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- Most
people can manage with a curved last
shoe, but the key issue is shoe age
or wear
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- Most
running shoes, regardless of price,
only retain their effectiveness for
6–9 months
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- Research
has shown no effect on injury between
cheap and expensive runners. The type
and age are more important
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- Find
out what kind of feet you have, then
use the information contained on this
page, along with advice from a specialist
salesperson to buy the best shoes
for you, and you will be miles ahead
of the pack.
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WHEN
it comes to running, your shoes are the single most important
piece of equipment. Other than being uncomfortable, ill-fitting
and unsuitable running shoes can cause injuries.
To ensure you select the correct running shoes, you will
first have to determine what kind of foot you have. To
do that, talk with a podiatrist, physiotherapist or a
sports footwear retailer who is well informed of the various
foot types.
The function of a running shoe is to protect the foot
from external and impact injury, offer support and stability
to the foot and to ensure optimum anatomical alignment
where needed.
With this in mind, the type of running shoe that you wear
can play a key role in the prevention of lower limb, foot
and back injury and to assist performance.
Foot
basics
In
order to transfer force and reduce stress on joints of
the foot and lower limb, running mechanics have the foot
roll in as it hits the ground. The amount of ‘rolling’
is termed pronation.
An excessive, rapid or prolonged amount of pronation is
known as over-pronation and has the potential to cause
knee, shin, ankle and Achilles tendon problems, as does
a lack of sufficient pronation, often called supination
or under-pronation.
Over-pronation is demonstrated by excess wear visible
on the outside of a shoe.
Rear
foot stability
Running
shoes require rear-foot stability due to the ‘heel
first’ impact and have a raised heel. This elevated
heel position allows for more shock absorption and assists
in forward projection of gait.
As running is a linear action, stability becomes less
important than impact support at contact and mid-stance
phase of gait.
Normal
arches
If
you have normal arches and your foot motion is normal,
the selection of shoes is a little more simple, as you
may choose from many styles.
It is, however, important that you select shoes that are
supportive and stable but also offer a good blend of cushioning,
medial support and durability. They often have a semi-curved
shape and don’t control foot motion as strictly as
motion-control shoes.
Low
arches (flat feet)
If
you have low arches or flat feet, you may be an over-pronator,
meaning your foot rolls too far inward and often too quickly
when you run. This can cause injuries so it is important
to select shoes that offer superior motion control and
foot stability.
These often have firm midsoles with different control
features that reduce the degree and velocity of pronation,
hence giving the foot greater stability. They are, however,
often heavier and more expensive than some other styles
of running shoes.
High
arches
If
you have a high arch, your foot may be supinated or underpronated,
meaning it doesn’t roll inward far enough, therefore
reducing the foot ability to absorb shock and adjust to
different ground surfaces.
It is recommended that you should keep away from both
stability and motion control shoes and select a shoe with
plenty of cushioning.
Cushioned shoes assist your feet to roll inward (absorbing
shock), have a curved shape to encourage foot motion and
have the softest midsole with the least medial support
features.
Characteristics
of a correct runner
Once
your foot type and degree of pronation is determined,
one other important characteristic you’ll need to
look for is shoe shape.
A ‘last’ is the base of a shoe and helps to
determine shoe shape. With this in mind, you can see the
shape most clearly by looking at the bottom of the shoe.
Typically, runners come in three shapes (straight, semi-curved
and curved) which correspond to the three foot types.
Most experts believe that:
