How to Determine the Right Running Shoe For You!

We recently did a post on how to find out whether or not you were a person who needed more or less cushioning in your running shoes. Since there are so many different kind of running shoes out there and there are so many determining factor in deciding which shoes you should get, we decided to put a few more hints out there to make it a bit easier.

 

 1.Determine your size. This may be a no brainer, but the shoe size you have always been wearing may not be the size you should be in.  I found this foot guide that you can print off and lay your foot against. For running shoes, I usually buy a half size bigger than what my foot measures.

 

 2.Determine your foot type.  You can do this by getting your foot wet and then making a foot print on a dry piece of paper or on concrete. What shape does your foot make?

 

 3. Compare it to this chart. I would say I'm pretty Neutral.

 

4. Shoes to Look for:

Flat Feet

1. Stability is most important. Find Something that will provide good arch support and prevent your feet from that "rolling" motion.
2. Avoid lots of cushioning. It'll only intensify instability and pronation problems by allowing your feet to continue rolling inward.

High-Arched Feet

1. Stability becomes less important.
2. Cushioning is needed, especially in the heel and forefoot. You'll want something that provides the softest cushioning and the lightest weight.

Ideal Feet

1. Moderate stability.
2. Good cushioning.
3. Outstanding durability.

5. And to think that when 1 first started buying running shoes, I didn't know any of this. I just went by  if I liked the color and if it fit! Now I not only worry about if I like the shoe or not, but will it like me back? Will it be a shoe that will improve my form or impede it?

Have you done the water test on your feet?  What foot type are you?

* I'd like to add to this that I did wear my purple Altra Olympus on my 11K race on the boardwalk last weekend and they felt amazing.  As some of you remembered, I was having hesitations on keeping these shoes because of all the cushioning they provided, but that cushioning felt amazing after the race when my legs were sore. The only problem is while I am not a heel striker when I run, I did find myself becoming a "Heel Walker"  Because there is so much cushioning in that shoe, I would step first on my heel and rock up on my toes just because the cushioning felt so good!