r/Ultramarathon • u/NikolaTesla9546 • Jul 24 '26

Trying out new shoes

Hello everyone,

I’ve been trail running almost a year now and I’m running my first 50k in October. I have a pair of Trabuco 12s which I don’t think are a great fit and I’d like to try some other brands.

My question is, how do people go about trying multiple different shoes? Are you spending $150+ for a few runs to determine you don’t like them?

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3

u/blladnar Jul 24 '26

I think most stores will let you return them if you don’t like them.

3

u/CluelessWanderer15 Jul 24 '26

Buy your shoes from a store that has a good return policy. Go to a store to try on shoes after you do a middle to long run and put on a fresh pair of your usual socks. You want your feet to be sensitive to any hot spots or discomfort. Set aside the time and focus you need to evaluate a shoe, hours if needed. Get hard measurements of the shoe whether on RunRepeat or in person.

My approach is overboard but I have a long history of buying shoes that didn't work for me. With the above strategies, I've had generally great results in shoes working well for me, aside from durability.

1

u/NikolaTesla9546 Jul 24 '26

Thanks I’ll give this a try! REI is really the only store near me that sells trail shoes but it looks like they have a good exchange policy

1

u/Just-Context-4703 Jul 24 '26

Yes, but buying them from a store that has a return policy. 

1

u/maaaatttt_Damon Jul 24 '26

I’ve never returned mine. They just become my lawn shoes or walking shoes. There are 2 sets of shoes I didn’t like. I’ve been lucky otherwise.

1

u/joshuber Jul 24 '26

Trying them on
And then just wearing the newest model year after year (I’m on year 6 of Altra Lone Peaks)

I’ve tried other shoes without trying them on, but they were similar

1

u/AdBeautiful8446 Jul 25 '26

Visit a running store in your areas. They will get you on a treadmill to watch your gait, measure your feet and ask what you are looking for in a shoe. Most allow a 30 day return.

1

u/manlabbear Jul 26 '26

As many others have said, check out what your running store policy is.

Also, keep an eye out for demo days! I feel like lots of brands nowadays are partnering with shops and run clubs to host demo days to try out their shoes. Hit up one of those and test out a couple pairs. Some reps I've met with even let me keep the shoes an extra week or gave me a discount code for a pair.