(MONEY Magazine) – Let's face it: The peds seem peppier in the latest aerodynamic, mondo- cushioned, custom-pumped and, yes, priciest running shoes. So you drop the big bucks for Nike's top-of-the-line Air Max ($130) or Reebok's Instapump Fury ($125), shown above. Not so fast. Trainers and sports doctors, including Jim Gossett, head trainer for Columbia University's Athletic Department, and Dr. Peter Jokl, chief of sports medicine at the Yale University School of Medicine, say most runners do not need the extra padding, cushier fit and durability of the priciest models. Only frequent marathoners and professional runners require such features. Says Dr. Jokl: "If you run less than 100 miles a week or you're not extremely big $ or heavy, you need only a basic, affordable shoe with normal support. "Otherwise, he says, "you may be paying just for a light on the back or a color stripe. "Even Reebok public relations manager Michael Payton, while defending the Fury's "customized fit and adjustable comfort, "says less expensive models like Reebok's $65 Pryo will suffice. "Serious runners buy the Pyro," he says. "It's a serious running shoe if you don't want to spend $125." Besides the Pyro, experts canvassed by Money suggest such name-brand models as Nike's Air Icarus ($60) or the ASICS Syntar ($50). They also recommend big- chain house brands, including K Mart's MacGregor ($20) and J.C. Penney's U.S.A. Olympic cross trainers ($35). Also, check mail-order catalogues like East Bay (800-826-2205) or Road Runner's Sports (800-551-5558) for name brands discounted as much as 25% (example: Reebok's Pyro, $50 from East Bay).