Choosing the Right Running Shoes

Mind is All

If you’re new to running, you may not realize how important it is to choose the right running shoes. These tips will help you choose wisely and take proper care of your feet.

First off, it’s important to understand how crucial good running shoes are. Yes, they are expensive, but running is tough on your joints, and you’ll quickly develop problems or risk injury if you don’t use good shoes. If you're smart, you'll replace your running shoes when you hit 350 miles of running (about 4-6 months for most runners) and will only wear them to run. If you're a heavy runner and are hard on shoes, you may need to replace them even more frequently. To preserve shoes, try to run on the track, treadmills, or trails more than on pavement.

Before replacing your shoes, do this simple test. Get your feet wet, and then make a footprint on the floor or a piece of paper, paying attention to your footprint (when standing). If your foot leaves a solid footprint, you need extra arch support. If you see a curvy footprint, you have good arches.

Check your shoes for wear, and note where you feel extra stress in your ankles. You are checking for what's called over and under pronation. Basically you’re looking to see if your feet lean in (overpronation) or out (underpronation) or if they remain stable as you run (no need for extra support). If you are susceptible to joint problems, you'll want to buy extra cushiony shoes that provide ankle support.

Check also to see how roomy of a toebox you will need. Because toes tend to swell after you've run for a while, you'll want to buy shoes with roomy toeboxes. It's common to buy running shoes in a size larger than your everyday shoes.

Take good care of your feet, and you’ll be running injury-free!