It is too easy to pick up shoes online based on your friend’s recommendation or to pick up the same brand/model as your previous shoes; especially since there are such lucrative discounts available online! There are several reasons why this is a bad idea. Let me mention just a few here:
Shoes should be picked based on Function, Fit and Feel. Function means picking your shoes based on your foot/running biomechanics (determined through a running gait analysis); Fit depends on the right size, matching the shape of the shoe to the shape of your foot; and Feel depends on how it feels while you walk/run in them. None of these factors is possible to determine when you pick shoes online. Another big red flag is that very few runners realize that shoes have a shelf life of two years. This means that even if the shoe has never been used and has been sitting in a store somewhere- it “expires” after two years. This is the reason why online discounts exist- to get rid of old shoes!
Needless to say, running in shoes that have not been tested for Function, Fit and Feel and are “old” is a recipe for running related injuries. It’s like setting yourself up for injuries. So my advice is to spend enough time and effort trying out various shoes till you find your soulmate!