I have been in dire need of a new pair of running shoes for over six months now. Needless to say, it’s time for a new pair of shoes when it would be more comfortable to run barefoot on gravel than in the floppy, structure-less pieces of rubber I try to pass off as sneakers.

This is probably because whenever I have spending money, I’d rather ‘invest’ in some practical sparkly platforms. However, running is vital to my sanity, so my running shoes eventually have to take precedence.

Lucky for me, and you!, SELF Magazine just put out their 2012 Sneaker Awards! They tested 421 pairs of sneakers on hundreds of SELF reader-testers. After four weeks, 6,035 miles, 253 workout DVDs, 418 group exercise classes, and 766 hours of strength training, they found the top-notch shoes for cross-training, running, and walking.

Whether you’re a gym-junkie or workout-minimalist, marathon-maniac or jogger-junior, SELF has found the right shoe for you at a reasonable price!

-Emily Freeman