It started with a little knee pain.
The kind you tell yourself will go away if you just stretch more, ice it, or ignore it long enough.

A couple of years ago, I got into the gym habit — running 4–5 times a week at OrangeTheory Fitness, usually 25–30 minutes on a treadmill as part of high-intensity interval classes. Within a few weeks, I started feeling it in my knees. Naturally, I blamed my shoes.

At the time, I didn’t know much, so I went out and bought a pair of Saucony Guide 15s — stability shoes. In my head, “stability” sounded like exactly what you want when you’re running fast on a moving belt. Safe. Solid. Secure. Right?

Wrong.

Fast forward through three identical pairs and the knee pain kept creeping back after a few months. Eventually, I decided to get professional advice and visited a local running store here in Pickering — The Running Room. They sized me up and recommended (you guessed it) another stability shoe: the Brooks Adrenaline GTS.

I trusted them. Wore them. Ran in them.
And a few weeks later, the knee pain came back like an old unwanted friend.

At that point, I was frustrated. It felt like no matter what I tried, I was stuck in a cycle of temporary relief and slow creeping pain. So I decided to approach it differently: I opened up a conversation with ChatGPT.

I laid it all out:

  • How often I run, how fast (base pace 7–8 mph, push pace 9 mph, sprints up to 12 mph)
  • That I mostly run indoors on treadmills with some bounce, but occasionally want to run outside too
  • The history of my Saucony Guide 15s and Brooks Adrenalines
  • That I also do heavy weight and bodyweight workouts
  • And the fact that my everyday shoes are Ecco Bioms

I even uploaded a photo of the bottom of my everyday shoes to show the wear patterns:

Ecco Biom Sole Wear

I described the knee pain. The tight hamstrings. The frustration.
And I asked ChatGPT: What kind of shoes should I really be wearing?

Turns out, I probably never needed stability shoes in the first place.

ChatGPT helped me realize that stability shoes were overcorrecting my gait. My foot strike was closer to neutral, and by forcing it into a stability framework, I was actually causing my own problems. Wearing the wrong type of shoe had been subtly messing up my biomechanics — and making every run just a little harder than it needed to be.

Instead, what I needed was a neutral running shoe — something lightweight, responsive, and flexible enough to let my foot move naturally.

It even recommended a few models that matched my needs. For treadmill running, a lighter, more responsive shoe. For outdoor steady runs, something slightly more cushioned and durable.

I ended up ordering the Saucony Kinvara 15 — a neutral, lightweight trainer designed for faster turnover and natural movement.

Saucony Kinvara 15

From the very first run, I could feel the difference.

The knee pain? Gone.
The runs? Smoother, lighter, and (for the first time in a while) actually fun.

It’s a weird feeling, realizing how much invisible friction you’ve been carrying — until suddenly you’re not carrying it anymore.

After seeing how well it worked for me, I ended up running a similar process for my wife too.
Tweaked the prompts a little, described her running habits and discomforts, and ChatGPT helped me narrow down better shoe choices for her too.
(Although she obviously picked a much more stylish pair.)

If you’re curious, here’s the cleaned-up version of the prompt I used. You can just fill in your own details and see what ChatGPT recommends:

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You’re an experienced foot doctor. You specialize in shoe recommendations for runners, both outside on concrete and at the gym.

Here’s my situation:
- I run [X] times a week at [location, e.g., the gym, outdoors, both].
- My typical workout includes [type of running: treadmill, outdoor pavement, trail, etc.], running for about [X minutes] per session.
- My running pace is usually [base pace, push pace, all-out pace if applicable].
- I often [mention any special conditions: run on treadmills with cushioning, run on hills/inclines, etc.].

Other workout details:
- I also do [bodyweight exercises, strength training, cross-training, etc.].
- Current shoes I’ve used: [brands and models, e.g., Saucony Guide 15, Brooks Adrenaline GTS].
- Everyday shoes: [brand/model, e.g., Ecco Biom].

Injuries or discomfort:
- I sometimes experience [pain in knees, tight hamstrings, shin splints, etc.].
- I’m currently working on [rehab/stretching routines if applicable].

Here’s a photo of the bottom of my current shoes for wear pattern assessment: [Optional: include a photo]

What I’m looking for:
- What’s the best type of shoes for me to run indoors on a treadmill (high interval training)?
- What’s the best type of shoes for me to run outside (steady long-distance running)?

Please research and reason through the recommendation, and explain the “why” behind your suggestions.