These shoes are great! I have wide, flat feet with low arches and I was experiencing foot pain when walking or running. These shoes fit me perfectly and give my feet great support. The Addiction 8 has great cushioning and it comes in wide sizes. It was the perfect choice for me. Now, I have no problems with foot pains.
Yes, I would recommend this to a friend. Brooks Men's Addiction 8 Running Shoe,White/Pearl/Blue/Tarn/Black,10.5 D
I bought these shoes on reccommendation of my Podiatrist - no wonder he makes the big bucks because he was right! I was having problems with plantar facisitis (or whatever) and also pain on the back/side of my knee. After I got these the pain was gone after wearing them for a day or two. They are so comfortable and offer great support even after walking all day. I will buy another pair for sure - they are GREAT!
edit:
After 2 months I gave up running with these shoes. I bought these in 12ee vs 12M with the addiction 7. This was to accommodate for the narrower fit. It's still too narrow and cuts into the side of my foot, the reduced heal and arch support is giving me hamstring issues. I've gone back to my older Addiction 7's until I can get an expert fitting at my local running store. If you loved the Addiction 7's you may not like the 8's as much.
Original Review:
These are still very comfortable shoes and I like them, but they don't have the same level of arch support that the addiction 7's had. I could feel the difference immediately after putting them on. Having run on them for a month now, I can say the lesser support hasn't caused any problems, but I miss the snugger fit at the arch that I had with my addiction 7's. This issue could be related to the slightly wider shoe size I went with. I went wider to compensate for the smaller toe box. I might need to go to the running shop and get professionally fitted again, it's possible I went to wide.
I'm not a runner, but I am a walker. This is the 6th pair of Addictions I've purchased over the last 5 years or so. I have flat feet so I've added the Powerstep arch support insert and have no problems what-so-ever. I'm sure my next pair will be be Brooks also!
There is a reason why Brooks is a favorite among avid runners. They make quality shoes with biomechanics in mind. Other brands, like Nike, just crank out 50 types of shoes a year.
The Addiction is meant for people with flat foot, overpronators, or both. I am both. The firm inner sole prevents pronation to the extreme and is very solid. The heel cup (where you slide your foot into the shoe) is very stiff. This is a good thing. No matter how awesome the sole of the shoe is, it won't do a darned thing if your heel is sliding all around. To properly wear this shoe, make sure it's snug so the heel cup can hold your heel solidly. By holding your calcaneus firmly and preventing it from sliding out, your talus stays in neutral, preventing pronation further.
Obviously you'll still get pronation because you need it to walk or run. However, this shoe is by far the best at limiting it to a normal amount. Brooks never disappoints.
***Note: for the other reviewer who said the arch support isn't much. This is true b/c it's meant for over pronator, who are mostly flat footed. So the arch support is minimal. However, if you have a mid to high arch and you overpronate, you can easily insert an insole with arch cushioning or stiff support, depending on what you need. I like the Spenco Rx full length arch cushions. It's soft enough for comfort with the stiffness to hold an arch up. But it's important to remember that these shoes are meant for flat feet. The Adrenaline GTS series by Brooks is meant for mid to high arches. Although not many shoes will have a substantial arch in the sole because most people don't have high arches. And shoe manufacturers make their shoes to fit 95% of their demographic.
This is my third pair of these shoes. After experiencing knee pain while exercising for most of my adult life a sports medicine doctor said i pronate heavily and recommended this shoe. Knee pain is gone and i can run a lot farther now.
Shoes are very sturdy and attractive looking. No cheapness to them at all.
I have a bunion on my left foot which requires a very wide shoe. I discovered the Brooks Addiction shoe several years back and have stayed with this shoe since. Other shoes that I have previously tried were Asic and New Balance. These shoes come in two extra wide widths, 2E and 4E. I am using the 2E width which works just fine if I keep my miles at no more than 12 per week. Also, since my marathon days, I get one size larger than my normal size to accomodate foot expansion when your feet heats up from all the pounding. This probably isn't necessary for me any longer since I keep my miles to 3 or less during a run but I find the larger size is more comfortable. I have not tried the 4E but am considering that size for the future if the 2E size starts to be uncomfortable.
Bottom line: Buy if you need extra wide comfortable running shoes, this is the one you want.
Also, the price at Amazon was better than I could get from any local stores. So, consider buying from Amazon. - Running Shoes - Knee Pain - Mens-brooks - Foot Pain'
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