What kind of running shoes should I buy

I did it! :) I stumbled my way through the half. It was painful; my legs started to get really tired at km 12 and pain forced me to half-walk half-run the last 6km. It was worse than most of my training runs, possibly because I was recovering from a cold. But I finished, and 2 days later I feel pretty much recovered, and all the feelings of discomfort during the run have faded in my memory and are replaced with happiness at the accomplishment. Ah this is great. The next one will be so much better too. Thanks for the advice everyone.

In my experience, you need to try on a variety of shoes to see what feels right for you. Asking someone to name a brand is not the answer though a useful starting point. Your feet your shoes.

Yes, running store. "All this cushioning and support" is not "bad for" any one person in a wholesale sense. Some people need more cushioning, some need stability, etc. Yes, you risk injury in the wrong shoes. I also think it's not smart to try to go from 5k to 13 miles in such a short time. That's risking injury as well. Some people can do both those things (bad shoes, ramp up quickly) and not get injured. Most serious runners would advise against risking it.

It's not tricky to run in Nike Frees. As I said in the FPP, just make sure your feet are landing under your body, and that your landing is forefoot or midfoot (never heel.) I regret every penny I ever spent on expensive running shoes. And I was fitted for every pair, along with orthotics to go with them. My flat no arch feet and the rest of me are now doing much better than when I lavished money and fittings on them.

You definitely need to go to a local running store and have them look at your feet, but shoes don't cost $140. You can usually get them from anywhere from $80-$120. Once you know what kind of shoes are best for you, http://www.runningwearehouse.com usually stocks them for $50-$100. Definitely don't go to Walmart or buy minimalist shoes until you have your gait and feet looked at. That's a great way to get injured. Also, and this is IMHO, you're moving too fast. If you're only running 11k as your long run now, and that's a bit much for a runner who started in January, a half marathon should be an end of the summer goal. Certainly not May. You're going to get injured.

I also wouldn't ramp distance up like this. You need to run the race distance at least once or twice in the *exact* same gear you'll use on race day, to see what will rub/chafe/break. The only major injury I've had from running was when I changed up my lacing in the cab on the way to a half marathon, and ended up with arch blisters that THEN had me running improperly, leading to a hairline fracture and tendon bruising and major pain for a month.

Well done! Sounds like you were sensible about knowing where your limits were and ran within them. What shoes did you end up buying? all the feelings of discomfort during the run have faded in my memory and are replaced with happiness at the accomplishment Yep, this is why we run ;-)

A year and a half ago I got inspired by the minimalist running craze and bought myself a pair of Newtons. I felt like I broke them in gently, alternating them with my existing Asics. I built up slowly and took my time adjusting to a midfoot strike. (I was a serious heel striker before.) After four months, I was evangelizing them to everybody I knew. Then I got a sore spot in my arch that just wouldn't go away. I had a bone scan to rule out a stress fracture, then moved onto the traditional therapies of ice, stretching, etc. After a year - YEAR - of basically dealing with a chronic injury there, I saw a podiatrist who pointed out I'd damaged my plantar fascia (in the arch, not the heel) and that I needed orthotics and supportive shoes for 12 weeks to heal. It sucks. So yeah, be careful. I'm now in a pair of Mizune Wave Rider 14's, which are a nice neutral shoe that my orthotic fits in. I still like the idea of minimalist running, but I found out the hard way that my feet aren't ready for it yet.

Look in the discount racks at shoe stores and sports stores, if you have them nearby. I always buy running shoes at around 50% full cost by not being too fussy about brands etc - as long as you don't compromise on the fit. If it feels 'not quite 100% right' in the store, imagine what it will feel like after two hours of running. Don't buy shoes like this from a department store - you will regret spending $20 on a pair of shoes for much longer than you'll regret spending $140 if that's what you have to do. Good luck with your half - I don't think you are taking too much risk, as long as you listen to your body and are prepared to stop and walk if it tells you to, or just stop completely if you have pain that doesn't go away quickly when you stop running. I ran my first a couple of years ago with similar preparation to what you have described, with no ill effects. Starting off very slowly and building your pace through the event will help you avoid injury.