It doesn’t matter if you are running a marathon, targeting the local park, or just want to run around the block without leaving your lunch on the sidewalk. When you run, you need special running shoes and sneakers. Unlike the dusty Dunlops in the attic, running shoes make kilometers easier, faster, and more comfortable, and can even help you avoid injury.
Fortunately, we benefit from a golden age of innovation, in which brands invest heavily in research and development and think outside the box in design. New midsole foams provide cushioning and energy recovery, carbon footplates drive us forward and woven tops with anatomically shaped tensioning elements weigh our feet like never before.
And there is a style that fits the substance. While retro runners feel the love for refined sneakers, new high-performance models appear as classics in the out-of-the-box style. With so many running shoes with so different design and performance characteristics, however, finding the perfect fit for your specific needs and preferences can be difficult.
What kind of running shoes do you need?
To get the most out of your running, it is not enough that your shoes are only suitable for running. They have to be especially suitable for you as a runner. According to Jane Vongvorachoti, Olympic marathon runner and running trainer, it is crucial to find the right shoe for you. Don’t buy a shoe just because it’s “in” or because you see some top runners wearing it.
Your Biomechanics
Gentry says that we’re all very different biomechanically, so it’s not a case of, Mo Farah wears that shoe so I’m going to get it too.
As a thumb’s rule, the more you run, the more efficient and problem-free your running biomechanics should be; which is why experienced runners can look for more stripped-down shoes with features of less cushioning, support and stability. Even though your biomechanics is as unique to you as your fingerprint, things can get more complex.
Read More : What Kind Of Running Shoes Do You Need? (Part 1)
Vongvorachoti said that it’s important to consider your running gait and how you land to have support in the right part of your feet. There’s a long history in the running world of trying to match shoes to runners’ individual biomechanics to boost comfort and performance and, crucially, reduce injury risk.
The now discredited wet footprint test has been replaced by more sophisticated treadmill running gait analysis on offer at specialist running stores, and many believe in the value of this.
If you’re interested in knowing the mechanics of how you run then it can be a great experience.
Kacamata Rayban
Yet in-store gait analysis isn’t foolproof and if you’re really serious you could go deeper: Hobrough said that running shops that specialise and have experienced staff can be excellent, but finding the right shoe for your biomechanics is sometimes a dark art. running-specialist physiotherapist, who is also a running-specialist, will assess the whole body and gain that extra information prior to your investment being very important.
