AIBU to think expensive trainers are a waste of money?

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I'm walking a lot lately and my skechers memory foam just werent supportive enough, plus I have hip issues. It stopped me going for a family walk on Christmas day (within covid rules in case you wonder). My brother in law was saying I should spend over £100 on something like New Balance or Asics. He just would not stop going on about it and saying it was my fault I had hip pain since I was to stingy to 'invest in myself'. But I hear that such fancy trainers are not actually better, just paying for the brand name etc. AIBU or should I tell DBIL to stop going on about it (and stop blaming me for being in pain)!

Your BIL is right.

Also consider Orthotics - they changed my life

Sketchers, and other memory foam shoes are terrible for proper walking, they have no support at all. I would suggest walking boots if you are in the cold and wet countryside- inexpensive from Millers would be fine- or any of the trainers mentioned above if you are in a town.

Good trainers make a massive difference but you still need to get the right ones. If you need support, you need to make sure you buy support trainers. Obvious perhaps, but some very expensive trainers are deliberately built without any support to keep the weight down for faster running etc

Also consider Orthotics - they changed my life

Yes, came here to say that I have mid-range trainers with an orthotic arch support in them. I used them for a tourist/sightseeing trip at the start of this year where I walked tens of thousands of steps in a day.

I think your post is a bit confused. It reads like you think this is just fashion brands and wearing them for the name and what they look like.

When actually you’re talking about specialisit footwear to provide support and enable you to walk. And yes they are worth the money. Your brother in law is right.

When it comes to footwear your definitely get what you pay for

I had my gait assessed at a running shop and they recommended some trainers, which were £100. I found them cheaper online so bought them.

I was walking 45 minutes to and from work every day at that time and my knee pain went away within two days when I switched to wearing running shoes.

From the thread title I thought you meant buying Gucci fashion trainers for wearing day to day, which I’d never do, but investing in good functional trainers for exercise is 100% worth it.

Another vote for gait analysis as soon as you can get to a sports shop. We discovered DD was over pronating as her trainers were badly blistering her feet. Gait analysis picked this up. She now has Asics. DH has Brooks, Saucony and Asics depending on the fit. I haven Under Armour Hovr Infinity

I invested in a pair of Brooks trainers bought from a running shop. (I have wide feet). I was previously running in an old pair of trainers and ended up with a bad Achilles injury that stopped me exercising for a long time. I wear with a pair of orthotics I had made to correct over pronation. They have definitely been the most comfortable trainers I’ve owned for walking ( on paths and easy trails). Now I know the model name I’ll look out for reduced pairs online. I agree with your BIL that it’s an investment in yourself.

I also rate Hoka One One, they correct my wonky pronation which means I get less knee pain, hip pain and tired legs when running. My sketchers sandals, while comfortable, do nothing whatsoever for these and have actually exacerbated an Achilles tightness and heel pain/plantar type pain because they offer zero targeted support. I have always had bad feet, though. If I had easy feet, normal width etc plus a neutral pronation, I probably could get away with cheaper trainers for running

Multiple things here!

• Agree with others that those are well-regarded running brands for a reason.
• Agree also that there are bargains to be had if you buy last season’s version in a weird colour!
• And agree also that different shoes make sense for different activities. For me, shoes are an important investment and one of the few things I spend big on, because I like the feeling of my body moving as it should and I ask a lot of it (50km+ per week running, plenty of walking besides). I run in Hokas, walk off-road in fairly cheap walking boots from Sports Direct or Mountain warehouse (currently in a pair of Gelerts which cost about £25 I think), and live day to day life in Vivobarefoot which is almost the opposite philosophy to Hoka but I am convinced is responsible for my injury-free running!

Def false economy to buy cheap ones. My Asics were £78 in the outlet shop but are super++ comfort ones and were worth every penny

Oh, I meant to also add that I don’t like sneering about expensive fashion trainers tbh. If it makes people happy, it’s no different to a designer bag, just a bit more classist.

Get older models of the same shoe discounted on ebay. No need to pay £100 for them. I have £100 trainers that actually cost me £40.

Cheap / ill-fitting or inappropriate footwear definitely won’t help.

Outside of Covid times, I’d suggest going to a proper running shop, explaining what you want to use the trainers for and get a gait assessment. Having the right type of shoes matters too: not much point pulling on ultra-lightweight trail shoes if your intention is brisk walking on tarmac / pavement.

If you’re walking in the countryside / mixed terrain, another option might be something like an approach shoe from an outdoor brand.

Weird as it may sound, having a load of cushioning on a shoe that’s not right for you might actually be counterproductive.

The best trainers I've had for walking in have been Nike darts, which are pretty inexpensive. Wide enough at the toe, which is rare as I have a very wide forefoot and narrow ankles, just enough ankle support without digging in and just enough arch support though I could easily have used orthotics In them and plenty of bounce to help with my stride.

They were quite inexpensive but my surviving pairs are all more than 4 years old and past their best, now and I've not found anything to replace them with at any price.

I love my hokas been injury free since I invested in them. Always on the look out for sale bargains tho!

As with previous posters - for the fashion element, no. But from a functional point of view, absolutely. I have a pair for running & one for doing weight work in the gym. I recently got a pair of proper walking shoes for the first time, as in for mixed terrain. All three forms of exercise put different types of strain on your joints & muscles. They make a huge difference.

I wouldn't say £100 for a good pair of trainers is that bad to be honest, considering how much wear you'd get out of them.

You need trainers that support you, and don't cause pain when you're wearing them. They will enhance your life massively!

I suggest you do your research and try some on and walk round the shop. I took DP to get some for his Christmas present and I said it doesn't matter what the price is (while hoping he stayed away from the £500 ones hahaha) I just wanted him to have good trainers.

I ended up spending £80 and he loves them, they're really comfortable and supporting. They're New Balance.

I agree with others, the right shoes will make the difference, but you need sporty ones not fashion ones. The fashion trainers are just expensive for the brand and the appearance but the same makes also do sporty ones (eg. Addidas, New Balance). Try googling the 'wet foot' test for pronation (how flat footed you are) - you may not need a gait analysis. I have very flat feet (also called overpronation) and need a shoe with support for my instep for running and walking. I have a wide front of my foot and narrow ankles and I swear by New Balance 860s but 880s are better if you're not flat footed. New Balance also do different width fittings. I'd recommend the online shop called sportshoes as they have the previous season's models of most running shoes and you can get the ones that are normally priced at 120-130 for about 60-70 quid. Happy shopping!

Unfortunately, he's right. As long as you actually buy shoes that are designed to provide support to the arch and kept your feet in the correct alignment to optimise your biomechanics (rather than just buying the big flashy names and fashion trainers that are of no use at all to anyone with bioemchanical/gait issues), you have a good chance of reducing your pain and moving more freely.

New Balance are one of those brands, but a proper running shop would at least help you get shoes that work for you. When they're open.

You would also benefit from a podiatry/biomechanical assessment, as it might be that custom orthotics would help - or there are muscle weaknesses that are affecting your gait and tailored exercises could help. Harder to get access to at the moment, but definitely worth considering.

If you want something good for walking get some decent boots

Meindl are my go to

Seems to be a very unpopular opinion but I absolutely love my Sketchers Go Walk (started out with slip on plimsol type but wasn't so keen on the look so have moved on to trainer style - both are brilliant for comfort) and I can walk in them indefinitely. I once purchased a pair of Asics because I thought I should and I hated them and promptly put them on eBay! I have also bought some Nike running trainers more recently and after a day of walking around a theme park in them my feet were in agony. Luckily I had packed my Sketchers for the second day!

My mum suffered with awful plantar fasciitis this year and the consultant she saw blamed her Skechers go walks. She replaced with properly fitted £100 walking trainers and it's gone.

Another to add to the chorus of YABU, spend the money on decent trainers. I wear Asics to the gym/running. If I walk long distances in my lightweight Nikes (which I bought as fashion trainers ages ago) I get foot and hip pain.