People who are new to running often ask me about running shoes: do they really need them and if so – why, and if they do need them – what are the best ones to get for a runner who is just starting out?
Many people figure that if they do need running shoes, they’ll get some after they’ve run for a while and “get good” or are looking to save a little money now and buy some shoes later – after they’ve been running a while. Barefoot or minimalist running shoes will be addressed in a future post.
To get right to the point: you really do need running shoes, and you shouldn’t wait, but should start out with the right shoes. 
Generally speaking – running shoes are important because they provide protection for the soles of your feet, and impact protection by distributing the force of the impact of each step properly across the bones and tissues in your foot. Running shoes will also help cushion your legs and knee and hip joints.
Don’t try to save a little by putting off buying a decent pair of shoes just for running. By having the proper gear (and thus proper protection and cushioning) in place from the start, you might avoid injury or even some of the soreness that might come from getting your body used to running. Anything that lessens your chances of injury or even soreness will help you stick with running long-term.
One “bonus” benefit you’ll get from your investment in some running shoes is that many feel a little extra motivation to keep running in order to make use of the investment they make in those shoes.
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