A lot of other good comments in this thread. One thing I want to add is that, all respect to your coach, I'm not sure they're speaking from a place of knowledge here. First of all, calf soreness can mean a lot of different things, and I wouldn't immediately blame that on your brand of shoes. Then, what does "ideal" mean for running, anyway? A lot of really serious runners will use different types of shoes for different types of runs (think daily trainers vs racing shoes), so "ideal" is completely based on the context of the exercise. Not only that, but it's all *complete personal preference*. While a lot of people find heavier and more cushioned shoes more comfortable / better for avoiding injury, that's not universal. It's just the trend cycle we're in currently.
That said, tight calves could mean different shoes would be more appropriate for you. I recommend r/RunningShoeGeeks if you want to read up on reviews of different shoes, and [r/AskRunningShoeGeeks/](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskRunningShoeGeeks/) is a good place to ask questions!
High arches can definitely make shoe shopping a pain, so I hope you can find something that works for you! When it comes to heel vs forefoot vs midfoot striking, I've found that what comes naturally to you is *usually* best - plenty of pro runners also heel strike even if the conventional wisdom is that it's bad for you (as you've mentioned).
Forgot to add that I usually wear Saucony Rides or, more recently, Mizuno Wave Riders, both of which fall into the 'standard daily trainer' category.
everybody seems to be raving about the evo sl, kinda tempted to grab a pair and work it into a rotation. i've been fond of saucony the last few years - ride is a good work horse, endorphin speed is a good everyday/speed work hybrid.
Any running shoe worth having will start at $100 at least unless it’s a past model on sale (which may be 80 or 90 if it’s a good deal). I’d suggest a Saucony Ride or Brooks Ghost to start, both are pretty traditional shoes that a lot of people tend yo do well with. You can definitely find past models on sale.
Goong to a running store to get recs is a good idea but I think it’s overkill as a new runner. I do recommend going somewhere with a good return policy (ie REI or Fleet Feet).
The ideal shoe would probably be your regular road running shoe with a trail outsole. Various road shoes have a light trail variant, such as the Asics Novablast, Nike Pegasus, Saucony Ride (though that's so firm it's more of a trail shoe on the road), etc.
I used the Novablast 4 TR for this sort of thing extensively and it was fantastic on muddy forrest trails, where normal road shoes have almost zero traction. (It was also a total game changer on wet cobblestone streets BTW.)
Academic-Pangolin883
