Tips on choosing the best running shoes

Lifestyle Tuesday 22/January/2019 17:21 PM
By: Times News Service
Tips on choosing the best running shoes

Choosing the best running shoes is the most important decision you will make as a runner. The right shoes will provide you with a lot of comfort. The wrong ones can give you bad running injuries. Know what is ideal for your feet and the right shoes for your foot type.
Identify your foot type
People have different foot types. You must be extra cautious in selecting the best running shoes for your feet. Or else, you will end up getting injured. The common injuries caused by the wrong running shoes include plantar fasciitis, Achilles inflammation, posterior tibialis syndrome, knee pains, stress fractures, black toenails, and etc. To determine your foot type, you can stamp your wet foot on a paper bag and check the footprint.
The right kind of shoes for your foot type
There are running shoes available for different types of feet.
Normal arch: This means that you are a normal pronator. The ideal shoe for this foot type would be a good stability shoe. It offers moderate pronation control so that you can have extra stability.
Flat foot: This means that you are an overpronator. Your arch tends to collapse inward, causing too much movement. Having flat fleet also means that you will be more prone to injuries. A good pair of motion-control shoes can control pronation. Pronation is the degree to which the arch of your foot collapses upon impact.
High arch: This means that you underpronate. Your arch does not collapse enough, causing the shock of your foot landing to put pressure on your legs. Having a high arch can also cause injuries. You would need a neutral-cushioned shoe to stimulate pronation.
Go to a specialty store
Visit a specialty running store to purchase the best running shoes for your foot type. If you don't know your foot type yet, the store should have a podobaroscope ( an innovative, pressure sensing static device) that can determine your foot type and what type of running shoes you need.
Go for a test run
Do a test run, either on the treadmill or in front of the store. This will give you an idea on whether or not you can run with the shoes comfortably.
Check the durability
Ask someone from the store about how long the shoes will last. Most quality running shoes can handle 600-900 miles. A good running store knows which shoes go longer and which don't.
When you are completely comfortable with all of these, then you can safely buy your shoes online. However for your first pair of running shoes it is probably a good idea to buy them in a specialty running store so you will buy the best running shoes for your feet.