Running shoe advice for high arches.?

Question

In 1999 I started wearing Nike Air Pegasus shoes. '99 model. They worked for me and were pretty inexpensive, so in College I bought ten pairs. Well, I just ran through the last pair. Literally thousands of miles later, I think I've become dependent on that mold of shoe. For the past 7 years or so they are all I wore for running and even after I couldn't use them for running I would use older pairs for just everyday walking around.
PROBLEM: Now I can't find a shoe that doesn't make the arch of my foot hurt. I get a sharp pain right on the top of my arch about 2-3 miles into a run almost every time.

I do have high arches, I think. Any advice? Anybody had a similar problem and found a solution?

Answer 1

The Nike Air Pegasus is primarily designed for people with high arches. If you keep getting pain in your arches, I agree with you that it is probably the shoes. It sounds like you tried a few other pairs of shoes, including the newer Pegasus, but just in case, here's a few other shoes for high-arched runners that might work for you:

Asics Cumulus/Landreth
Brooks Radius
Mizuno Wave Rider
New Balance 881
Saucony Shadow/Trigon Ride

Trying all of these shoes can be pricey so you will have to find a shoe store that has a generous return policy. I recommend Road Runner Sports, which allows you to return worn shoes up to 60 days after you bought them. It took me two returns (after 5 miles each) before I found my perfect shoes.

A friend of mine has high arches, and she also got severe pain in her arches from running. It threatened her half-marathon training. She tried the Asics Cumulus, and it helped, but it did not completely do the trick. It wasn't until she tried using insoles that her pain went away. The ones she used was the Superfeet insoles (Green). The great thing about them is that you can return them if they don't work for you. Anyway, my friend finished the half marathon without a problem.

Unfortunately, only your feet know exactly what is right for you, and you just have to experiment. If those above-mentioned shoes and insoles do not fix your problem, you may have to invest in more expensive alternatives like custom orthotics.

Answer 2

I am also a loyal Nike Pegasus runner & have high arches. I've noticed that I get some inner foot rubbing along my arch and I've just been adding some vaseline or body glide there to keep it from blistering. It seems to have worked. I like the new Pegasus...it's lighter (good)...but they wear out quicker (<400 miles...not so good)...but I'm still sticking with them. Let me know if you find a better shoe. If you're set on trying a new pair, I'd go to a running shoe store (some tips below). Best of luck!

- Mike