Shoes

Shoes are a very important part of running. It is extremely important to find the perfect shoes for your feet, because they have such a huge impact on how you run. If you don’t have good shoes that fit right there’s a good chance you will face injury at some point in time, because your shoes don’t fit you right.

The best way to get a good pair of shoes is to go to a local running store. Not Dick’s Sporting Goods or Scheels or NIKE, an actual running store, dedicated only to running. There they will watch you walk or look at the arcs of your feet or do something to make sure you buy shoes that are right for your feet and won’t make you get injured. I normally go to Running Wild. My assistant coach works there and they are normally really helpful.

Unfortunately, even if you go to a store that’s really helpful, shoe shopping is not always easy. Normally you have at least 3 different shoes that the workers say are good for your feet, and then you have to pick the one you like best. At Running Wild, they let you actually run down the sidewalk in the shoes, which is very helpful, but it’s still hard to find the perfect pair. You need shoes that fit right, last a while, and are comfortable.

Brands of shoes are all different. Some last longer than others, some are made to perfect your running form and some are more comfortable than others.  Saucony shoes last a long time, but from my experience with them, they’re not that comfortable.

(My current shoes)

 

My favorite shoes are Brook’s Ghost. I have had 4 pairs of Ghosts and I will probably continue to buy them. They are extremely comfortable and they fit really well, but they do not last very long. Considering I probably run somewhere around 900-1300 miles a year I end up having to buy about 3 pairs a year, which is really expensive. It’s almost impossible to get shoes for under a hundred dollars anymore, so 3 pairs of shoes is a lot of money. If you buy Saucony’s they will last for about 500 miles, so that would save some money, but I do not like those as much. I have also heard good things about Mizuno’s and Asics. I am not a huge fan of NIKE’s, but I know people who like them.

It is very important to buy good shoes and it is also very important to know when you need new shoes. My assistant coach always tells us to look at the bottom of your current shoes and if you can start to see a different color coming through the bottom of the sole of your shoe, then you need new ones. I can always tell when I need new shoes, because my knees start to hurt and I start to get a lot of blisters on my feet. In general, you should replace your shoes every 300-400 miles, but factors like weight and where you run also play a part in when you need your shoes replaced. I think the best way to know when you need new shoes is when your joints start to hurt or you start to feel pain, even when you are not doing harder workouts.

Shoes are a major part of running. Knowing what shoes are good and when they need to be replaced is something every runner needs to know.