Okay as another wannabe duathlete, as agteros (don't believe he is a wannabe, as he has some real race credentials) hinted at, running shoes are in a rather controversial space at the moment. There is more and more evidence and antedotal evidence that running shoes are redundant and even counter productive (very musch like the 29er debate). The growing position is that barefoot, upright, short stride running is better than the long stride, shod running we all have grown accustom to. The orginal advice in your case was to buy very rigid montion control or anti pronation shoes, like brooks beast, or sacouny grids or something similar. The alternative advice is to go barefoot with vivo barefoot, vibran five fingers, or new balance minius. THe point will be that you will have to "Start from Scratch" short runs, with short pace, with lots of "Squat sitting" to strengthen your foot muscles and stretch your archilles tendons. in other words instead of compensating for your weaknesses with shoes, rather focus on teh weakness and strengthen it (and thereby reduce injuries on the long term). I have gone barefoot from heavy motion control shoes, it has taken a year and I can now start running sub 45min 10kms and complete intervals training at about 4min/km. So yes on the short term you will lose speed, but in the end you run more comfortably, with more efficiency. but then I am still a duathlon wannabe
