Can Your Shoes Help Make You a Better Runner?

The running shoe industry is huge and several new models come out each year. With all of these choices, it’s easy for the untrained observer to get confused. Add in sales and marketing strategies and it becomes even easier to become misguided. How do you currently buy your running shoes? Do you wear shoes that are made for your feet or do you buy the trendy “shoe of the day” that all the other runners are wearing? Proper footwear is one of the easiest ways to prevent running injuries, but can be very confusing as just stated. The purpose of this article is to help simplify shopping for running shoes. With 40-70% of runners reporting injuries each year, proper running shoes are a critical piece of equipment. Many athletes say they have, or want, the “Top of the line” running shoe – but it’s not “Top of the line” for you if it’s not the right shoe for your feet!

There are 3 basic types of running shoes: cushion, stability, and motion control. Each category has adequate cushioning, but some of the main differences between them are in how much stability is provided.

All major shoe manufactures make several shoe models in each category. Often times I hear runners say that they cannot wear a particular brand of shoe because they have had problems with it. The fact of the matter is not that they were in the wrong brand of shoe; it’s that they were in the wrong category of shoe.

Shoe categories:

Cushion shoes are designed for people with high and rigid arches. The midsole has a lower density foam and they are designed to “cushion” a higher arch as it comes down during stance phase/weight bearing on that foot. Based on observation, this is the shoe many runners wear cushion shoes, however, in actuality it is the shoe the fewest number if runners should be in based on their biomechanics.

Stability shoes are designed for neutral runners to mild overpronators. Higher density foam is used as well as external stabilization. Pronation (when the foot rolls in) is a normal phase of gait and occurs when your foot contacts the ground. It’s purpose is to disperse the forces of impact from your foot contacting the ground. Overpronation is when the foot rolls in too far beyond the neutral foot position and is one of the biggest biomechanical problems in sports medicine.

Motion Control shoes are the most stable and rigid running shoes. They are designed for moderate to severe overpronators. They have the widest base and reinforcements to control excessive biomechanical motion. As in stability shoes, higher density foam and external stabilizers are also used in motion control shoes.

A common question I am asked is, “How often running shoes should be replaced?” Running shoes will last for 300-500 miles or 4-6 months, whichever comes first. Heavier footed runners will need to replace their shoes sooner while lighter landing runners will get a little more life out of their shoes. Even if you are not a high mileage runner your shoes should still be replaced after about six months. This is because the breakdown process of a shoe starts and continues, once you start wearing them.

Take care of your running shoes by only running in them. By using retired pair of running shoes for day to day use and only running in your active shoes, you can significantly increase the life and performance of your shoes. Many runners will also alternate shoes in their active collection to evenly wear through them. This can be done by adding a new pair into your active rotation halfway through the lifespan of your current shoes and then continuing the process again with a new pair as you retire an older one.

Do my new shoes require a break-in period? Shoes that are properly fitted in both size and category for each individual runner should not require a break-in period.

How do I learn what type of shoe I should wear? Video running gait analysis is an excellent fun and easy way to learn this. At ChiroMedical Group our trained doctors watch you run on a treadmill while you are videotaped. The tape is then reviewed with you in both real time and slow motion, and recommendations for types of shoes and running efficiency are given. Nothing could be easier.