Sneaker Advice please!!

[bellakella]

I need to buy a new pair of sneakers for my workouts so I need advice. The last pair I have now are running shoes that I bought last year. I didn't realize when I bought them that I should have bought cross trainers or something like that, especially since I don't run.

I'm not a runner but I need sneakers for cardio (HIIT, Jumping, Turbo Fire, etc). I've started doing some research and so far I found that New Balance, Ryka and of course Nike are good options. Does anyone have any sneakers they love and use for the type of workouts I do? Or any advice would be really helpful

Thanks in advance!!

[FirmHeels]

Hi Kelly, I almost always use Rykas for my workouts like the ones you listed. They are truly perfect for that.

[dela]

I love the Nike Free 5.0 Print TR Fit 4, and own way too many pairs, and it just doesn't help they keep coming out with new prints. But it's specifically the TR Fit 4 that I like, they make a 5 now, but it doesn't feel as good. I own 4 pairs of the TR fit 4, my first and favorite print are too worn down to workout in anymore. But the other 3 I kept buying every time I found a decent sale and a fun print. And ironically, 80% of my workouts I do barefoot now, I'm just afraid they will stop making them, but I should be set for a few years with what I already own.

I never used to be able to wear Nike until they started with this "Free" line. I had owned previous iterations of this shoe that were also great, just something about the new "5" I don't like.

http://www.sportsauthority.com/NIKE-...33-335753122-2

I have a hard time finding sneakers I am comfortable in, and so far nothing else works well for me other than being barefoot.

[PrairieGem]

I do a lot of indoor cardio (step, HIIT, plyos, drills) and love lateral movements... and my last three pairs of sneakers have all been running shoes--two from New Balance (more traditional running shoes) and one from Reebok (a minimal pair, which I initially bought for barre, b/c I need the support and the flexibility). I have seen the "running shoes/no running shoes for cardio" thing cycle around too many times. I think it's just whatever works best for *your* personal feet needs. Running shoes can be good b/c they have a lot of cushioning and they're lightweight. But SOME running shoes may not have enough lateral support for your feet or your workouts; I haven't had a problem with my New Balance shoes. The worst pair was a pair of Reebok cross trainers with the little balance pods on the bottom--loved those shoes to death but always felt as though the edge of my foot was getting caught in the seam when I did skater leaps! Lateral moves are one of the first things I do when I try on a pair of sneakers--I need to know my ankles will be stabilized, without putting undue pressure on the outside of my foot.

The thing I'd be careful about is buying running shoes from a running store--sometimes they get very weird about how THEY think your shoes should fit you (and there seems to be a misconception that everyone with feet overpronates ). My current pair is a full size too large for me, which is OK for running in, but too loose for other cardio. Thank goodness I hung on to my last pair!

There was a thread here on VF not long after I joined about what shoes instructors were wearing, and a couple of instructors evidently always wear running shoes in their videos... (shrug)