If only the shoe fit

Problems with my feet persist. This time, however, pain is not preventing me from running. Rather, I’m facing the challenge of finding the right shoes.

On a friend’s recommendation, I recently refocused on my attention on my shoes. My new orthotics have also motivated me to look for  roomier shoes. To top it off, I looked up the shoes that I purchased several months ago when I began running: Asics GEL-1140. From the manufacturer’s site and from a conversation with someone at a local running store, I quickly learned that, indeed, these shoes are not designed provide the support that my feet require. Perhaps my old custom orthotics have been all that have stood between me and a more severe injury.

Unfortunately, I’m hampered in my quest by several constraints. First, I’d like to find a brick-and-mortar store where I not only can try on the models in which I’m interested but where I can also compare shoes. Further, I’m in the unenviable position of having feet that are not only very flat but are also small. Try finding a men's size 8 (not to mention a 7-1/2) in a good motion-control shoe at a brick-and-mortar store, and you’ll see what I mean.

I began by searching the internet for running shoes that accommodate custom orthotics. Here my options are limited. The only shoe I’ve found is the Asics GEL-Fortitude 3. Few brick-and-mortars carry this model, although any store can special order the shoe, of course.

A number of the running shoe manufacturers have done a good job of identifying on their web sites the appropriate models given a particular type of foot. For severe overpronators, for example, Asics recommends their GEL-Evolution 5. The highest recommendations I have found, both on the site and outside of it, I have found have been for the Brooks Beast (as well as for its women’s counterpart, the Ariel).

The orthotics in shoes like these are, as far as I can gather, integral to the design. By substituting custom orthotics, then, wearers defeat the design goals of the shoes. In my case, I’m forced to search for shoes a half-size than those with which I wear orthotics: the somewhat rare men’s 7-1/2. Not a problem, if I can find a place that carries the shoes.

You may ask, why run without the custom orthotics? I’ve found that even my new orthotics don’t correct entirely for pronation. As I walk around in a neutral shoe (such as a dress shoe), even with the orthotics, I have no trouble feeling that my feet are pronating. My old orthotics eliminate this feeling, but they are rigid and unforgiving. (My podiatrist was appalled when he saw them.)

I’ve also learned that opinions vary on the relationship between custom orthotics and running shoes. One sales person told me that a custom orthotic can obviate the need for a shoe designed for overpronators, that is, that I could place my orthotic in a neutral shoe and get the results I’m seeking. Yet I also stumbled on a web site that made the opposite claim (and which informed my view that I may be better off dispensing with my custom orthotics when seeking an adequate motion-control shoe).

At this point, I’m leaning towards the Brooks Beast. The overwhelming majority of customer reviews of the shoe at the Brooks site are enthusiastic. Still, I’d like to try on the shoe and compare it with others before I make my move. Now, if I can only find a shoe store that carries my size....