'm not sure they would help you select shoes other than letting you know whether you pronate, have fallen arches, etc.

@lavikinga: I love Balega, but they tend to be a bit more girlie.

@lavikinga: you should be ordering women's shoes all the women's styles are girlie in nature now a days. Those sound like men's style colours. Balega socks rock though, Thorlo are great but since I am opposed to wearing a lot of shoe, I am also semi opposed to wearing a heavy sock, but I like a cushy sock and Balega fits the bill. It is cushy on the bottom and thin on top. Plus it is made long enough, like Thorlo that I don't feel like I am crammed into the sock, nothing worse than getting a callus from socks that are too tight across the toes.

I think the best shoes are the ones that fit you. My favorite site is RunningShoes.com ... great deals there.

I just got into running about a year and half ago, and love it now. hated it then. it wasn't so much the shoe as it was the scenery that made the difference. I have very flat and wide feet, which makes shoes hard to find, but given a good trail and scenery, even some friends makes any run in any shoe a joy.

I would recommend reading the book Born to Run, no matter your running level, at the end of the book you are ready to eat salads for breakfast, chia seeds for a snack and run an ultramarathon! This gives some good advice.

http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307266303

Also Jeff Galloway's book about 1/2 marathons gives great advice for all levels of runners, including footwear. Even if you don't want to do a 1/2 marathon, its a good guide to running:
http://www.amazon.com/Half-Marathon-You-Can-Jeff-Galloway/dp/1841261904/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269713584&sr=1-1

@lavikinga: it sure does, just happens one day, I realized I was having a good time! Thanks for the link, that was a good read, it is good to think of why you do silly things like run in the snow and cold (I'm in Colorado) for 6 months straight!

@kevinstang: you don't always need orthotics unless a foot doctor tells you that you do, also if you are running support shoes or even the control shoe you don't need orthotics in those at all unless your foot doctor tells you to add it in, because those shoes already account for that sort of thing. You don't need to over adjust your foot because that will only cause more injuries (and for anyone who thinks I am being a know it all, keep in mind I have spent hours at the Orthopaedist because I did ALL the wrong things first, not just because I work for a running store.)

@thejournalizer: go get fitted. Nike is a narrow shoe, you might not really have a wide foot I have fitted a lot of people who think they have wide feet but really don't. Adidas, Asiscs even Mizuno might fit better or possibly Saucony - but if you don't like New Balance you might not like Saucony either.

@hobbit: Spoken like a true shoe salesperson, i.e., buy a different shoe to address your injury. I went through a couple rounds of that with "support shoes and control shoes" a shoe salesperson tried to sell me after putting me on a treadmill. Bottom line, if your battling injury - see a foot doctor or save some money and order a $175 pair of custom orthodics online - before having someone tell you to correct your injury with a new pair of shoes. I've gone through Brooks Beast, Asics Kayanos, and NB 1223's before I finally ordered orthodics online. Now I'm running in shoes I feel good in which are lighter, have a better toe off, and don't feel like clogs. Again, only take my advice if you keep running into injury as many other posters had mentioned. Run in the shoes you want with a custom orthodic vs. trying to fix your issue with shoes you don't even like.

@kevinstang: there are different theories on it. You can wear a neutral shoe and put the orthotic in your shoe or you buy a shoe that was made to support the design of your foot you get the same outcome. I also wouldn't suggest getting anything custom made online you need a podiatrist to fit the orthotic to your foot something that can't be done online, last time I checked as it requires making a casting. But to each their own. I personally don't like wearing a lot of stuff in my shoes, plus it would have required having two sets one for my athletic shoes and one for my work shoes.

BTW this was all long before I ever started selling shoes, but at the advice of a former Olympic Athlete, Marathon runner and the current holder of the antarctic marathon land record. For me it was an economic decision. I am just frugal about my money, if there is a 90.00 shoe out there that can fit my needs why not buy that instead of spending 200.00 a year on orthotics?

@kevinstang: Yes I know Paula runs in orthotics and I used to, actually I ran my first half marathon in orthotics - I just choose to not wear them in my running shoes any longer since adidas makes a support shoe that works as well as my orthotic inserts do, and guess what! I got permission from my podiatrist to do that, because he knew I didn't like wearing shoes. As I said there are different theories on this. Paula is a nice woman too, you should meet her sometime I have, she is good friends with my boss.

I used to "enjoy" (hate running, but do it anyway) running in just about any Asics gel shoes, but I recently found shoes that I can't seem to get away from.

Vibram FiveFingers KSO.

They just feel totally natural to me and now I actually love to get out in them. I wear them for just about everything. Running, trail running, hiking, rock climbing, even as water shoes when I swim.

They are, at least for me, the perfect shoes for just about anything. It's like being barefoot, but not. They're amazing and I suggest just looking into them. They're not for everyone, but if you're someone who likes doing things barefooted, but don't do much outside without shoes because of sharp things (the world is a dangerous place for feet), then take a look at 'em.