Running Footwear

In terms of equipment, the appropriateness of your running shoes is probably going to make the biggest difference to how much you enjoy your running. There are several vastly different opinions about what to look for in a running shoe, and it can be difficult to filter the information to determine what is best for you.

Here are a few key things to consider when looking at running shoes:

1. Comfort should be an important consideration. Comfort can only be determined by trying shoes on.

2. A more expensive shoe isn’t necessarily better. More expensive shoes are typically newer to the market, and have more features or technologies. These may or may not be of benefit to you.

3. Your running shoe should be a larger size than most other shoes you own to avoid restricting the movement of your foot. This is especially true for long distance runners. Your foot will lengthen as you run as the ligaments and muscles fatigue, so your foot will be longer at the end of a long run.

4. Be wary of taking a recommendation from someone else to try a particular model of shoe. Everyone has different shaped feet and differing running mechanics. Just because a shoe is great for your running partner doesn’t mean that it’ll work for you.