Shoes and Othotics

I get asked all the time about running shoes and it would appear to be one of the most talked about subjects within the running fraternity. The truth is, I have experimented with different manufacturers since I began running and I am still not satisfied with my selection. That said, I have been wearing New Balance now for about two years and in particular the 1063. Although this trainer has been dis-continued, I feel, for me, that it offered what I needed. On average my trainers tend to last for about 10 weeks or about 650 miles by which point they begin to break down and tear at the sides where my foot begins to pivot. The trouble is, that at £100 per pair, you can see that my bill for shoes is considerable. Now you may say, just run in them until they fall apart, but as a corrected over pronator, even a couple of mm wear causes me a problem. Wearing custom orthotics cures fundamental problems but the down side is that it can also cause others. The idea of orthotics is simple, it corrects your foot position and removes a gait that could result in instances of repeat or prolonged injury but wearing them in shoes can also cause wear to the inside or indeed increased abrasion to the sole. So you see, for me, it is important to change shoes regularly. It's a shame I have to foot the bill though if you pardon the pun. Once you have found the perfect shoe most runners will stick with them and (me included) will always resist changing. The thing is though, technology advances and every year most manufacturers will change the model. Take me for instance, when the New Balance 1063 was replaced by the 1064 last last year, Neale bought me a couple of pairs. I am convinced that they were a step back for me and promptly sent them back. Now though, I cannot source 10643's, so what do I do.....I go to the cupboard and pull out an old pair of 63's with about 1500 miles on them!!! So, you see, we're all the same...all hung up about our trainers...and all stuck in our ways!