How to pick the correct running shoe

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photo credit: blog.jmc.bz

Running is one of the only sports where you can genuinely do it any time any place without having to rely on anyone or anything. Which runner shoe you wear can make the difference between not only better race times, but also safe running and injury.

Running is a great way to relieve stress and clear the mind.
– Joan Van Ark

When selecting your shoe don’t just go by brands but look out for what the shoe is designed to do. Shoes will generally fall into one of three categories:

1. MOTION CONTROL

These shoes are fairly rigid and provide the most support of the three types. They are designed for runners whose feet tend to fall inwards (pronation) as they land.

2. CUSHIONED

Runners who underpronate (supinate), or tend to roll over the outside of their feet when they land are better suited to cushioned runners. The softer support structure allows the foot to roll in its more natural manner into pronation.

3. NEUTRAL

The ideal foot strike is to land slightly on the outside of the heel and then roll into a mildly pronated position. If this is how you naturally run then a neutral pair of runners are the ideal design for you. They provide just the right balance of cushioning and support to allow your feet to roll naturally.

Now it’s pretty difficult to tell which of these categories you fall into, though some trainers and therapists will advocate the use of methods such as the wet foot test. This is where you stand on a piece of paper with wet feet and then examine the prints left behind.

A thin slice of foot showing along the outside edge indicates high arches and probably supination. A large area of footprint would indicate possible flat feet and almost certain over pronation and in between the two would be neutral.

This is all very well and good except that this is a static test and the behaviour of running feet differ enormously.

The only sure fire way of ensuring you have the correct footwear is to go to a specialist running shop and have an expert perform a gait analysis.

If you are buying a pair of running shoes and are not asked by the assistant to run in them whilst they watch, pick up your coat and just keep on running. It would be like buying a car without taking it for a test drive only with a much greater chance of injury. Less expensive though I suppose.

Whilst a good gait analysis would involve an expert watching you run from behind, a first class analysis would also include video footage of the occasion and then playback with software such as Dartfish, or get tested on the adidas Foot Scan.

But why is the correct pair of running shoe so important? Well it’s not just to improve your performance, but also to reduce the likelihood of injury. Over pronation causes excessive strain to the inside of the ankle and knee where as supination can cause bursitis in the outside of the knee joint.

The majority of running related injuries are the result of poorly fitting footwear, so if you haven’t yet had your gait analysed and the correct footwear fitted, get yourself down to your nearest sports shop now!

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