Running is a great, heart-healthy activity, but it can be hard on your feet. Making sure that you have the best pair of running shoes for your feet will help you avoid injuries. It will also help you improve your performance and become a more efficient runner.
Be fitted at a specialty running store
The best way to find running shoes that meet your specific needs is to have a personal fitting at a specialty running store. The trained staff can assess your feet and help you find the shoes that will offer you the best support. Some running stores also include gait assessment, where a trained staff member will watch you walk on a treadmill and use a video monitor to point out how the right shoes will improve your run.
Learn about overpronation
When you walk or run, it's normal for your foot to strike the ground on its outer edge and roll inward. Rolling too far inward is known as overpronation. This common problem can lead to injuries, but having the right shoe support will protect your feet. People who overpronate will want to look for running shoes that are designed for stability or motion control.
A trained running shoe salesman can tell you if you overpronate when you walk. You can also tell by looking at your current shoes to see if the soles are wearing evenly. If you set a pair of worn shoes on a flat surface and the heels tilt inward, you probably overpronate.
Consider your arches
The height of the arches at the center of your feet play an important role in the type of running shoes you should buy. If your feet are relatively flat, you probably overpronate when you run, and you should look for a stabilizing shoe. Very high arches mean you might underpronate, in which case a shoe with a cushioned mid-section would be best.
An easy way to check your arches is to do a wet test. This classic runner's test involves stepping your foot into a shallow pan of water and then stepping onto a brown paper bag. Looking at the shape of your footprint will show the height of your arch. A normal arch is about half the width of your foot, a flat arch is about the same width along the whole foot, and a high arch will practically disappear at the center of your footprint.
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