You may be holding off on buying some items in this tough economy, but are there other things – maybe treats of sort – that you still buy for yourself? A new report shows some of the products flying off store shelves during this recession:

• Chocolate (Profits at Hershey Co. are up 20 percent)

• Wine, but people are buying cheaper vintages

• Vegetable seeds (Sales of seeds like green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and lettuce went up 30 percent)

• Spam, Dinty Moore stew, chili (Hormel Foods Corp. had a six percent increase in its grocery products unit)

• Macaroni and cheese (Kraft Foods Inc. had double-digit growth in macaroni and cheese dinners)

• Running shoes

• Bicycle helmets

Also, see:

Slow economy doesn’t stop sweet tooth

Are you eating comfort foods in these tough economic times?

Is the bad economy making us fat?

I’m definitely contributing to the up sales in chocolate, but I’m not buying more now than I usually do – I just always buy chocolate.

How about you? Anything on that list you’ve been buying more of during this recession? Anything off the list?

Related posts

• News Nugget: Americans spending less cash on exercise
• News Nugget: Will Americans put on “recession pounds”?
• News Nugget: Recession has many employees snacking
• News Nugget: More people exercise for health benefits than appearance
• Winter Workouts (indoors) giveaway #1: ExerciseTV DVDs

When it comes to running shoes, you gotta get some that will support your most intense workouts or you could end up in pain or injured. But with so many to choose from, how do you know which ones are best? Our friends over at Consumer Reports’ ShopSmart magazine did the – yes – legwork for you.

They had nine men and women run in 12 pairs of sneakers each (24 pairs total), then had lab experts test the shoes for breathability, cushioning, flexibility, stability and weight. The same model won for both men and women – it was also one of the most expensive pair tested.

ShopSmart says, “Avoid buying the cheapest shoe you can find. The least expensive model we tested, the Champion Wonder C9 (from Target), was at the bottom of the heap in our tests. This is one place where it can pay to splurge, especially if you’re a serious runner.”

Here are the Top 5 Running Shoes from Consumer Reports ShopSmart:

Women’s:
First Place: Nike Air Zoom Vomero+ 2
Price: $120
Why: Best cushioning of all shoes tested. Testers said it gave them the right amount of stability.

[asa]B001ELOP14[/asa]

Second Place: Nike Air Pegasus+ 2007
Price: $85
Why: Super fit. Cushy, yet stable.

Third Place: Puma Complete Infinitus
Price: $85
Why: Excellent fit and flexibility.

Men’s:
First Place: Nike Air Zoom Vomero+ 2
Price: $120
Why: Cushy, and most testers liked the fit in the toe, heel, and arch.

Second Place: Brooks Glycerin 6
Price: $120
Why: Excellent comfort and breathability.

[asa]B000V1ZPSU[/asa]

And here are a couple of tips from ShopSmart to help you buy the right pair of running shoes:

• Shop at a store that specializes in running shoes.

• Go there dressed to run – wear the socks you usually run in and any orthotics you use.

• Test the shoes you’re considering buying on a treadmill if the store has one. Some stores may even let you run in their parking lot for a bit.

• Try to shop in the afternoon – that’s when your feet are usually their most swollen, so you don’t end up with tight shoes.

• Ask about exchanges and returns – find out if you can run in the shoes for a few days and exchange them if they’re not right for you.

Related posts

• Less expensive running shoes perform as well as pricey ones
• Consumer Reports’ Top Hot Chocolates
• Wii Fit – More reviews from Consumer Reports
• Wii Fit – a review from Consumer Reports
• Weight loss tips from popular diet books

Paying more for your running shoes doesn’t necessarily mean you get better quality. New Scottish research finds no difference in comfort or shock absorption between running shoes that cost $80 a pair and those made by the same companies that sell for more than $150.

The 43 men in the study tried on nine pairs of running shoes – three models each from three of the world’s leading manufacturers. None of the participants had any foot or gait abnormalities.

The price of the three shoes within each brand ranged from $80-$90, $120-$130, and $140-$150, respectively. The men did not know the brand or cost of the shoes they were testing. They rated the shoes’ comfort after running while wearing high-tech sensors that monitored pressures at various points on the foot, including plantar pressure – the force from the impact of the sole hitting the ground.

Results show no big differences in the comfort of the shoes, no matter how much they cost. Some shoes had better shock absorption than others on different parts of the foot, but there was no clear pattern.

Researchers say fit – not cost – should be the most important thing to consider when buying running shoes.

The study is published in the October 10 online edition of the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Related posts

• The Shoe Diet
• The 5 best running shoes – from Consumer Reports
• News Nugget: Runners live longer
• Get Moving! It’s National Running Day
• Febreze SPORT winners!