How To Choose The Correct Running Shoes For You.

Recently my girlfriend Lisa needed a decent pair of running shoes as she has taken up road running more seriously, after explaining to her regarding what to check for when buying new shoes, I decided to put together this article for anyone else who may need some pointers. Runners feet differ in various ways, making their requirements in a shoe personal to them. A range of things for  instance - the surface you run on, the shape of your feet, your weight and your biomechanics means that a shoe which is ideal for you can be bad for another person.There is no single 'ideal shoe'.

Shoes can be divided into three main categories:
Cushioned
Motion control
Stability

and then divided into a further three more sub catagories:

Off-road
Preformance training
Racing


The main catagory covers everyday options and are mainly categorised by your biomechanical needs. The sub catagory covers more specialised needs and often only used for second shoes.

You need to know how your biomechanics perform.

A good running specialist shop should be able to check this out for you, they use various types of equipment i.e. The London Marathon Shop in Covent Garden, London uses a rubber mat linked to a computer that takes a print of your foot strike and roll as your feet strike the mat when you run across it. Runner's Edge in Southend on Sea, Essex use a treadmill and a video camera with a slow speed to to film your foot strike, roll and gate.
or
You can check this out yourself by wetting your bare feet and making your footprints on a smooth dry floor or paper. This will show you roughly the amount of stability you may need in a shoe, it will also show you what features you should look for and give you the basic knowledge needed to make the most of the 'Shoe Finder' from Runner's World, the next step of your search.


The Normal Foot

Normal feet have a normal-sized arch and will leave a wet footprint that has a flare, but shows the forefoot and heel connected by a broad band. A normal foot lands on the outside of the heel and rolls inwards slightly to absorb shock. It’s the foot of a runner who is biomechanically efficient and therefore doesn’t need a motion control shoe.

Best shoes: Stability shoes with moderate control features.

Next step: RW Shoe Finder


The Flat Foot



This has a low arch and leaves a print which looks like the whole sole of the foot. It usually indicates an overpronated foot – one that strikes on the outside of the heel and rolls inwards (pronates) excessively. Over time, this can cause many different types of overuse injuries.

Best shoes: Motion control shoes, or high stability shoes with firm midsoles and control features that reduce the degree of pronation. Stay away from highly cushioned, highly curved shoes, which lack stability features.

Next step:RW Shoe Finder



The High-Arched Foot



This leaves a print showing a very narrow band or no band at all between the forefoot and the heel. A curved, highly arched foot is generally supinated or underpronated. Because it doesn’t pronate enough, it’s not usually an effective shock absorber.

Best shoes: Cushioned (or 'neutral') shoes with plenty of flexibility to encourage foot motion. Stay away from motion control or stability shoes, which reduce foot mobility.

Next step: RW Shoe Finder

Help With Choosing Your Running Socks.

Few articles of clothing offer a runner such potential for injury prevention and comfort at so little expense or fuss as socks, simple though they may be. Among the most important attributes of an athletic sock are moisture management, cushioning and dissipation of friction. Remember that the primary role of socks is to protect the foot from the running shoe itself, without contributing to compromises in fit or thermal management. Sock thickness can also be used to fine tune shoe fit. An overview of the fiber choices available may help the next time you're shopping for stockings.




Cotton socks are strong, but not very elastic and terrible at wicking moisture. They will fail to hold their shape and offer poor friction control. Though they are the easiest and least expensive socks to find, cotton socks are best avoided.



Wool is all about absorption, in contrast to synthetics with an ability to repel moisture. It manages moisture better than cotton, but shrinks. The foot perspires heavily; at rest, the average foot produces 10 to 15 gallons of sweat per year. To adequately keep you dry while retaining shape, any synthetic fiber serves you better.



Acrylic provides good cushioning and excellent friction and moisture management. It is also among the softer synthetics. Your feet may feel damp or bulky at times, but acrylic makes an excellent all-around choice for runners.



Olefin, which is made from polypropylene, is one of the strongest fibers you can purchase, and certainly is the best for wicking. It isn't very elastic, however. For this reason a better choice would be polyester. As with olefin, however, be wary of odor build-up in polyester.



It's tempting to neglect the importance of good socks when so much of a runner's attention—not to mention budget—remains on a proper shoe purchase. But where are the savings in a drawer full of misshapen, blister-inducing cotton socks one wear away from dust rags? Choosing a quality synthetic and shelling out a few extra £'s for several pairs will almost certainly benefit you in the long run.