Wet feet - good running shoes?

[FBrun]

I've just started running last Sat thanks to Get Running - my route involves a lot of fields which are naturally damp, and yesterday it was actually snowing and my feet got quite wet.

I'm looking at running shoes of the trail sort, which include Gore-Tex for waterproofing - I have this in some walking boots and it's great, just wanted to know if others find they really keep your feet dry.

Can anyone recommend any particular brands / models of trail shoes? I will want to run sometimes on roads when away from home and would like to just get one set of running shoes. Something like this Asics Gel Lahar 3 seems good.

Also, can someone recommend a really good running shoe shop somewhere near Somerset (Bath/Bristol part) or possibly near Newbury or Reading? I hear that Sweatshop are good - is it worth having my gait analysed to get a better fit?

On the one hand I want to get dry feet asap, on the other hand I want a good fit

[Jysmystry]

Sweatshop know their stuff for sure, well worth getting a gait analysis and following their advice.

[matt]

In Bristol, I'd recommend Moti on Whiteladies Road, which is where I usually go (I bought a pair of new shoes there about two hours ago, in fact!) or Easy Runner on St. Michael's Hill, which I've heard good things about, too. They both do gait analysis and have a decent range of shoes and people who know what they're talking about.

When I got new shoes after gait analysis, it really helped with some hip-ache I was having, so I guess that was related to me "over-pronating", i.e. having flat feet

Matt

[matt]

Oh -- and I forgot to say. Budget for some good running socks as well as the shoes, if you can. Decent running socks wick moisture away from your feet quickly if they get wet, and are cushioned in the right places. They can be a bit pricey, but they last a long time. I use a brand called "X-Socks", not through any great preference, but because they were on a three-for-two special offer

Matt

[FBrun]

Thanks for those tips, Moti and Easy Runner sound good too, and Sweatshop in Bristol doesn't have gait analysis.

[FBrun]

@Matt - thanks for the Moti recommendation.

I went to their Bristol shop (Whiteladies Road in Clifton, website) and got fitted with some good running shoes - they do gait analysis, which means videoing you running on a treadmill and analysing how much your foot rotates, as well as seeing how you balance and whether your knee rotates inwards when you bend it.

They are incredibly friendly and knowledgeable - they eat and breathe running shoes but are very good at explaining exactly why a given shoe would work.

For example, it turns out Gore-Tex is a waste of time for running shoes because the water can get in through your socks (wet grass, splashes, rain, etc) and then can't get out via the Gore-Tex - whereas a shoe without Gore-Tex may get wet, but lets the water exit more easily as your feet warm up. So actually Gore-Tex makes your feet wetter for longer! Something I didn't realise until explained but it makes sense, and I almost got Gore-Tex shoes from another shop that didn't explain this - an £80 mistake avoided.

I'd recommend Moti to anyone near Bristol - they also have shops in Cardiff and Reading, and an online shop with a great return policy (you can return for up to 30 days). Allow at least 1 hour for gait analysis and try to go at a less busy time if you can.

They have a running group in Bristol, suitable for beginners, and understand the couch to 5K concept. I also saw a poster there for a 'running style clinic' where someone (possibly a partner of Moti's) watches how you run and advises on technique.

[matt]

Glad to hear you had a good experience at Moti. I'm always worried that I'll curse places by recommending them

Matt