Happy new years everyone!
Its that wonderful time of year to get started on (and fail) getting into shape, and i've realized i've never actually used runners to do so (using hiking boots). I've decided to ask for help from my peers (and betters) by asking the Ozbargain users what they find works best.
I've been to a few stores (Kmart, BigW, Footlocker and a local shoe store) but i've found only cheap and nasty shoes for $20-$40 that clearly won't last more than a couple of months of use, or $150-$250 branded shoes that don't look or feel much better. I'm a 125kg lumpen oaf who's currently doing three 40 minute jogs a week after recovering from a badly broken leg/ankle last year, so its been a slow return to jogging, and would probably use the runners as everyday shoes, as my current pair of hiking shoes i wear everyday are on their last legs. what have you found is the sweet spot of price/quality? should i cycle through cheap and nasty runners that i destroy, or spend a quarter of a grand on some branded shoe that will hopefully last for a year or more.
TLDR: wanting to buy my first pair of runners, whats the best runners you've found for their price point?
Someone's recommendation might not be the best for you so it'd be worth going to a podiatrist (or if on a budget, try Athlete's Foot) and find out what type of shoe you need. You need to check sizing, how much support you need, how much cushioning, and the type of surfaces you're running on.
For me, I needed slight support before breaking my foot so went with Brooks Ravenna or Mizuno Inspire. Since breaking my foot, I've gone with Asics Kayanos.
And be sure to use running apps to track the distance of the shoes - they may need replacing after 300-500km.
All the best!