Finding the right pair of running shoes can be daunting. And costly. Compared to some of the other elements within our sport, running shoes aren't that pricey. The most important and expensive item you need is a good, properly fitted pair of running shoes. But with shoes now regularly cresting the $200 mark, it's better to get it right the first time around than trial and error.

While you can read dozens of reviews on the internet (including here on Slowtwitch), the only surefire way to decide whether “a shoe works for me" is to actually try different shoes. You can expedite this process by going to a local running store. But many runners don't know how to get the best results from a trip to the store. They know they'll walk in, an employee will look at their feet, maybe watch them run, and they'll come out with shoes that the employee thinks are the best for them. 

If you want to get the most out of your run specialty store, you need to come prepared to run with your old running shoes, and bring your injury and running history. A good shoe is a shoe that works for your particular gait, stride, and feet. Everyone has a different gait, and a good pair of shoes for me doesn't mean it's a good pair for you.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Local Run Shop

Be prepared to tell the store’s employee the following information. Bring a list if you need to.
--Do you have pain when you run? ?
--?Tightness somewhere? ?Shin splints?
--If you answered yes to any of the above: does one leg hurt more than the other?
--?Have you lost toenails while running before?
--What shoes have you been wearing? Anything you liked or didn't like?
--What sock are you running in?
--What are you training for currently?

Don’t feel like you are rambling by telling the employee all this information. The more you can tell the employee about your running history, the easier it is for them to narrow down the kinds of shoes that will be best for you. Most stores reliably carry between 50 to 70 SKUs (not inclusive of color choice within those shoes), and the fitter's job is to narrow that shoe wall down to the three to five most likely options to work for you.

After talking with you, then the fit will move onto some type of gait analysis. Depending on the running store, they may have you run on a treadmill, run outside or watch your gait when you walk. Some stores use video so they can break down your gait in slow motion. But in general, this is where a shoe fitter is looking for any type of motion that might warrant some type of guidance or medial density changes.

The last piece of the puzzle before bringing out shoes: the employee will measure your feet with socks. Now, you may think you're a size 10. And you've been a size 10 all your life. But that doesn't mean that you should be wearing a size 10 running shoe today. First there's the accommodation for any type of swelling that may happen when you run. But secondly, and arguably most importantly, is that run shoe size is driven by arch length, not just total foot length. If you've ever put on a pair of running shoes and felt like the arch is either too far back in the shoe or too far forward, chances are you need to adjust accordingly due to arch length. (Editor's Note: I have a size 11.5 length foot with a size 14 arch. I wind up wearing a 13 to get the best overall fit.)

It's now that you'll have shoes brought out to you. Trust the employee's first choices. There's a reason why, out of a shoe wall with dozens of options, these were selected for you. More often than not, it's due to some combination of the information you provided up front regarding any issues you're having while running, as well as something that they picked up on while going through your initial gait analysis.

And now it's time to try on shoes! The most important thing to look for is comfort. If it's not comfortable now, it's not going to get any more comfortable while trying to run in it. Now is a good time to ask questions. Why were these shoes brought for me? What did you see before and what do you see now? That's what the fitter is there for. Your questions, and comments on how shoes are feeling, will help guide the fit more. Perhaps there's a change that needs to be made to bring out another pair or two to try on. Or it might just end there. Again, comfort is king -- and you're in charge.

Returns, Exchanges, and Pricing

Once you've finished making your shoe selection, it's time for purchase. More often than not, the shoes you see in the store are not going to be cheaper online. A common misconception is that running shoes are more expensive in stores. At least in the United States, minimum advertised pricing (MAP) policies prevent most retailers from discounting heavily outside of selected time periods or end-of-season sales.

Because run shoe fit does involve a bit of trial-and-error, there are times where shoes just don't work out as well as they should have based upon the initial fit. Most stores will cover for that with a return or exchange policy. The most ubiquitous specialty run stores, Fleet Feet, offer a 60 day return / exchange policy within reason. Obviously, if you've run 200 miles in a shoe in 60 days, you're not going to be able to return that shoe. But if it isn't working for you, there's no reason to continue to suffer through a poor experience. Life's too short to run in bad shoes.

Other Things Stores Offer

Running stores can be a wealth of training information. Getting information from running stores typically doesn't stop after you've been fitted for the right shoes. Most stores have information about training plans, local races, local running clubs, and coaches that are in the area. The more you ask, the more information and advice you’ll get.

Most running stores also have group runs, fun runs, and activities to bring the running community together. Brand representatives sometimes come out to the running groups and have shoes for you to try. Maybe you've always wanted to try a Hoka shoe, even if you never really wanted to buy it. If a Hoka rep shows up, they'll often have shoes that you can test (and often, sometimes a selection of shoes that might not be available in the store yet). Typically, stores list which shoe companies will be at these group runs, so if there is a certain shoe you want to try, you know when to come.