If the shoe fits…It doesn’t necessarily mean that its right for you!
With so many athletic shoe options it can be hard to know which ones are best for you. All of them report to be amazing for some reason or another, and most of the time the descriptions of the shoe’s features mean nothing to you: “quick and stable”, “responsive cushioning”, “natural stride”. What does that even mean? So when shopping for running or gym shoes we may often choose our shoes based on which ones look the cutest (Or at least I know I do!).
It’s not until around week 4 of running in my new shoes, when my knees and ankles begin to hurt, that I realize I paid over one hundred dollars for shoes that look cute but really aren’t suited to me or the ways I choose to exercise.
First you need to know how you run. Look at a pair of old shoes and see where the most wear is at.
REI https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/running-shoes.html says:
Neutral pronation runners can often run in many types of footwear, but most commonly go for a moderate stability shoe.
Overpronators need stability or motion control shoes with good arch support.
Supination or under-pronators need shoes with plenty of cushioning and flexibility.
Now that you know the biomechanics of your stride and the kind of support you need, the next step is to consider the kind of exercise that you’ll be doing in these shoes, and what your shoe will need to do for you.
Road/ Pavement/ Treadmill Running: Needs more stablity and to provide cushion for running on hard surfaces but not too heavy that it weighs you down. Higher stack (or sole) height for increased heel and arch support. Also keep in mind that if you mostly run outdoors, a shoe that has plenty of ankle support will be appreciated when you step off of a curb, in a hole or onto the sand.
Try:
Nike: Lunar Tempo, Air Zoom Pegasus, Air Zoom Structure
Acics: Gel- Nimbus, Gel Cumulus, GT 4000
Adidas: Supernova glide, Super Nova Sequence, Ultra Boost ST
New Balance: Fresh Foam 1080
Brooks: Launch 2, Ghost 8
Minimalist Shoes: The idea behind these shoes is that your foot can flex and move naturally and allow your toes to spread/fan out as you move. They are good for speed because they are very lightweight. All of this sounds great and natural, however it also means that these shoes offer substantially less support. They are really only ideal for experienced runners or Neutral pronation runner who have no prior foot or knee injuries. For a runner, its best not to have these as your one and only shoe. Even experienced and neutral pronation runners not do away with their cushioned running shoes for good. They can also serve well as gym shoes because of the minimal cushion and low profile they place your feet in closer contact with the round.
Try:
New Balance: WT10v4 Minimus
Brooks: PureFlow 5, PureConnect
Nike: Free 3.0 & 4.0, Flex Run, Flex Furry
Trail Running: Needs realtively high levels of cushion and supportive, durable exterior material, more intense raised tread on soles for stability when running on unstable terrains. Companies that offer good trial running shoes are: Adidas, Brooks, Inov8, La Sportiva, Merrell, Mizuno, New Balance and Salomon.
Training/Gym/ Weight-Lifting: Needs to give you a firm, close-contact, and flat grip on the floor for weight lifting. Wide toe area is good for even weight distributon. They sole and inner cushion should be relatively light weight and firm, no squishy overly cushioned soles.
Try:
ASICS: GEL-fit Sana 2, GEL-fit Tempo
Adidas: Performance Core Grace, Sonic Allegra
Nike: Zoom Agility, Free Transform, Free TR, Lunar Sculpt
Now you’re probably saying, “But wait, I run and I use the weights and machines at the gym”. Try to figure out what you do more often and then go from there and try out some shoes that are made for those all-around athletes which combine several features needed for both running and gym training.
Cross Trainers:
Nike: Flex Trainer, Free Cross Compete, Free 4.0, Air Sculpt TR2,
New Balance: WX20, WX811
ASICS: GEL-Fit Sana
Finally, it may seem obvious, but make sure your shoes do actually fit. Keep in mind that when running, feet often swell a half-size to a size up, and shoes that are too large will cause blisters.
Once you’ve got the right shoes for your stride and your type of training then get out there, get going and start sweating! Bikini season is around the corner ;)