Readers Write - Shoes, and my 2¢

Jeff Howett Writes:

Hey Jamie,
I’ve been a type 1 diabetic since I was 21, and I’m 46 now. I’ve always been active in all sports. I’ve managed to keep my weight down all these years and experienced very few problems realted to this disease. I’m thinking about running again and wanted to know what you thought was the best running shoe for me. Recently I’ve experienced some pain in my right foot and have started putting inserts in my shoes for padding. What brand/type of shoe would you recommend for padding for the ball of my feet. I just bought some Misuno Wave Inspire II but haven’t had the chance to try them out on the road. Just wondered what you wear and or recommend.

Respectfully,
Jeff Howett

DR Responds:

Jeff,

First off, congratulations on living with diabetes for 25 years while keeping youself in shape, and problems to a minimum! This is great news, and an inspiration to the rest of us with less D-experience.

Here’s my thoughts on shoes, err feet and running I should say. First off, I really believe in paying for a good pair (read few pairs) of socks! When I started running, I wore cotton, because that’s what I had, and I didn’t know any better. *NASTY BLISTERS ENSUE* I went to a running store and told them I needed new shoes because I was getting blisters, a big no-no for us feet-conscious insulin consumers. They asked what kind of socks I was wearing, and immediately pointed out my first mistake. I’ve tried several brands and have found one that I love (and have NEVER since gotten a blister): Balega Enduros. They are well ventilated, something I also look for in a shoe, to keep my feet dry (an important part of not getting blisters), they have a bit of padding in them, more than other socks I’ve tried (every little bit helps as I have knee problems), and most importantly, NO COTTON!

So, feet are covered with great socks, and now it’s time to put on the rubber that we put to the road. I’ve not tried a gazillion different shoes. I HAVE tried Nike Shox, Asics GT 2080’s, Saucony Hurricane 8’s, Pearl Izumi, and finally Asics Gel Kayano’s. I found the Nike’s to be cool looking, but terrible while running… I used them for 2 weeks, and had more aches and pains than I could shake a stick at - just my personal experience - plus I under-pronate, and this shoe offered little stability - something else I learned about at the running shop. The Asics GT’s were great, I wore these when I started out and couldn’t really complain, but then again, I knew so little back then, that any ache or pain I had was always contributed to being a noob. The Saucony’s were my workhorse shoe - I trained and ran my first marathon in these, and they worked quite well for me, some cushion, and some stability. When they were dead (I shoot for 300 - 400 miles) I went to look at shoes again, but wanted to try something different. Pearl Izumi was a brand I knew for all their triathlon and cycling gear, and they had recently put out a pretty cool looking shoe that I HAD to try. Looks, GREAT, ventilation, SUCKED. The running shop I go to let me take them home and try them out on a treadmill with the expectation that if I didn’t like them, I could return them - needless to say these went back to the store. I left the store with some Gel Kayano’s - they are an upgrade from the GT’s I had started with - offering some stability, plenty of ventilation, and more cushion (esp. in the fore-foot - like you, I wanted more cushion for the balls of me feet). I LOVED THEM. Now I continue to buy just these. While they won’t prevent me from developing an overuse injury, I’ve yet to experience the pains I had in the past, and haven’t had a blister or black toenail yet (I buy them 1/2 size bigger than the rest of my shoes).

You mentioned inserts. Whenever I buy shoes they recommend inserts, as the inserts that come with new shoes are typically crap. I used them with all my shoes until my second pair of Gel Kayano’s. I got lazy and didn’t put them in, but haven’t had any problems. I guess it’s a personal thing, but if you are looking for more cushion, they are highly recommended. I will add my own experience here though. When I tried “running” inserts, the arch always seemed too high - maybe this was the way they support the arch, and while I’m not flat-footed, they seemed too high to me, so I was always buying FLAT inserts for the cushion without the higher arch areas. Also, if you do use them, be sure to cut them to fit properly, and if you notice them while running, I would suggest trimming them - as you really shouldn’t notice that they are in your shoe - I guess that goes for trying shoes in general - the best fitting shoes feel like a natural extension of your foot. If you feel any pressure when trying them on, you can imagine this pressure x 300 as you wear them for long periods of time while running.

So those are my experiences, but here is the best advice I can give you while finding new running shoes, advice I was once given and am simply passing on: Find a good running shoe store and have them help you find your shoe. Everyone’s body is different, there is no one perfect shoe, only one perfect shoe for YOU. And it’s not always easy finding it, but experienced people can help narrow down the field, meeting your individual requirements, and then you can focus on a few shoes until you find the right one. When I say running shoe store, I don’t mean Foot Locker or something, I recommend a shop that specializes in all things running. If they don’t make you try on shoes and run while they watch you, looking at your gait, FIND ANOTHER STORE. And make sure the person you are working with is an experienced runner, and not just a high-schooler working a summer job. These specialty shops typically employ experienced folks that know what to look for in your running style, and know which products are well suited for you. After that, it’s a matter of trying them out until you are happy. Sure it costs more to go there, rather than purchasing online, but their input, and things like my ability to return a less-than-perfect fit are some of the benefits they offer, and if you ask me - IT’S WORTH IT.

There are other readers/runners here that put in many more miles, and have been doing this much longer than I have, so please chime in with your advice by leaving comments as well…

Hope this helps, and good luck rediscovering running,
Jamie, The Diabetic Runner