Take on the fancy running shoe

There is nothing more important to a distance runner than a good pair of shoes. You need a pair which gives your support, comfort and cushioning as you pound through mile after mile on hard terrain. When I started running, I'd go out in a pair of cross trainers figuring if they were good enough for Bo Jackson, they'd easily work for me but after a few months I'd have problems walking up a stairs because my hip always felt like somebody was stabbing it from the inside.
I checked online and found most recommendations were fairly simple, a good pair of true running shoes should help with most of the pain and I was off to a runners store and my stride was evaluated and determined I needed a form of stability shoe to compensate for an ankle which would land awkwardly. I ran my first marathon on a pair of asics which were some of the most comfortable shoes I'd ever had but was miffed when a few months later that pair had been discontinued in favor or a new model using the newest gel technology.
I put on this pair of sneakers and immediately felt like I was running in Herman Munster's shoes but the saleswoman told me that it would take a few runs to break them in and that this was the same model as I came in with. I looked at both pairs and kept asking if she was sure cause they looked different and this new model felt like I was standing in concrete shoes What I found out over the next few months was my initial fear was confirmed that this gel technology for stability shoes basically meant your feet are held in a vice grip with no room to wiggle. I went from shoe to shoe and struggled for five years with cramping to the point I would walk a few strides nevery mike to allow blood to come back to my feet but every time I walked into a running store I was assured that I was running on the right shoe...which happened to coincidentally be a $130 pair
That is until I bought a pair of sneakers last month without the vaunted gel technology at a 30% cheaper price point and for the first time in 5 years I could feel blood reaching my toes again