How to Choose Running Shoes

Most running shoes feel comfortable when you are standing in a shoe store, but the real test is done several miles in your career. You will soon realize that the ideal shoe has more to do with your running style and the shape of your foot than with the logo stitched on the side.

Choosing the running shoes that suit you is easy:

·         Determine the type of career you are doing and your career style

·         Choose the category of shoe and the characteristics that fit your needs.

·         Try on the shoes to find the one that suits you best.

In general, a pair of running shoes should last between 400 to 500 miles of running (3 or 4 months for regular runners). Take a look at your shoes and check if the midsoles and soles are compressed or worn. If they are, it may be time for a new pair.

Categories of running shoes

·         The running shoes are designed for pavement and for occasional incursions on compact surfaces with slight irregularities. Lightweight and flexible, they are designed to cushion or stabilize the feet during repetitive steps on hard and even surfaces.

·         Trail shoes are designed for off-road routes with rocks, mud, roots or other obstacles. They are enhanced with an aggressive tread for solid traction and are fortified to offer stability, support and protection underfoot.

·         Cross training shoes are designed for gymnastics or crossfit exercises, or any balance activity where you prefer to have more contact with the floor on a thick platform sole.

 

 

Types of running shoes

·         Neutral shoes: they can work for mild pronators, but they are better for neutral runners or people that supinen (tent to roll outwards). These shoes provide some shock absorption and some medial support (arch side).

·         Some super-cushioned shoes provide up to 50% more cushioning than traditional shoes for greater shock absorption.

·         Stability shoes: good for runners who exhibit mild to moderate overpronage. They often include a firm "post" to reinforce the arch side of each midsole, an area heavily affected by overpronation.

·         Motion control shoes: the best for runners who exhibit moderate to severe overpronation, offer features such as stiffer heels or a design built on straighter bases to counteract overpronation.

·         Barefoot shoes: the soles provide the minimum protection against possible dangers on the ground. Many do not have cushions in the heel pad and a very thin layer (as little as 3 to 4 mm) of shoe between their skin and the floor. All barefoot shoes feature a "zero drop" from the heel to the toe. ("Drop" is the difference between the height of the heel and the height of the toe.) This encourages a strike in the midfoot or forefoot. The traditional running shoes, on the other hand, have a drop of 10 to 12 mm from the heel to the tip and offer more cushioning for the heel.

·         Minimalist shoes: Extremely lightweight construction, little or no arch support and a heel fall of approximately 4-8 mm to encourage a natural movement and a bump on the midfoot, and still offer cushioning and flexibility .Some minimalist styles can offer stability publications to help the transition from the over-running runner to a barefoot running movement. The minimalist shoes should last approximately 300 to 400 miles.