Whether you run daily, on a treadmill or you run Marathons, we all know how important it is to use a good pair of running shoes.
Choosing the best running shoes for yourself is not rocket science but few people overcomplicate things. The best running shoes are not the ones which are the cheapest or the most expensive but the best shoes are those that suit your foot arch type, pronation type and it suits the terrain that you are running on.
Top 5 Running Shoes Comparison Chart
| Shoe Name | Arch Type | Ideal for | Terrain | Price Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nike Downshifter | Neutral | Daily Running (short runs) | Road Running Shoes | |
| Asics Gel Kayano 23 | Neutral | Daily Running (Long Distance) | Road Running Shoes | |
| Skechers Go Run | Neutral | Daily Running (short runs) | Road Running Shoes | |
| Nike Revolution 3 | Neutral | Marathons | Road Running Shoes | |
| Skechers Go Run 7 | Neutral | Sprinting (Speed Running) | Road Running Shoes |
Here are the 5 Best Running Shoes for Men in India
1. Nike Downshifter 7 – Best Running Shoes for Beginner Runner
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- Shoe Type: Neutral Shoes
- To be used for: Daily Running (shorter runs less than 5K)
- Terrain (Surface): Road
What Runners Liked
- Most runners liked the big Nike swoosh that runs across the shoe to create good looking shoe
- Runners like the availability of different colors available
- Users complimented that the Nike Downshifter 7 was comfortable, lightweight and extremely good fit.
- One runner mentioned that cushioning and grip is superb. He recommended to buy one size up only if you have wide feet.
- Lots of users who ordered from Amazon mentioned these are original Nike shoes.
What Runners didn’t Like
- One user mentioned the shoes were not breathable and air circulation was missing.
- Few users mentioned that they received fake or copy shoes. We recommend to check seller reviews before buying.
2. Asics Gel Kayano 23 – Best Running Shoes for long distance
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- Shoe Type: Stability Shoes
- To be used for: Daily Running (long distance 5K or more)
- Terrain (Surface): Road
What Runners Liked
- Most users appreciated the color combinations available in Gel Kayano 23
- Runners said they used the shoes while running and in gym and very happy with the performance
- Couple of users mentioned these shoes provides support and protect knees because of Gel technology
What Runners didn’t Like
- One regular runner mentioned the high wear and tear on the soles. The shoes did not last more than 350 miles. Regular runners usually run approx. 400 – 500 miles a month
- Few users had the experience that the inner fabric tends to deteriorate after few walks and runs.
- A bit expensive as compared to other stability shoes
3. Skechers Go Run
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- Shoe Type: Neutral Running Shoes
- To be used for: Daily Running
- Terrain (Surface): Road
What Runners Liked
- Ninety percent of the users really liked the Memory foam cushioning inside the shoes
- Runners felt the shoes were really lightweight and comfortable for long runs.
- All users liked the price range of these shoes which is really competitive and affordable, as compared to other neural shoes
What Runners didn’t Like
- The shoes were not available in all sizes
4. Nike Revolution 3 – Best Nike shoes for Marathon
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- Shoe Type: Neutral Running Shoes
- To be used for: Long Distance / Marathon
- Terrain (Surface): Road
What Runners Liked
- Nike Revolution 3 shoes are well known to last long.
- Most buyers rated Nike Revolution 3 as “most affordable Nike running shoes“
- Runners rated these shoes as lightweight, comfortable, best fit and available in good colors
What Runners didn’t Like
- Few users complained about the sole getting ripped off after couple of months
5. Skechers Go Run 7 – Best shoes for Sprinting
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- Shoe Type: Neutral Running Shoes
- To be used for: Sprinting / Speed Running
- Terrain (Surface): Road
What Runners Liked
- If you are a speed runner or you like to sprint then these shoes are made for you.
- Skechers Go Run Hyper shoes were termed as the best running shoes with Comfort, flexibility, breathability and ultra-lightweight by runners
- These shoes have just been launched by Skechers and people who’ve used these say these are even better than Skechers 400
- Runners felt the cushioning and midsole is so good that they feel like an elastic like jump when they are running
What Runners didn’t Like
- A bit expensive than other running shoes but well worth every penny
Running Shoes Buying Guide – What to look for when buying running shoes
1. Arch Type
Always buy shoes based on your arch type. The first step in buying running shoes is to figure out your arch type. Based on your foot mechanics you will have either a normal arch OR high arch OR flat feet.
We recommend watching the below video and follow the steps to understand your arch type.
An alternate way to find out your arch type is by looking at your old shoes. Look at your old pair of shoes that you have used for Running. Do you see any patterns on the sole of these shoes?
Is there more wear and tear on the inside of the shoes or on the outside of the shoes? Is the sole worn out throughout the shoe sole?
Based on the above you would need to buy either Neutral shoes, Stability Shoes or Motion Control Shoes.
The below cheat sheet will help you to pick the correct shoes as per your arch Type. You may take a screenshot or a picture of this cheat sheet for reference.
2. Foot Size (Length and Width)
One of the most critical part of the shoe selection process is to measure your foot dimensions. For example if you have wide feet you should only order shoes that are made for wide feet.
It is very important to get the right fit for your running shoes to prevent any injuries or blisters.
A rule of thumb while choosing the right shoe size is that you should have half inch space in the forefoot area. This means that your forefoot has enough space to wiggle around while you are running.
Also keep in mind that the shoe size should not be that big that your foot starts sliding inside the shoe while running. This will again lead to injuries, blisters etc.
The below video will help you in following the right steps to measure your foot size.
3. Material Type
This is where your skills of attention to details will come into play. You need to pay attention to the upper of the shoes if that has a mesh fabric or something else.
The best fabric that provides runners with superior breathability is most probably something between canvas and mesh. Both mesh and canvas are well known to have “natural” perforations and deliver adequate airflow in breathable footwear while running.
Therefore while buying running shoes you should keep your eyes on the material type.
4. Purpose – Walking Shoes vs Running Shoes vs Marathon Shoes
You should ask yourself this question every time you buy running shoes online. If you are a daily runner or you run 3-4 times a week then you should opt for daily running shoes.
On the other hand if you are are looking for Marathon shoes than you should focus on buying shoes that are made for long distance running.
Marathon shoes are typically made for long distances and are very lightweight as compared to regular running shoes. They offer much more comfort and arch support to the runner as compared to other regular running shoes.
It is very common nowadays for runners to have two different pair of shoes:-
(i) One pair of traditional, highly cushioned and comfortable running shoes in which they log the majority of their training mileage. These shoes are usually heavier and with a high drop.
(ii) A second pair of lightweight, low drop shoes to train at slower distances or during marathons.
If you are looking for walking shoes than don’t buy running shoes because that will save you some money. At the same time if you are going to be running on few days and just walk on other days then we recommend you to buy running shoes.
5. Price
Running shoes can be quite expensive especially those shoes which are newly launched in the market. Because you may have to buy more than one pair of running shoes or additional running gear it is very important that you keep a tab on your budget. You can get a good pair of running shoes under 5000 rupees.
Although you will be able to get some shoes in the lower range around 2000 but we don’t recommend going for these if you are seriously considering running on a regular basis. Cheap running shoes are sometimes made of cheap material and they don’t long last. They usually wear out in 3-4 months, depending upon your usage. Also you won’t get proper cushioning, arch support and traction from the outsole because of the cheap material used in these shoes. This increases your chances of getting injured in the short term.
By buying cheaper shoes you will be able to save some money but they will wear out pretty quickly if you use them on your regular runs.
6. Looks / Color / Design
So you see your friend wearing a nice pair of sneakers and you thought these are great looking running shoes. You immediately jump online and start searching for nice looking running shoes….
Don’t make that mistake ever. You should rather buy a pair of nice looking sneakers.
Running shoes come in variety of colors, designs and sometimes all you are looking for are decent casual shoes for wearing on evenings or casual outings. If this is the case then you should only buy sneakers and not running shoes.
7. Where do you Run (Terrain)
Road Running Shoes: Most of us run either on roads / pavements. There are different shoes made for road running and different ones that are made for trail running.
If you run on roads you would need a road running shoe that comes with a hard outsole to support and bear repetitive strikes on hard surfaces.
Trail Running Shoes: They have more tread (cleats) and provide better traction than road running shoes. The sole of trail running shoes are designed in such a way that it provides support and grip to the runner for gripping rocks, mud and soil.
The sole of a trail running shoe is very different than a road running shoe.
8. Other important things to keep in mind when buying Running shoes online
(i) Running Shoes are continually evolving. You will also notice that each model gets launched every year with a newer and improved version of running shoes.
For example Asics Gel Kayano 23, Asics Gel Kayano 24, Kayano 25 and most recently we’ve seen Kayano 26. Most shoe brands do this from time to time to provide improved version of running shoes every year.
(ii) Each model of the running shoe within each brand is built for a specific foot type. You would see that Nike Downshifter 7 is a neutral shoe while Nike Air winflo 6 is a stability shoe. Therefore buy the one that matches your arch type. But you will not be able to see this on any ecommerce site – be it Amazon or Flipkart.
So whenever you are in doubt about any specific shoe you can refer to Runaddiction. Because we do a lot of research and testing on various running shoes.
(iii) There is no “perfect shoes for running” or “best running shoes” in the market.
(iv) Each runner’s foot type is different in shape and there are different running shoes for different foot types. Brands like Nike, Adidas, Skechers etc. understand these things and manufacture running shoes based on runner’s foot arch and pronation.
(v) You will see hundreds of Running shoes and deals on Amazon and Flipkart but unfortunately there is no way to filter the shoes based on your foot arch, pronation, terrain and usage.
(vi) Running is a high intensity workout where your knees and feet bear the entire weight of your body while you run. Therefore choosing and wearing proper running shoes is very important to avoid any injury.
Whether you run regularly or you run few times in a week or month, you need to first understand how your feet work. Understanding the biomechanics of your feet will help you better understand what type of running shoe is right for you.
Top 15 Running Shoes Brands in India
The following brands are the best shoes brands in India. Most of them are well known global brands like Nike, Adidas and Puma. While there are some other Indian brands in the list that are only available in India. For example HRX and Sparx.
We have done a detailed analysis of these best shoes brand in India that covers their revenues, manufacturing locations, Pros and Cons and the best models of each of these shoe brands. You can read more about these brands here.
- Nike
- Adidas
- Puma
- Reebok
- Asics
- New Balance
- Under Armour
- Kalenji
- Salomon
- Lotto
- Woodland
- Sparx
- HRX
- Fila
- Bata
Summary
As we said earlier that there is nothing called the best running shoes. What might be a good running shoe for me can be a bad running shoe for you. This is because people have different foot sizes, foot shapes (pronation), running form etc.
Therefore If you want to select the best shoes for running than you must first determine your feet type, pronation type and other things (as described above) before you jump on to amazon to buy running shoes online.
If you already know your arch type, foot size and other points mentioned below than you can go ahead and select the running shoe that suits your pronation, size and budget.
If you have any questions or suggestions please feel free to write them in the comments below.
