Shoes
You can start with trainers but if you're going to do some serious miles I'd recommend getting your gait looked at. Visit a running shop that offers a gait analysis service and they'll tell you what sort of shoe you require. Once you have this information do your research and find something that you can afford. Running shoes can be quite expensive and do wear out after 400 to 500 miles. Using the wrong shoes will cause injuries.
I used stability shoes for years - I didn't know what they were - and I had knee problems and an eventual hip problem that made running hell. After completing a race on Ibuprofen after an 8 week rest didn't solve the problem I decided to get my gait looked at. Turns out it was the shoes and now I don't have any running problems ... apart from the dislike of speed work and the odd injury.
I used stability shoes for years - I didn't know what they were - and I had knee problems and an eventual hip problem that made running hell. After completing a race on Ibuprofen after an 8 week rest didn't solve the problem I decided to get my gait looked at. Turns out it was the shoes and now I don't have any running problems ... apart from the dislike of speed work and the odd injury.