Air Zoom Pegasus 36

Go to a store and try on a bunch, and stick to models advertised as daily trainers. Buy something that fits well and feels good on your foot. There's not much more to it. You're never going to find the perfect shoe right off the bat when you don't know what you need or like, so just get something that fits and feels okay and learn your needs and wants through trial and error. Personally, when I restarted running as an adult I started with the Nike Pegasus 36 and Brooks Ghost 12. The Pegasus taught me that I like versatile medium weight trainers for a lot of my running but dislike EVA foam, and the Ghost taught me that 12mm drop was too much for me. This informed my decisions for my next few shoes, and then it's just a constant process of iteration – try new things, learn from them, and refine your selection criteria with that experience. There are simply way too many shoes on the market and our experience in them is way too individual for anyone to make super specific recommendations. You just need to go on that same journey the rest of us do, so don't overthink this first purchase as that's inevitably going to be your least informed one.

I loved them until the 38, which even brand new had far less cushioning that the 36 that I’d run 400 miles in, so haven’t been back since!

Even better if you can combine ASICS with an outlet store. My Novablast are on 770km and still seem fine (whereas some Nike Pegasus were dead at 400), and even better I only paid about £60 by getting very lucky in a sale! Still got a second pair to bring out when these finally die too!

I usually do a Nike Pegasus in a wide, they do a handful of other models as well

Second white Pegasus! Got mine recently, train for a 5k every evening and wear them to work too.

Inspired... the Pegs were the OG do it all trainer. Still a good option, you'll be a little slower on pure speed workouts, but for tempos and stuff, they're fine unless you're used to the super shoe boost

Pegasus tends to run narrow - lots of Nike shoes do historically. I haven't worn the Pegasus in a number of years and the midsole tech changes so take my feedback with a grain of salt but the midsole took a number of miles before they broke in for me. They were tanks though. The Gore-tex version you have seems to be constructed differently and may be less forgiving in fit. It's tread is a little different but shouldn't really affect the ride much. I've been running on/off for a decade now and I'm embarrassed to admit I have spent thousands on many sneakers. My current favorite pair is the Asics Superblast. Pricey but was a great balance of support, cushion and weight. They're not perfect but my feet and legs never suffer from them. Like others have said, two months is very early into your running. Your feet may still be adjusting or even your mechanics may be causing foot pain no matter what shoes you're in. I've also found that sometimes I have to adjust to the shoes I'm running in - whether that be pace, stride or foot strike. And wearing them in the shop doesn't mean they're going to feel great once you start running in them which is why it's nice to go to a dedicated running shop where they typically let you run up to a mile in them on the treadmill before you buy. I know saving money matters - that's a good practical approach generally but these are your feet! Spend a little more upfront and when you have more experience with the fitting process, then go after the deals and sales.

Been rotating between Salomon Sense Ride for trails and Nike Pegasus for road runs. Nothing super exciting, but both just work. The Sense Ride feels like a nice middle ground - enough grip for most trails without feeling too heavy. Pegasus is just my “don’t think, just run” shoe. Been thinking about trying something with a wider toe box next (maybe Topo or Altra again), but haven’t pulled the trigger yet.