I have been a runner for the past 30 years though I couldn't tell you a thing about choosing the right sneaker.  I never go to a store to actually get fitted, and most of what goes into deciding which sneaker to buy is through online reviews.

I can say that I have been sticking with Asics over the past few years as I find their brand of running shoe to be very reliable.  I used to run on the street, but for the past 10 years have switched to a treadmill.  I run for about 20 minutes a day.  I usually keep my sneakers no more than 6 months.

The current pair of sneakers that I had owned, the Asics Gel Nimbus 13, were starting to wear down.  I generally know when a sneaker is coming to the end of its life cycle as my knees and thighs begin to hurt, not to mention my back.  As this started occurring, I sought out to find a replacement.

Doing a simple Google search on the best running shoe of 2012 led me to the Mizuno Men's Wave Creation.  Never heard of the brand before, but looking at numerous reviews, including many here on Amazon, it seemed I should give this sneaker a try.  My main goal was to find a sneaker with a lot of cushioning.  I tend to like the feeling of running on air.

It was very difficult to get used to the Mizuno sneaker.  It doesn't have a "spring back" feeling to it when you run.  In fact, I was shocked, upon my first day using them on the treadmill, how my foot slammed down hard on the platform as if I were back to running on the street.  I really did not like the feeling at all. The shoe feels a lot heavier than the Asics (and I bet it is).

A few days later, as I break this sneaker in, I feel a lot more comfortable with the shoe.  Certainly, my knee and back problems have gone away.  The shoe still has a totally different feel to it than I ever experienced before.  I miss the lightness and bounciness of the Asics Nimbus 13, but I also feel as if I might be getting into a better sneaker overall with the Mizuno wave.  Only time will tell.