How to Select New Running Shoes
As a runner the most important piece of equipment you
can have are your shoes. This is the reason that runners spend
a great deal of time checking out shoes, until they find the
best running shoes for their feet, not only for the fit, but
also for the kind of running, and training they will be
doing.
Whatever you do, you must not pick a shoe because it looks
good in the shop, so what are you to do to make sure you pick
the right shoe, because be reassured there could be several
shoes that will be right for your feet and your running
requirements.
How do you find the right shoe, and why is that so
important?
The scope of this article is limited, so rather than try to
make recommendations, which will probably be wrong, as I don’t
know anything at all about your feet, or your requirements.
In other words, are you going to use them as track shoes or
trail shoes. There is a huge difference between running on a
flat track, and on a boulder strewn, wet, muddy trail!!
Add to this the fact that your feet will hit the ground hard
over 1600 times every mile that you run. If your footwear is
the wrong size or unsuited to your biomechanical needs, you are
going to find it uncomfortable, probably annoying, and even
worse it could lead to injury.
What is the right shoe for my feet?
A combination of a good fit and excellent biomechanics.
The fit is obvious, but what do I mean by biomechanics?
Put simply it is all about a word called pronation.
Pronation is the natural movement of your feet when they
touch the ground. All feet roll inwards as the ball of the foot
touches the ground. You can either check this out yourself by
looking at the wear patterns on your old running shoes.
If you tend to wear out your shoes first on the outside, you
probably tend to underpronate; if you wear out your shoes first
significantly more to the inside, look for a shoe for
over-pronators.
It isn’t complicated but you would do well to find someone
with experience as a runner to watch you running from behind
before you make a new purchase.
There are four categories based on the degree of
pronation.
1. Neutral Pronation, require shoes with a good balance of
stability and flexibility.
2. Under Pronation has not enough foot motion, and they require
good cushioning and flexibility in their running shoes
3. Moderate Over Pronation require Stability Trainers
4. Severe Over Pronation requires Motion-control trainers.
You should by now have worked out your pronation factor, so
your shoe selection must be governed by this.
The other consideration is shoe fit, and the easiest
judgement, is does it feel good, and is there room between the
end of your longest toe and the front of the shoe. The shoe
needs to feel snug at the heel, and comfortable.
At the end of the day, if you have used and liked a
particular make of running shoe, then stick with that brand,
but make sure you are buying the correct shoe model bearing in
mind your pronation factor.
Ian Smith is a former international sportsman who
contributes articles to websites featuring sporting footwear.
He recommends Adidas, and suggests to check out http://www.adidas-shoes-guide.info
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