cheap fail

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Part laziness and part cheapness. I used to wear brook adrenalines sneakers $120 a pair. I wore them for year and one year I didn't like the design so I switched to new balance. I think it was $80 a pair. It was fine. But then this summer I bought a pair of Fila for $30 from famous footware or some place like that because we were about to leave for a trip and I thought I needed new sneakers to replace the worn out pair. Well turns out big mistake. After the trip I came back with sore feet but I ignored it Figured all my walking.

Anyway a couple months have passed and I really started having foot pain. I went to the podiatrist. Told I have plantar fascitis from bad shoes. No support. That would explain a lot. Anyway told to go to shoe store and buy sole inserts and get fitted for shoes he circled on the paper. This was yesterday. I walk in and the guy brings me the new brooks adrenaline GTS and a pair of new balance. I take the brooks on sale luckily for $100 and inserts for $50.

I walk out and toss the old sneakers. I felt the difference just walking out. Went home and last night my feet along with icing and using the nubbed balls I stretched (as I've been doing for a month). Anyway low and behold this morning my felt already feel better. And today they are definitely feeling better.

Sigh. Okay so laziness + cheapness = epic fail. I ordered another 3 pairs of the same shoe online and am going to throw it in the closet. I give up. My own stupidity and laziness caused this pain. Well lessons learned.

Have you ever done something so stupid? Never will I buy cheap shoes ever ever ever again. I hesitate to even say that I might even NEVER ever buy a different pair of sneakers ever again.

[kork13]

I've actually done the EXACT same thing. I dared to wander away from my Brooks Adrenaline GTS, and paid for it mightily with weeks of plantar fasciitis. So now, when I see a sale on them, I buy a couple pairs & store them for later. I've got 2 unworn pairs in my closet right now.

It's easy to make some mistakes believing that you're being "thrifty & money conscious", but in many cases, quality & fit & materials & design all really do matter alot. Unfortunately, most of the time, you don't know which is which until you've tried & failed through experience.

For similar reasons, I refuse to buy clothes (and most things) from Target/Walmart, because although they're inexpensive & may look fine at first, without fail I've found them to be poor quality, and they become threadbare & full of holes within a few months of regular wear. I'm one to keep & wear pieces of clothing for 5-10 years before replacement, so having something get worn out after 6 months is infuriating. Totally worth paying double or triple or more if it means something will last for years.

[bjl584]

I've had good luck with Sketchers. They wear well for me and my feet stay comfy.

[disneysteve]

This is something I stress to people all the time, both at work and in my personal life. Sure, you can get a cheap pair of shoes at Payless, but you get what you pay for. If you just need something for a one-time event or to match a particular outfit, maybe that's okay, but for shoes you will wear regularly, especially athletic gear, you need to be willing to spend good money.

I wear New Balance sneakers as my every day sneakers, and that's fine, but when I started running again a few years ago, I went to a local running store for a full eval and fitting and coincidentally also ended up in Brooks Adrenalines. I've been running in them ever since. I usually buy them at Dick's with a discounted gift card from GiftcardGranny.com so at least I save a little while still getting quality shoes. Last time, I also lucked out in that the new model had come out but they still had my size in the old model which was marked down.

[msomnipotent]

I'm going to have to look into the Brooks. I got PF from Sketchers (ironically called the Go Walk). It has been a long time and I still have trouble walking. There are quite a few reviews complaining that the Go Walks cause it because there is no arch support. I have to buy inserts about once a month and new shoes every 3 months or so from all the walking I do. It gets expensive. Damn you, Pokemon Go!

[kork13]

I also lucked out in that the new model had come out but they still had my size in the old model which was marked down.

That's generally the best way to buy running shoes, IMO. Nothing really changes dramatically year to year, but like clockwork, show companies push out a new style every year. As long as you stick with the same line (Adrenaline, for example, you know what to expect. Wait for the new year's style to come out, then you can easily go in & pick up last year's style for 20% off our so. The best deals are on leftover stock from 2yrs previous (50+% off), but it's rare to find those, especially in exactly your size.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Actually kork the shoe store guy told me to load up on GTS 18 because 19 isn't the same at all. They changed it a lot. I am waiting for black friday to see if any more deals happen. If not I am going to buy the shoes anyway and stock 3 more pairs. I'm done with crappy sneakers. UGH.

Seriously I went on Tuesday and started new shoes and already I can feel the difference. I am not hobbling around the house. My heels are not in constant pain. The middle of my right foot is better. I am doing less stretching and pressure than before and i still can feel better.

[Drake3287]

Had the same exact issue. First thing the doctor said was to buy a pair of "Super Feet". Takes awhile but worked like magic. And yes, Brook's are well known to be the best running/jogging shoes out there, just don't have the fancy following like the Nike type brands do. Just look at what real runners wear, Brooks.

[creditcardfree]

I kept thinking it was my shoes for my plantar fasciitis and heel pain and kept switching frequently as well. Tried different types of inserts. Went to a chiropractor all summer and what a difference! It's not always about the shoes, sometimes you are misaligned somewhere and need adjusting to come back to balance. Worked for me anyway. I do invest in good sneakers, they are worth it if you have the money to do so.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

CCF the podiatrist said to look into that too. He said the easiest first thing was the shoes. The shoes I had twisted super easily and had no support. He said that it was the most likely culprit. What sort of shoes do you wear? I might go to chiropractor if it doesn't resolve more.

[JBinKC]

Very tough task to go cheap on shoes nowadays and even expensive shoes lack durability. Shoe buying gets even tougher when you are a gimp and refuse to wear shoes that make you look handicapped.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I scored the deal on my GTS for $75 two pairs at Dicks. I bought the exact size on sale for $99 each and $50 off $200 on black friday. What I was waiting for and I scored two pair and another pair for $80 from Foot locker but black instead of teal. I couldn't tell if they were my size. Relief.