I swore by my old running shoes until I tried a pair of Hokas last month

For years I stuck with the same brand because they never gave me blisters, even though my knees hurt after every 5k. My friend in my running club basically forced me to try her Hoka Clifton 9s for a single loop around the park. The cushion was insane, like running on clouds, and my knee pain was gone the next day. Anyone else have a brand they were loyal to that turned out to be holding them back?

3 comments

3 Comments

theasmith1mo ago

Wait, did you really have zero knee pain the very next day? That seems super fast for a shoe change to fix an ongoing issue. Sometimes it takes a few runs for your body to adjust, or the pain might come from your form.

abby_wilson511mo ago

Yeah @theasmith, I used to think the same thing but switching shoes actually fixed it overnight for me.

barbara_baker5722d ago

...you know, I actually think people are way too quick to blame their shoes for everything. I've been running for 15 years, and I've seen plenty of runners who just needed to strengthen their calves and glutes instead of buying new shoes every time something hurts. That "overnight fix" sounds more like a placebo effect or maybe just taking a rest day after that run. Your body doesn't magically fix mechanical issues from one shoe change... it takes time for your muscles and joints to adapt. I've switched between zero-drop shoes, stability shoes, and even minimalist sandals, and my knees have almost always adjusted after a few weeks if I worked on my form. Honestly, I think a lot of people are just looking for an excuse to buy fancy new gear instead of putting in the work to fix their running mechanics.