Choosing a Running Shoe: How My Viewpoint Has Changed

My hunch is that many recreational runners are a lot like I was when it comes to choosing a running shoe. Most of the time, I chose a pair based on a combination of aesthetics and price - if they looked good and were priced low, I'd put them on my feet and wear them until they had a hole in them or died. I never reserved a pair solely for running (my shoes were always multi-purpose), I had no idea that there were such things as motion control, stability, and neutral shoes, and I wasn't aware that things like racing flats even existed.

After my bilateral hip replacement surgery in 1998 I decided it was time that I took care of my body better than what I was doing and to do that I needed to buy the right pair of shoes for my new stride, so I followed a friends advice and went to a local running store. The store employee had me take off my shoes and run back and forth across the store, and promptly "diagnosed" me as a mild over-pronator who should be wearing stability shoes. I left the store with a nice pair of properly fitted Nike stability lightweight training shoes.

I have bought lightweight training shoes ever since. Lighter shoes will help you shave run more efficiently (less weight at the end of the leg = less energy expended). Regardless of whether the shoes or my training and conditioning deserved credit, I was running much more frequently and with much less pain and haven't turned back to the “best sale on the best looking running shoes in the store” type shoes.

So here are 6 factors that are likely to play a part in my purchase decisions when buying running shoes:

Weight. First and foremost, I like a shoe to be as light as possible. I generally look for shoes that weigh less than 10 oz each, with 7 oz each shoes is best for me.
Comfort. A shoe needs to be comfortable form me to want to run in it, so fit is very important. As an example, I find that Nike shoes are generally lightweight and feel fast, but they are a bit on the narrow side. On the other end, New Balance is generally a heavier shoe, and has a higher offset than most. However, it may be more comfortable shoes particularly on longer runs.
Heel-Toe Drop/Offset. My preference is for a shoe that does not have a large, cushioned heel. Heel-Toe drop/offset/differential is essentially the difference in thickness between mid-sole + outsole of the heel vs. the forefoot - a drop of zero would mean that when seated in the shoe, the heel and forefoot would be at exactly the same height off of the ground. Most running shoes have an HT drop of around 12mm, meaning that the heel sits about 12mm higher off of the ground than the forefoot. The upshot of the HT drop value is that the lower it is, the easier it will be to land on your midfoot or forefoot while running (to see my personal experiment with heel height and footstrike. I prefer shoes with as low a drop as possible, but I do like some variability so that my calves get worked in different ways in different shoes.
Aesthetics. Yes, this still is important to me! I realize it's one of the worst things upon which to base a shoe choice, but sometimes you simply can't escape aesthetics. It may be mental, but I like a pair of shoes to look fast, and generally speaking, the flashier the better. If I find a shoe to be unappealing, I won't buy it.
Price. I hate to say it, but price is also still important. I can't justify spending over $100 on a pair of shoes.
Other Factors. There are other things that figure into whether I like a shoe or not, and these include breathability, flexibility, upper construction, etc. For example, I prefer a shoe that has a breathable, minimalist upper and a flexible sole, though none of these factors are deal-breakers for me.

So there you have it, my perspective on running shoes.