Striders
Coaching Advisory Group
Striders
Coaching Advisory Group
Marathon
Training
Footwear, clothing and equipment
· Correct footwear
If you visit a reputable running shop you’ll be often overwhelmed by the sheer number and range of different brands and types of shoe. But don’t despair! It may look like you need a sports degree to understand it all, but a bit of preparation and using the knowledge of the shop and you should be fine. And more likely than not you will find a shoe that suits your running style.
There are good reasons why there are so many types of shoes on the market. And when you consider it, it is easy to see why. We are all different: different sizes, weights and running styles. Running without injury depends in part on the alignment and operation of muscles, ligaments, joints and bones. Our biomechanics are determined to an extent by our genes but also by our lifestyles. Quite simply the correct running shoe for you will be the one that matches your biomechanic profile best.
You will often see numerous terminologies displayed on the shoes or at the point of sale. It helps for you to have a basic knowledge of what these mean.
Motion Control: As the heel strikes the ground the foot naturally rolls inwards. It’s called pronation and is a natural and desirable part of the running action as it absorbs the impact. Although pronation is desirable, many runners overpronate meaning that their feet roll inwards too much which can cause stresses and strains in a number of areas such as the ankle, shin, achilles, knees and upwards into the hamstings, hip and back.
Just before take-off the foot rolls back towards the outside. This again is natural and is termed supination. Just as in pronation some people oversupinate which again can cause injury. But this is far less common than overpronation.
You may also notice that the shoes described at slip or broad lasted. The last is the part of the shoe where the nylon upper meets the outer midsole.If the upper is stuck directly to the midsole without any overlay it is described as slip lasted. Where a brown coloured board overlays it, it is described as broad lasted which increases the ability of the shoe to resist pronation.
In addition to shoes being slip or board lasted they are either curved or straight. This describes the shape of the shoe when viewed from below if a line is drawn from the centre of the heel to the toe. If the shape either side is the same it’s a straight last and if bowed like a banana it’s curved. A curved last will help restrict movement associated with pronation.
Some shoes may offer additional arch support which may help with ankle pronation. If you don’t overpronate or oversupinate, your running pattern will be described as neutral.
Purchasing the correct shoes will assist in addressing imbalance problems in the body although you may want to seek help in identifying and correcting those imbalances at source. However, if the pronation is extreme custom made orthortics which will fit inside the shoe may offer a solution.
Cushioning: Every step creates a force several time bodyweight. Multiply this by many thousands of times on a long run and you will begin to understand the impact that the body has to cope with. Good cushioning is therefore important in reducing the shock transmitted through the body from the foot up towards the back. It is also more comfortable and gives a feeling of smoothness. Good cushioning is especially important in heavier runners, those doing longer mileage and those who do most or all running on hard road surfaces. The cushioning will make the shoe heavier and may impact on your running performance, but this is only likely to be a tiny amount. Different brands will have different technologies to provide cushioning including air and other gels or spongy plastics. No brand is better than the other. Try the shoes and get the ones that work most effectively for you.
So in conclusion 10 top tips when buying running shoes;