1. Even the better shoe companies are using gimmicks in their design: some of the gimmicks work and some don’t.
2. There’s always a reason why the catalog offers a dramatic discount on a given shoe.
3. The same shoe may be made in different factories-making each significantly different in the way it fits and in the many subtle ways it works when you run or walk.
4. Only people who are really into running or walking shoes can keep up with the gossip on them-due to constant feedback they receive from hundreds of customers each week who really use the shoe for exercise.
5. Only experienced staff people can look at you running or walking in a shoe and help you tell whether it really fits-and works with your foot in the right way.