How to Choose a Good Running Shoe

Good footwear for every occasion is essential to your comfort, health and well-being. This article will guide you through the process of selecting a good running shoe.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Every foot is different, so the first step in buying a good running shoe is to examine your foot to determine what characteristics you want in a running shoe. You need to determine your degree of pronation. If you tend to over pronate, your foot turns in, you will have flat arches and the soles of your shoes will show more wear on the inside edge. If you under-pronate, your foot turns toward the outside, you will have high arches and the soles of your shoes will show more wear on the outside edge. If you do not either under or over pronate you will have normal arches and the soles of your shoes will show equal wear on both the inside and outside edge. An easy way to determine your degree of pronation and your arch type is to take the "wet foot test". This test is described in both of the shoe buying guides listed in the resources section below.

2. Once you have determined the unique characteristics of your foot, you will know what features to look for in a running shoe. Three main features to examine are the amount of cushioning, the degree of stability and the amount of motion control. If you have a high arch (you over-pronate) you will want to look for a shoe with more cushioning. If you have a moderately flat arch, you will want to look for a shoe with more stability. If you have severely flat arches (meaning you are severely over-pronating, then you want to look for a shoe with good motion control. If you have normal arches, you will want to look at shoes in terms of the amount of cushioning and/or stability. See the buying guides in the resources listed below to get more guidance on examining a potential shoe for these features.

3. Make sure you are buying a properly fitting shoe. There should be a thumb's-width of space between the end of your toe and the tip of the shoe. There should be enough room in the toe box to wiggle your toes. Buy good, moisture wicking socks, and be sure that you are wearing the socks you will normally wear when you try on your shoes. Walk around the store a bit to make sure the shoes are comfortable. If you need help determining your proper size or a proper fit, go to a store that still has trained shoe-salesmen that wait on you and size your foot. These are not as common as they once were, and you may have to go to a store that specializes in foot orthotics to find this type of service. They will of course want to sell you their most expensive prodouct, which is a custom orthotic, but that doesn't mean you have to buy them! These stores also sell upper-end shoes as well.

4. Consider buying two pairs of shoes and rotating then to avoid undue wear or irritation. Replace them when the soles start to look worn.

Tips & Warnings

• If you tend to be hard to fit and want to make sure the shoes are going to be comfortable after you have worn them for awhile (as opposed to one or two laps around the shoe store) wear them at home INSIDE for an hour or so. This way if you must return them, the soles will still be clean.

Resources

• Sport's Authority Buyer's Guide
• Sierra Trading Post Buyer's Buide

[spayne]

on 1/4/2009 I need new running shoes and this article gave me a lot to think about. Thanks for sharing!

[writeitout]

on 1/3/2009 This will come in handy when I buy new running shoes for two of my teenagers. Thanks for writing this.

[JMKnudson]

on 12/26/2008 Finding the right shoe can make or break a running or walking routine. You're absolutely correct, people should take their foot shape into consideration. Great tips.