It won’t take long for a runner to realize the overwhelming importance of shoes. Poorly chosen footwear can cause injury under the wrong circumstances. So, what constitutes a good choice in footwear? Read on to discover the RIGHT way to select running shoes.

First, the proper fit. Too tight or loose can cause rubbing or otherwise cause pain. It isn’t sufficient just to put the shoe on, if possible move the foot through a range of motion and as much of a running gait as is practical. It is entirely possible to find shoes with subtle imperfections in the fit that aren’t immediately apparent.
Second, we should worry about your running technique. A proper motion for the foot rolls from heel to toe, and has a slight inward rotation as the ball of the foot touches the ground. There are shoes to compensate for a greater tendency to wear the inside, outside or other parts of the shoe tread. As well, there are shoes to compensate for greater or lesser than normal amounts of this standard foot motion, called pronation. The simplest way to determine this is to examine an old pair of running shoes and check the wear pattern. Excessive wear on the inside of the front part of the shoe indicates over pronation, such wear on the outside of the front of the shoe indicates supination.

Third is the priority of the shoe. Shoe designers tend to create shoes to emphasize stability, cushioning or motion control. If you don’t know which of these you actually need, stability is probably the place to start. However, cushioning should be a given. Each time your foot hits the ground, you are dealing with an impact of around three times your body weight, and you’ll do this fifteen hundred times a mile.

Brand is not unimportant, but there are so many and they change rapidly enough that it makes little sense to cover in an article this of this size. Instead, you should simply keep in mind brands you like and try their products first. There are many ways to achieve cushioning and stability, and you simply might be well suited to the one a given brand uses. Appearance matters not one bit, when considering a running shoe. If your priority is a given look, spending the money for a running shoe is a waste of funds, possibly much funds.

Finally, shoes can be optimized for a given type of running. This can be high performance competition shoes, shoes for running on pavement and shoes for running on broken surfaces or cross country.

Runner’s Question: Ok I know this is a rather dumb question, but I can’t find a place in the heel where it feels right. Do you put them up at the top of the heel or at the bottom so it touches the insole, or somewhere in between? I have Dr. Scholl’s heel liners, but is there some better brand, or another way to make shoes fit better that slip in the heels? (i don’t want heel cups or insoles)

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Injury prevention is a very serious issue for those who run regularly, especially those who are in training for a particular race or event. In these cases injury prevention is not only important because it helps the runner to avoid a painful injury and potentially long recovery period but it is also critical because an injury can disrupt the training schedule and result in the runner not being properly prepared for the race or event. This article will provide some basic tips for runners which will help them to prevent injuries.

Well designed equipment which also fits properly can go a long way towards injury prevention for runners. One of the most important pieces of equipment for runners is their running shoes. Running shoes should fit properly, not be overly worn and should also ideally be designed to accommodate the runner’s style of running. Additionally, running shoes should be replaced regularly to prevent injuries which may result from the running shoe being overly worn out. A good recommendation for how often to replace a pair of running shoes is every 300-500 miles. Runners should keep a detailed training log with a section for accumulated miles since the runner started wearing a new pair of running shoes. This will allow the runner to easily determine when they have reached the 300-500 mile range on a particular pair of running shoes and are likely to be in need of a new pair in the near future.

Stretching regularly can also help runners to avoid injuries. One worthwhile recommendation for stretching is to stretch during and after a run. Many novice runners make the common mistake of thinking they should stretch before their run but this is not necessarily true. Runners who stretch before they run are stretching cold muscles which are not as pliable as muscles which have been warmed up with a short jog. For example if you are planning to go for a five mile run, you might want to consider jogging an easy one half mile or a mile before you stretch to give your muscles ample time to warm up and be more receptive to stretching. It is also a good idea to stretch after you have completed your run. This will help your muscles to cool down properly and will aid in the recovery process of the muscles. This is important because the muscles can tighten considerably during the course of the run. Stretching them afterwards will help to prevent a long term shortening of the muscles.

Nutrition is another aspect that a lot people forget. Eating a diet of 60% carbohydrates 40% protein and 10% fats will help the body recover properly. Eating a lot fruits and vegetables will feed the body nutrients it needs to take the pounding day in and day out. Chocolate milk is a great recovery drink right after a run. It has the perfect 4 to 1 ratio of carbohydrates and protein that have been proven to increase the recovery rate. Soon after your run it is also important to get in a meal with a lot carbos like pasta and breads will also help with recovery and in turn prevent injuries.

The last component to help prevent injuries is to take in a lot of water throughout the day. Normally you should way yourself before you run to get your starting weight. When you are done running weigh yourself again. The weight that you lost is how much water you lost. obviously during the summer you will lose more water, but its important year round. Try to take liquids with you on a run so you do not have to bloat yourself after the run. Normally bring a water bottle or a device called a camelbak that you can put around your waist to carry your fluid. If you do not keep on top of the water issue your muscles will be more tired and more apt to be pulled or strain.

Runner’s Question: I am running my first 1/2 marathon at the beginning of November (in Taiwan). TRAINING SO FAR: For the past 5 weeks I have been training for the 1/2 marathon (5 days a week…Runners World prgm). I still lift weights 5 days a week (only upper body). Ok? I started marathon training at the end of August so it will be about 9 weeks of marathon specific training (before that I lifted weights 5 days a week and jogged for cardio exercise 3 days a week). LIFE STYLE CHANGES: I have sucessfully given up little things like drinking beer, soda, and eating sweets. I’ve been stretching a lot, drinking lots of water, and taking ibprofen. QUESTIONS: I have an okay pair of running shoes that are getting a bit warn (soles and the begins of a tear in the side of my shoe). They will probably be okay until the marathon but not much longer. Is it too late to consider a new pair? Also, what other advice can serious runners give me so I will be as physically and mentally prepared as possible for the big day?

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