Choosing Running Shoes

FITNESS · GLOBAL

Choosing Running Shoes

Gait analysis and its limits, cushioning, rotation and when to replace

Running shoes are the one piece of equipment that matters, and the evidence about what makes a shoe right is less settled than shops suggest.

Comfort predicts injury better than gait

Research has repeatedly found that shoes chosen for comfort produce fewer injuries than shoes prescribed from foot type or pronation. Comfort is the most useful single criterion.

Gait analysis is a useful starting point for narrowing choices rather than a diagnosis. Run in the shoes on a treadmill or outside rather than standing in them.

Pronation

Some inward roll is normal and is how the foot absorbs shock. Stability shoes help some runners and are not a correction that everyone needs.

Cushioning

More cushioning is not automatically better or worse. Softer shoes suit easy mileage; firmer, more responsive shoes suit faster running. Carbon-plated racing shoes are for racing and are hard on the calves.

Fit

Around a thumb's width at the toe, since feet swell and descents push them forward. Try shoes at the end of the day with running socks.

Width matters as much as length. Heel slipping with a good forefoot fit usually means the shoe shape is wrong rather than the size.

Rotation

Two pairs alternated last longer and there is evidence that rotating shoes is associated with fewer injuries, probably because the loading varies.

When to replace

Commonly 500 to 800 kilometres, and the midsole compresses before the upper looks worn. New aches with no change in training frequently mean the shoes are finished.

Insoles and orthotics

Off-the-shelf insoles help some runners and are not a substitute for a diagnosis. Custom orthotics are worth considering where a clinician has identified a specific problem rather than as a default purchase.

Anything that changes the fit of a shoe needs breaking in gradually.

Surfaces

Varying surfaces spreads the load. Trail shoes have deeper lugs and a rock plate; road shoes are lighter and smoother, and wearing the wrong one is uncomfortable rather than dangerous.

Getting fitted properly

A specialist shop will watch you run, offer several models and let you try them properly. Take your current shoes, since the wear pattern tells them something, and go later in the day.

Buy the shoe that feels best rather than the one that matches a theory about your feet.

Socks and kit

Technical socks rather than cotton, which holds moisture and causes blisters. Deal with a hot spot when you feel it rather than after it becomes a blister.

Increasing mileage

Build gradually rather than jumping, since most running injuries come from doing too much too soon. Persistent pain needs a physiotherapist rather than new shoes.

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