In purchasing shoes at discounted prices either online, in malls or even at legitimate running stores, be careful of what you purchase. They may be seconds, shoes that have been returned to the manufacturers and recycled. Sometimes it is only a blemish, other times it may be some tiny problem that you can live with given the price. But be careful: Often you get what you pay for. Even in specialty running stores, discounted shoes may be old, meaning they no longer have the same bounce as right after manufacture.