How do I know which running shoes are best for me?

New Balance & Reeboks for $ 40 ?? I have never seen such animal !
If you can find those brands for that price don’t bother they will be no better than the Walmart shoes !!
Have you tried going to outlets like Marshalls, TJ Maxx and Ross ??
Once or twice per year Dick’s Sporting Goods & The Sports Authority has sales for discontinued models at a fraction of the original price
Believe it or not you can find good running shoes for $30~$40 at Walmart !
I tried using $129 Nikes running shoes with all the bells and whistles but they looked great but only lasted 4 months!

Haha, yeah, they were on sale at Sears :)

Never been shoe shopping at those outlets but that does sound like a good idea to check them out too.

But my walmart running shoes are really not that good :/

my marathon runner Therapist runs in asics. Spend a little more and take care of your feet. Look for the bargain and try them on. Shop around.

@jazmina88 – I’ve seen asics, but man, they’re waaay beyond my price range o_o

Maybe one day if I am ever well off I’ll get them, haha.

@Glow I know the type of shoes that you’re talking about,,,, For some reason certain shoe companies make cheap almost useless sport shoes at best for walking short distances!
I bought a pair of Pumas for $20 ,,,Puma is not well known in the US but it is in Europe.

The shoes looked great but are completely worthless as running shoes,,,I’d be better off running in high heels !
If you’re on a budget try to find shoes that at least have adequate cushioning ! It will prevent undue stress on your back & knees !!

New Balance is a good running shoes that may meet your budget. You need to look for shock absorbing feature, light wieght, does not soak up too much liquids, reflectorized decal strips would be nice for those dawn and dusk runs.

How many miles per week are you running, and how often? If your mileage is relatively high, it is crucial that you get the right shoes to prevent injury.

The brand is irrelevant. What is important is getting a shoe that provides the kind of support you need. If your foot hits the ground evenly and doesn’t roll to the right or the left, you have a neutral stride and don’t need special support—any neutral running shoe will do. If your foot rolls inward, this is called overpronation and you need stability or motion control shoes. If your foot rolls outward when it strikes the ground, this is called supination, and neutral shoes will probably do the trick.

If you have abnormally high or low arches, this can also affect what kind of shoe you need. People with flat feet (low arches) tend to overpronate; people with very high arches tend to supinate.

Also, you should not use the same shoes for running and walking. They’ll wear out faster and more importantly, your walking gait is different from your running gait. So they’ll wear differently if you walk in them than if you just use them for running.

So if you plan to run frequently (3–4x/week) or far (more than a mile at a time) I strongly suggest going to a running store and getting fitted properly. Shell out the $100+ for real shoes that fit your gait—it’s much cheaper and less of a hassle than dealing with an injury down the line.

I second @nikipedia. There are so many things that you can cut the corners on and buy cheap but not with your feet. Trust me your feet are your most valuable asset, and you don’t need a podiatrist to tell you that!! If you buy poor running shoes you can be in some serious trouble that will rack up medical bills (wayy higher than $40).

If you absolutely cannot spend more than that famous footwear always has buy one get one ½ off sales. Go with a friend, maybe you can find some shoes together and split the cost. Just please, please don’t sacrifice your feet because in the end it’s sooo not worth it – especially if you plan on running a lot.

Reeboks always work for me and I have a low arch.

Thanks @nikipedia . I never really thought about getting myself properly fitted, as I have never done it before, but that is probably more reason to do it. I will definitely have it on my to-do list.

And yeah, I plan to run a lot. Not as much as most other runners do. Probably 6–9 miles a week.

You may want to invest a little more money if you want decent running shoes. My personal favorite brand is Asics due to the superb cushioning they provide. Other good brands are Saucony and Nike. If you are planning on running 6–9 miles a week then i definitely suggest one of those brands.

RoadRunner Sports have the ShoeDog service at the top left that can help you pick some shoes that should work for you.
Check their discontinued shoes for some very good discounts.