What are some of the best and worse running shoes you have used?

I'm a track and cross-country coach. This is actually a question I address with my runners at the beginning of every season. Your advice to Soldiers about going to a place like Fleet Feet is the best advice. Everyone's foot is different. Fleet Feet does more than just have you try on shoes. They watch you walk, they take the measurements of your foot and they look at your arch, among other things. Based on the data they collect from that, they'll a few pairs of shoes that they feel will work the most for you. Going into a store saying that I only wear a certain brand of shoes is actually not a healthy one. Every shoe every company makes is different.

For instance, the difference between a Nike Zoom and Nike Flyknit are very different for me, even though they're both labeled distance running shoes. They're shaped differently and due to the fact that I have a high arch, the Nike Zoom is actually better for my foot. The same across other companies. When it comes to my running shoe, I don't look for the cheapest shoe available. I look for the one that will be the best for my foot.

Also, I know a lot of Soldiers who keep the same pair of shoes for a year or two, some even longer. For the military, at a minimum, you should be changing out your running shoes every six months, assuming all you use them for is PT, running and work in the gym. They should never be your every day shoes. You should have another pair specifically for that. As a running coach, I actually have my runners have two sets of practice shoes and a pair of spikes for racing. They alternate their practice shoes depending on the surface that we're doing our workout on.

Hope this information helps. If you have any other questions, please let me know.

It sounds like you're already giving them good advice. I always recommend that people start somewhere like Fleet Feet. That way a professional can recommend a shoe type and if it doesn't work out they will typically let you return the shoes and try a different pair. I am personally a big fan of the Mizuno Wave riders. They give me good support and seem to outlast some other brands. But the only way I know I like those more than others is because I've gone through numerous pairs of numerous brands. Through all that running I was able to get a feel for what I like and what I don't. Since every person has different likes and needs, I'm afraid I don't know of a better way to figure it all out except to start running and see where you end up.

Cory great question, however, as is the case in life I think many variables go into the answer. Me personally I love Aasics, I also have a pair of New Balance I found on sale and had to have them. I have ran in Nike, Brooks and a million different others but personally prefer an Aasics. Some shoe stores will put you on a tread mill and asses your running gate and make a recommendation. But many things go into that decision, distance, surface of runs i.e. trails/tracks etc... Not to mention body comp and many many more. I guess the simple answer for me is if I am shoeless I will use a banana leaf to cover my feet but based on what has felt great on my feet is the Aasics.

Cory the ugly answer is no damn court shoes, running shoes only, and run, if you have a guy that runs 2 miles a week and blames the pain and discomfort on shoes I would say its possible but... But, the odds are pain and discomfort is from not moving your ass enough.