What running shoes provide the best shock absorption?

You Are Here:

Home >> Gear >> What running shoes provide the best shock absorption?

View the entire 300-plus collection of must-have gear items tailor-made for your adventurous lifestyle. PLUS: A special section on womens gear.

Today's Question
Is there a shoe that acts like a light-hiker shoe but looks at home in the office? answer

Can you help me lighten my backpacking load? answer

Skin Care

Gear Upgrade

Make a Ski Sling

Online Favorites

Special Issues

Photo Galleries

April 16, 2003

What running shoes provide the best shock absorption?

Yes, as an overpronate runner weighing in at 210 pounds, I probably should take up a less impact-prone sport. But I'm still running, so I need some shoes with torsional stability and impact-absorbing capability. For the past year, I have been running in a pair of Brooks Beasts, which have worked pretty well, but not perfectly (Spenco insoles helped some). Can you recommend several running shoes that are suited for a runner of my build?

— Charles
New York City

Got your own gear question?

Express yourself in the Gear Forum

I don't think you'll find anything that works perfectly. I mean, a 210-pound guy with a pronation problem is going to beat the crap out of any shoe on the market. I just hope for your knees' sake that when you say the Brooks shoes have worked "for the past year," it isn't the same pair. I'd get new shoes every six months, if I were you. The cushioning is gone long before you really feel it.

Be that as it may, I always thought Asics shoes had both good cushioning and above-average motion control. The Eagle Trail II ($90; www.asics.com) is a trail-oriented shoe; the Kayano IX ($130) is better suited to pavement. The Kayano is also meant for runners who need stability. New Balance is another brand that's very tough and stable. The 1220S ($150; www.newbalance.com) is a highly rated option. Take a look, too, at the Adidas Adistar Control ($110; www.adidas.com).

I'd stick with the Spenco insoles, or maybe swap them out for a pair of Superfeet ($25; www.rei.com), which will add more stability (the Spencos mainly add cushioning). But, I just cringe when I think of you pounding down a hill somewhere. Running is really, really bad for your knees. Some people can go for years without blowing any cartilage, but you won't know how much damage is done until it's too late. I'm speaking as a reformed runner, including a half-dozen sub-three-hour marathons. No more, man, it's time to find another sport.

RECENT QUESTIONS

Is there a shoe that acts like a light-hiker shoe but looks at home in the office?

Can you help me lighten my backpacking load?

Which shell will keep me dry and warm, without overheating, for winter running?

Which GPS will allow family to track a cross-country bike trip?

What are the best binoculars for the trail?

GEAR GUY FEATURES

Check out the bio of Douglas Gantenbein, aka the Gear Guy.

Readers' Mailbag: The Gear Guy digs into some of your more bizarre, obscure (and let�s face it, downright weird) posts from years gone by to see if he can make sense of it all, or if it�s just time to run up the white flag. Previous column: Beat the Cost of Gear.

The Gear Guy reports from the 2005 Outdoor Retailer summer trade fair, with his rundown of ten products to watch in 2006, plus the inside scoop on what shook down at the bi-annual gearapalooza.

MORE GEAR

The Outside Gear Blog

2005 Buyer's Guide

State of the Art: 2005 Bikes

Many of the items reviewed by the Gear Guy can be found at REI.com. Click here to find the internet's biggest selection of outdoor gear and apparel.

TODAY'S NEWS UPDATE!
A fish story you don't want to hear
According to Peter Moyle, professor of conservation biology at UC Davis, most of California's ...