Nikes and Your Knees

The Pinball

well i strayed. i have worn Mizunos for the last 2 years or so--but had a $20 coupon for Finish Line and bought Nike Air Pegasus. they swore they were a neutral shoe. the heel felt a little clompy to me and more built up than the Mizunos but i wore them for 2.5 months.

knee problems begin. i look at the heels of the nikes and there is no wear at all -- compared to the Mizunos that wear consistently on the far outside of the heel, just the heel.

i'm wondering if the nike couldn't be too much motion control and, as a result, i am altering my natural gait and stressing joints that were never stressed before.

anyone else notice knees and Nikes---i know, it's a stretch, but i feel like Nikes are really overrated.

it's just me?

i want my mizunos. just got a new pair of Wave Riders... Mr. Green

Member

I've worn Nikes since 1976 and the only 'knee' problem I've had was IT band syndrome. And that was due to tightness in my hamestrings and glutes. And ITBS isn't really a 'knee' problem.
The Nike Pegasus is actually a very soft cushioned neutral shoe. They call it a neutral-stability shoe, but with a midsole of EVA (or as Nike calls it: Phylon) it doesn't have much ooomph as far as stability goes. So, it's definitely NOT a motion control shoe.
As I mentioned before, most normal runners strike first on the outside of the heel, no matter if, or how much they over-pronate. So looking at the outsole of the shoe is not a good indicator of over-pronation. Better to put the shoes on a level surface, side by side, and look from behind the shoe at the back part of the heel. Check to see how far from vertical the shoe leans, either medially or laterally.
As for the wear on the outsole, two things:
1. How long did it take before you noticed wear on the outsoles of your Mizunos? Maybe you haven't been in the Nikes long enough to do a fair comparison.
2. The materials used in each shoe's outsoles could be different enough to cause the Mizuno to wear faster.

And finally, when you find a pair of shoes that work, stick with them. Saving $20 on a pair of shoes isn't much of a savings when you have to have knee replacement surgery due to worn cartilage on the medial side of your knee.

Member

I have worn mizunos and NBs, but in Sept. decided to try a pair of the Air Pegasus. I haven't had any problems at all and actually like my nike's better than my mizunos. I alternate two pairs of shoes, and right now have an almost wornout pair of mercurys and a half-worn pair of the nikes.

My wear/stride are the same on both shoes. They both seem to be very durable shoes--as opposed to any pair of NBs I have ever owned, they wearout on the outer heel at about 120-130 miles for me. I can get 250-300 out of the mizunos and am thinking the nikes will give me the same based on the current wear pattern.

So, no, no probs here. But just go back to what works for you if you think it is the shoe.

Member

When it comes to saying no to Nike...I just do it! Ya can't go wrong with Mizunos! Very Happy

Member

Member

Pyromaniac

RR I had the same problem - only I went from wearing Nikes to Asics Gels. The Asics drove me nuts from the first day I wore them and caused both calf and knee problems. I kept thinking I just had to adjust to them somewhat but I gave up after about 300 miles. I'm back to middle of the roads Nikes (P9000 or something like that) and happier than hell with them. I got 498 miles out of the first pair of them and have about 30 miles so far on the second pair. I know a lot of people dislike Nikes but after trying all the major brands except Saucony I've always come back to Nike.

Nikes and Your Knees

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