How To Pick The Shoe For You:
First of all you need to decide what shape of shoe you need, this is determined by the last of the shoe (a last is a model of
a foot that a shoe is designed on), you can tell the shape of the last by looking at the sole of the shoe and seeing how it curves from
heel to forefoot. Overpronators need a straight shoe with a motion-control device, normal strikers need a semi-curved shoe with good
cushioning, underpronators need a curved shoe to promote foot motion, and supinators need a stable heel to stop their roll.
Second, you need to ask yourself where you will be running with these shoes. Will you be staying mainly on pavement, where
the upper part of the shoe won't need to be as durable and only the main contact points will need to be covered with rubber, or
will
you be on dirt roads and trails a lot, where you will need a more durable upper and a sole completely covered with rubber to prevent
punctures
to the midsole (the foam between your foot and the outsole (rubber)? Also trail shoes generally have better traction and lugs designed
for shedding mud and debris.
Third, you need to decide if you want to go for durability or light weight. Durable shoes generally last longer since they
have a polyeurathane midsole that is not as soft as the ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) found in lightweight shoes, but lasts much longer.
it lasts much longer than blown rubber does. Ultimately, I always lean towards more durable shoes, the way I see it is that I'm better
off putting on the miles with more weight since it will in some way make my legs a little stronger, also, I don't have the kind of money
to go out and buy new shoes all the time. As one senior put it my freshman year, "I always feel ready to race when I put my flats on,
they make me feel so light and fast."
Fourth, check out our complete shoe chart (taken directly from Runner's World), and see
what shoes would be good for you. You know, so you can have an idea of what you want when you go
in the store.
Finally, a few words of advice before I send you on your way. Go to a specialty running store, these guys not only know what
they're talking about, but they are more likely to let you take a spin around the block in a prospective
purchase than
the striped shirts at the mall. Don't fit the shoes tight, there should be a thumbs width between your toe and the
front of the shoe. Shop in the late afternoon when your feet are largest (they expand during the day). Wear the socks you'll run in
when you're trying on shoes. Measure both feet, since most people have one larger foot, and you should always buy the size of the
larger foot. And while you should be prepared to spend some money (a good pair of running shoes will cost between 60 and 80 dollars),
don't feel that you have to buy the most expensive shoes, they are not necessarily the best. Also, if you ever have a problem with a shoe, bring it back, you'd be surprised at the number of stores that will give you a credit
or will replace the shoes for you. So most of all, go for the shoe that feels the most comfortable to you, and you should do fine.
[ Know Your Foot | Determining Your Foot Type | Picking a Shoe ]
Back to Beginning Runners OR Running Shoes
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Copyright Runner's Oasis, 1996.
Last updated: 8/15/1996