A Guide to Selecting Running Shoes
Helpful Tips for Picking out the Right Shoes for Running
Jan 22, 2009
Runners often face a daunting task in picking out a pair of running shoes. There are so many makes and models with fancy technical names like "stability shoes" that it can be hard to navigate them all.
Find a Good Running Store
One of the first things that is helpful is to go to a running specialty store and have the staff help size and select shoes for running. The staff in a running store will watch you run on a treadmill to make sure that the shoes are properly correcting your running gait. In addition, many "big box retailers" don't carry running shoes that are made for what is called the "core runner" -- people that primarily run rather than run a bit on the side of their other workouts. Shoes made for the core runner typically are built to provide greater impact protection.
Sizing a Running Shoe
The size of running shoes that go on your feet is most likely going to be different than the size of the shoes you wear on a day-to-day basis. Running shoes typically are sized at least 1/2 size to 1 size larger to allow more room for the toes. Shoes should give the foot plenty of room on all sides of the toes to keep them from pressing against the front or of the side of the shoe, which can lead to blisters or black toe-nails.
Another helpful tip to keep in mind is that the feet swell as you run long distances. Near the end of a long run -- perhaps 12 miles or more -- a running shoe may start getting snug in the toes because of this swelling.
Different Names for Different Shoes
The most important thing for a shoe to do is to help guide the foot into a neutral position (flat over the ground) and then keep it from rolling inward or outward as the body passes over it. These corrections -- when needed -- are correction for pronation (inward roll) or suppenation (outward roll). Most people are either neutral, meaning they need no correction; or they pronate, meaning their feet roll inward on impact. Pronation causes the entire lower-leg to twist when the foot rolls in, causing a common problem known as Runner's Knee.
Shoes will generally be classified into three categories: neutral, cushioning and stability.
- Neutral shoes are for runners that don't need much correction or cushion. Usually this will be best for lighter or faster runners. A neutral shoe will provide some cushion, but will allow the foot to move as it naturally does.
- Cushioning shoes can have varying levels of correction, but will have more impact protection and will help the bulk of runners avoid shin splints. The amount of cushion will vary depending on the shoe, but typically the more cushion the softer the shoe will feel on impact.
- Stability shoesare for heavier runners, or who have a great deal of motion in their feet, ankles or lower-legs. These shoes provide both cushion and motion control. Heavier for runners means about 145 pounds for women and 175 pounds for men. Stability shoes have a great deal more stiffness built into the mid-section of the shoe, which controls the foot better.
Pick a shoe that feels good on your feet. Running shoes should feel like a breath of fresh air when you put them on.
Running shoes should be replaced between 200-400 miles depending on your weight. So keep track of how long you've owned your shoes and make sure to replace them when they have run their course.
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