Shoe Advice

Those fancy running shoe stores still look at you from behind to assess how much your heel tilts with respect to your ankle and then look at a pressure foot print to determine what shoe you need. Then they usually recommend a support shoe which are for your hobby joggers. What would be better is if they analyzed you from the side since that is how your foot "folds" in the gait cycle.

Most college level runners do best in a lightweight trainer or racing flat with a semi rigid orthotic like the Superfeet Orange insert.

"Arch support" is a misnomer since your arch isn't meant to be a weightbearing area. Arch bracing or splinting is the concept that prevents arch straining. The basic concept is that the shoe should only bend/flex at the ball of the foot corresponding to you toe joints, where as a lot shoes flex in the middle of the foot (a lot even cut out the middle of the outsole) which leads to arch strain. This is where the orthotic comes in to limit midfoot flex especially in the flimsier lighter weight shoes.

Good "stand alone" training shoe is the Asics 2140, it's not too bulky and the midfoot of the outsole is reinforced.

If you have a fairly strong arch (and most midfoot/forefoot strikers do) you can get a lightweight shoe by itself as long as it is more flexible at the ball of the foot than any place else on the shoe. An example would be the New Balance 905.

Again the shoe should preferentially flex the way you want your own foot to flex when you look at things from the side.

what do u think of brooks ghost as daily trainer?

'because my mom thought this woman knew best'

Does your mom still dress you?

As a midfoot striker, you want a shoe without too much heel to forefoot drop-off. Might want to give the Saucony Kinvara a try...

He said he doesn't need a stability shoe and you recommend the 2150 and 905?

Just get yourself a neutral shoe and be done with it. You know your body best and know what should work for it.

Try the Mizuno Rider, Asics Cumulus, Nike Pegasus, Saucony Ride, or new Brooks Ghost. Since you sound like you're an efficient runner because you midfoot strike, stay away from the heavier cushion shoes. They have more padding but are stiffer and heavier- they won't let your foot flex as much. If you need a super high arch thrown in the shoe to fill up the gap, check out the Spenco Arch Cushion.

The 905 may have a medial post, but it is very mild. I have a neutral footstrike and I also midfoot strike like yourself. I can run in the 905 everyday if I want to, it is a great shoe for a midfoot striker because the forefoot is very flexible and it has a low heel. Even the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine lists it as a neutral shoe:

http://www.aapsm.org/runshoe.html

Asics Speedstar 4 is also worth a try if you are looking to go lightweight. If you're looking for more of a special "midfoot" shoe, try out the Saucony Kinvara or New Balance 801.