When I started running, I had no idea what I needed. When I was morbidly obese, I had an evaluation done to determine what kind of shoes I needed. I never thought I would need to be reevaluated after losing weight! My first good pair of running shoes were Nike Lunar glide. A nice shoe, but later I found out it was the wrong one for me. Sizing is also a factor. I knew what size shoe I wear, so I obviously knew what to ask for. So I walked out of the store with my size 11 Nikes, which I was very proud of and used them to train for my first half marathon.
Once I got close to the end of life on those shoes, I decided I would have my feet evaluated. What I found out was shocking! I no longer needed a stability shoe. A neutral would work just fine. I also found out that in most running shoes you should go up a half size to give you appropriate room in the toe box. One thing I did have right was the amount of cushioning. I have osteoarthritis in my knees, so I know I need more cushion.
After I learned all of this, I tried on a number of brands and shoes that met the criteria. My favorite brands immediately were Asics and Saucony. Asics were too rich for my blood, so I tried out Saucony. My first three pair'a of saucony were Triumph ISO and I loved them!
Another difficult thing is when your favorite shoe is replaced our discontinued. After taking my last pair of new shoes out of the closet, I went back online to restock. Triumph ISO were now too expensive, even more expensive than the newer model.
I started researching what's different about the Triumph ISO 2's. Some times it's an all around redo. Sometimes it's a minor change. Luckily for me, it was a change to the sole material. All the reports seemed like it was a positive change, so I'm hopeful and optimistic.
So if you've learned anything today, don't just go out and buy Saucony Triumph ISO because I like them. I recommend going to a reputable shoe store that will do a gait analysis and go from there. Find out what your body likes and what is comfortable for you!
Happy shoe shopping!