“I’m not buying those, you are crazy for spending so much on running shoes! I’ll just go to the clearance section and find something in my size.”
Sound familiar? We all know at least one person with this mentality…maybe it’s your closest friend that is staring back at you in the mirror.
I am not saying that everything on clearance is a wrong choice, just don’t let the price be your initial deciding factor. You need the right kind of support suited for you and your needs. Would you drive an old car with worn out brakes across the entire country? Absolutely not, right? Well this girl right here has done such a thing (please contain your judgement and comments until the end). Probably explains why I was running with crap-tastic shoes for years as well. Too stubborn to listen and too naive to care otherwise. We all learn and grow (up) at some point.
Before I go off on a complete ramble session let’s talk shoes.
Running shoes are typically broken down into 3 categories, Neutral, Stability and Motion Control. If you have ever visited a specialty store for running you may already be aware of this. If not, welcome to the first step in choosing the right shoe.
Neutral and Stability shoes are the most common as people tend to have some kind of arch in their foot.
Motion Control shoes are mostly aimed at those with a very flat foot that overpronate. Also very commonly used by heavier set runners.
What kind of Arch do you have?
If you do not know or are unsure then let’s find out with the Wet Test.
All you need is water, bare feet and something to gather up that foot print. You could use a paper bag, construction paper, cardboard, wood etc. Use your imagination, get creative with paint and make it into an art project if you wish.
First, wet both feet.
Second, stand on the paper bag or the item of your choosing for 10 seconds.
Third, step off and get your result.
Which one resembles your result?
Now that you know what kind of arch you have lets talk Pronation.
What Is Pronation?
To keep it simple, pronation is the movement that your foot makes as you walk or run. How your foot strikes the ground and rolls to your toes.
- People with a high arch are commonly known as Supinators. This means that you strike the ground with the outside of your heel first and continue to follow through on the outside of the foot during the entire strike. A cushioned Neutral shoe will help reduce the stress on impact.
- People with a medium arch tend to be Pronators. This means that your foot strikes the ground with the outside of your heel, rolling slightly inward in an ideal manner and then you push off evenly from the front of your foot. Pronators usually do best with a Stability shoe.
- People with a low arch or flat foot are typically Overpronators. This means that your foot rolls excessively inwards after landing when it should be pushing off from the front of your toes.If your shoes wear down quickly on the insides there is a high chance that you are over-pronating and will favour a shoe that offers Motion Control.
Lastly, let’s look at Heel Drop
Heel drop or Offset is the differential of the height in which your heel and toes are positioned from the ground. In other words it’s the slant/ramp of your shoe. I have been to running specialty stores countless times and they have never once asked me what kind of drop I preferred . However, they did ask me for the shoe I was currently using so they possibly know the info from that or maybe it was just another case of the blind leading the blind.
[supsystic-tables id=4 ]
The second column is what you have to look at and decipher. How do you land while running? Do you land on your heel, mid-foot, or forefoot? If you are unsure and determined to find out but are nowhere near a specialty store then you can try the following:
- Have someone watch you run and tell you.
- Go on a treadmill in front of a mirror.
- Set your phone on video then hit record, lay it on the ground and start running around.
You now have enough knowledge to go out and spend your hard earned dollars. Or better yet, you may even find that perfect fit in the clearance section after all. Check out my suggestions for 2018.
THE TOP ROAD RUNNING SHOES OF 2018
Test Your Knowledge. Here is a short little quiz for the fun of it.
Instructions: Match the person to the best shoe, once you think you know the answers, complete the quiz to find out if you are right. Click here when you are ready.
- John has a flat foot and experiences calf tightness regularly. He has been struggling with weight-loss for years and wants to start running. He is inexperienced and has been fairly sedentary.
- Alice has been running long distances for years and hits the pavement mid-foot, most of the time. She is used to a cushiony type of shoe.
- Lucy is a professional gymnast and does a lot of her training bare foot. She has a medium arch and is a fairly fast runner.