Discount running shoes. Are they safe?
If you’re anything like me you have plenty of things to spend your money on. Running shoes can seem like many other commoddity type items, which is to say, you think that a pair of discount running shoes is as good as an expensive pair. Well, you might want to weigh the risks before making your purchase.
What’s the difference between ball point pens and running shoes when it comes to dated or discount items? One is that a bad pen most likely won’t injure your joints or put you at increased risk of injury. The same might not be true for running shoes.
There are millions of dollars of research put into the latest foams, gels, air pockets, etc. that provide cushion for todays running shoes. There is just as much effort put into designing the shoe to accommodate different types of motion, landing, follow through and toe off. These are just a few of the things that running shoe manufacturers take into account, and that off brand or imposter shoe makers may leave behind.
While not uniquely a comment on running, Dr. Neil Levin admits that summer is a busy time for him with foot injuries. The temptation to choose fashion over foot support can increase the strain on the foot and the liklihood of injury. Here are a few comments that he made.
“When patients are barefoot or in flip flops, there is a tremendous amount of strain in the arch, as the foot collapses without support,” says Dr. Levin.
“And wear the right shoes for the right sport. Ankle support for running, and spikes for soccer are there for a reason.”
You can read the commentary here.
It’s not necessarily all doom and gloom, and I think that there are some situations where it would be safe to purchase discount running shoes. For example, I used to live near an outlet mall and one of the outlet stores was a Nike outlet. I had been running for years and came to like the Nike Air Max line. I could go to the outlet and get a slightly late model and pay almost half price.
Is this ideal? No, since I don’t know how long the shoes had been sitting around or what effect aging has on the shoes, but I justified it. However, as I get older (going on eight years running now), I am more willing to put money into a pair of shoes that will give me more cushion and that I can be sure are new, up to date material.
Whatever distances you’re running, take some time and go to a specialty running store and let them measure your feet and try on a few pairs of shoes. This is sure to give you an idea of what to look for and what your special needs will be. Then if you decided to buy discount, at least you’ll be in a shoe that makes sense for you.
Posted on August 19th, 2008 under discount running shoes • Tags: discount running shoes. • 
Print This Post
• 
Email This Post
• RSS 2.0 feed • Leave a response, or trackback
.