Learn To Love Running: Shoes
August 27th, 2011 § 1 Comment
Earlier this year I taught a running clinic at my workplace. I titled the clinic ‘Learn To Love Running’. I am passionate about running. I decided to post some of the materials I put together for the clinic here on my blog. This was from one of the sessions.
Running is a very minimalist sport. You don’t have to buy a lot of equipment to become a runner. But, one of the most important pieces of gear you’ll buy as a runner are your shoes. Your shoes have a profound impact on a runner’s biomechanics. The wrong shoe will not only be uncomfortable, but may also increase your chance of injury.
First and foremost, you should only run in shoes designed for running. Shoes designed for different sports are usually designed for different types of motion. For example, a basketball shoe is designed for side to side motion and jumping. A running shoe is designed for forward motion. When you are 5 years old you can get away with running in clunky basketball shoes. As an adult you are asking for trouble if you do.
Not only do you need shoes designed for running, you need running shoes designed for your foot biomechanics. Most runners have a foot type that can be classified into three different foot types, an overpronator, an underpronator and neutral pronation. This refers to the shape of the arch of your foot. Pronation refers to the movement your foot makes as it strikes the ground and the arch of your foot absorbs the impact.
The arch of your foot is designed to absorb the shock of your footfalls. A person who underpronates or has high arches does not have the natural cushioning that the other foot types have. Their arch does not move much or underpronates and does not absorb the forces of impact as their foot strikes the ground. An overpronator or flat footed has a foot that moves too much during the impact cycle. Both of these types of feet need a shoe that helps to keep this motion appropriate to help them avoid injuries.
If you have neutral pronation you can consider yourself lucky. However, even a neutral pronator should wear shoes appropriate to this foot type to avoid injury.
The best way to get the proper shoe for your foot type is to visit a specialty running store. The staff there are trained to determine foot types and match your foot type to the best shoe for you given your foot type, weight, running experience, weekly mileage, etc. You may pay a little bit more for your shoes there, but you’ll get a better shoe for you than you would a the local super-discount store. If you really have to be cost conscious you can buy your first pair at a specialty running store and then buy subsequent pairs of the same make and model from a discount store. You may need to buy a pair at the specialty store every now and again as often times things change either in your running or the shoe model that mean you might need to re-up that expert advice you get from the specialty store just to make sure you are wearing the right shoe.
Another thing to know about running shoes is that you should only use your running shoes for running. You don’t wear them to mow the yard, you don’t wear them to go shopping, you only wear them for running. This will help the shoes to last longer and will keep them in better shape to do what they are designed to do, protect your feet. You should also track your mileage and buy a new pair when you get close to 500 miles in them. The reason for this is the midsole, the part of the shoe that cushions the impact, starts to lose it’s resiliency as the shoe ages. As this goes, the ability to absorb impact lessens and more of that impact is then transmitted to your body increasing your chances of injury.
An added benefit from wearing your shoes only to run and changing them at 500 miles is you can then use the retired shoes for mowing the yard or shopping. Over the years I’ve collected quite a few pairs of shoes that are still serviceable for knocking around in but have too many running miles on them and were retired. The cost of paying extra for a good pair is evened out by getting this double use from them.
I appreciate the double use idea that makes sense. As one that markets the running shoes I caution runners to pay attention to the midsole at the heel. Under-pronators will wear the outside heel over-pronators wil break down the inside heel. The problem is that getting too close to the serviceable range of the shoe is that the foot may no fully get to neutral when the shoe is broken down. so the other joints: ankle, knee, and hip catch problems also. Being critical of the overall wearing shape of your running shoes is absolutely necessary