How to select Running Shoes

Choosing the right running shoes is not difficult. You just need to understand which group of runners you belong to and which category of shoes is suitable for this group. And that's all. Moreover, these groups are extremely easy to understand. Let's put everything on the shelves.

Contents:

1. Understand your fitness level
2. Understand the Challenge You Are Setting for Running shoes
3. Understand your personal physiological characteristics
4. Determine which type of shoe need is right for you
5. Choose a model from your segment

The first thing you need to understand is your fitness level. We would like to highlight, that fitness level is not the same as running level. The fact is that any sport, be it football or badminton, develops our muscles, stabilizers, ligaments. And it is important for us to understand how well they are developed, not your running endurance or running technique.

The levels can be divided into three:

1. Entry fitness level (0-2 hours of sports per week)
2. Intermediate fitness level (2-5 hours of sports per week)
3. Advanced fitness level (5+ hours of sports per week)

It is important to note that the number of training hours should be systematic for at least half a year. If you do 6 hours of training this week, it doesn't mean that next week you will suddenly become an advanced athlete.

Each fitness level has its own expectations for running shoes.

Entry-level runners lack stabilizer muscles, and their legs are not prepared for shock loads. This means they need shoes with additional stabilization elements, increased cushioning.

Intermediate runners have completed a significant number of hours of training, muscles and ligaments know how to handle the load, but still need support from the elements of athletic running shoes. So they need shoes with basic stabilization elements, basic cushioning.

Advanced runners are ready for anything. They can choose footwear from what is more comfortable for them, but their physical condition allows them to use footwear without injury with minimal stability and minimal shock absorption.

The second thing you need to understand is the purpose for which you plan to use the athletic shoes. In order to make it easier for you, there are only two of them:

1. Comfortable pace
2. Fast pace

Comfortable is the pace of regular workouts, recovery crosses
Fast is the pace of Tempo training, races

An article about the types of running training will appear here.

The third, most difficult, physical characteristics of the runner. We have a separate article where we analyze all types of HERE. In short:

1. A runner can be Big, which means he needs more cushioning.
2. A runner can be Light, which means he needs less cushioning.
3. A runner can have a wide foot, which means he needs a model with a wide base.

These three points are extremely individual, and according to them we can only recommend the directions for the development of running shoes. We will not be able to add them to the diagram, but what we will work on is:

4. The Runner may have overpronation, which means he needs footwear with additional support

So, in the case of overpronation, additional support from the inside of the shoe could be created differently:

• Use regular models, but make yourself special corrective insoles.
• Use models with additional stability. Like the ones we recommended for entry-level runners. But the adjustment in such models is minimal and sometimes insufficient.
• Use special models with additional reinforcement on the inner side of the shoe.

The first two points do not create an additional need for a shoe class, but the third one does:

Let's talk a couple of common questions:

• Overpronation is a significant reduction in the arch of the foot upon landing, excessive collapse of the foot on the inside. For more details, see this article.
• No brand has separate models for Supination.
• Overpronation models can be used by runners with neutral pronation. Conversely, neutral pronation models can be used for people with overpronation.

We now understand all kinds of needs. And I hope you personally know where to put yourself. All three questions that you need to ask yourself - "How much do I train per week?", "For what pace do I buy?", "What is my pronation?".

Well, maybe only the third question raises doubts, but you remember that Overpronation can be corrected with insoles, so if in doubt, you can lean in favor of models without additional support. And then, with the help of specialists, measure and, if necessary, produce individual insoles.

And now let's understand what segments of running footwear exist on the market:
See our separate article on the differences in running shoe segments

And now let's put on the segments what it refers to:

Each person is different, and we assume that a beginner will use SPEED models, and an experienced runner will use STABLE models. However, we believe that runners will be most comfortable in the recommended segments.

The question remains, how the models in each of the blocks differ from each other. To understand this, we recommend reading the reviews here and watching our YOUTUBE. And the shortest way to understand the basic differences is to read this article.

Don't forget to send the article to a friend if it helped you.

RUN FAQ