If you love running barefoot, that's great. You could keep running barefoot and save yourself some cash monies, but if you're like most people, you'll want to start exploring the world with your feet and that usually means running on rougher terrain than a flat track and grassy field. Everyone's feet are different, so go out and try a few brands to find something that works for you.
I personally fell in love with Altras. When I first started running, I went into a traditional running shoe with an elevated heel and found that I started experiencing knee and hip pain. When I switched to Altras and fixed my running form, all of that pain went away. Altras are "zero drop" (They don’t have a raised heel so your toes and heels are at the same level) and they have a wide toe box, so that you can spread your toes and use your entire foot to push off.
*Transitioning to a zero drop shoe: Ease into running with zero drop shoes to strengthen your lower calf muscles. Don’t try to run for more than 1-2 miles at a time with the Altras. Go back and forth from your old running shoes until you can run comfortably in the Altras for about 3 miles.
For mostly road-running, you can try:
The Escalantes are more of a minimal shoe with less cushioning. The benefit of a minimal shoe is that you can feel the road and it will encourage you to land softly.
The Torins are a great moderately cushioned road shoe. They work well for longer distances.
For trail-running:
If you're primarily going to be on the trails, the Lone Peaks work well because they have some tread on the sole. These are moderately cushioned.
The Olympus is a great trail-running shoe with maximum cushioning for longer efforts on the trails. They work great on rocky terrain where you’ll need traction.
If you’d like to try a “barefoot” style shoe, I have a version of these and they’re great for short barefoot runs. Merrell Vapor Glove
Comments