Running shoes: how to choose them

Running sneakers

Choose a shoes suitable for the practice of the running is very important, since they are the element that unites us with the soil, which supports our weight, that provides traction... The process to choose the ideal footwear for our feet can be complex for an amateur runner, but quiet, in this article we will try to give you the tracks to follow to learn how to rule out those models that you only enter by sight but that will not benefit your career, and know what are the pairs that will be you like a glove to enjoy your favorite sport.

As a broker, what running shoes I need?

As a broker, if you are reading this article is that you are looking for new sneakers to get started or to continue your journey with this sport that is running. But, before you go to the store, we need to know what is exactly what we need, that many times it is not what we want, and, it's very important to choose a shoe based on what you need, because our health will depend on this. The running, even if it seems otherwise, is a sport very injurious, and to prevent those injuries we must eat right, make a progressive and training adjusted to our capabilities, and how not, carry a suitable material, especially shoes, which is the most important garment for a runner.
To reduce the search for shoes have that know what adapts better to our case and so have to answer some questions:

Do much weight?

Running sneakers can be classified by the weight of the runner, so, depending on this data will be models that work us better than others. Usually refers to shoes for people over 75 kg and less than 75 kg (women should subtract about 12 kg to all weight data to read in the article), although this figure is not entirely accurate, as orientation is very useful.
If weights 90 kg must seek training with much cushioning and stability shoes, whereas if you weigh 65 kg or less you can find models lighter and with least amount of damping, the exception to this is if you weigh 90 kg and run fast in your shooting (fastest 4.30 min/km), then you can find slippers training more as if your weight is lower.

What is my tread?

Famous has become the question if we are supinadores or pronator, most runners are pronator, pronation is a natural body damping mechanism and around 60% of runners prone to greater or lesser extent, 35% of runners will be neutral and only 5% supinadores.
It is highly unlikely supinar, only if your arch is tall and very hard you can do it, but as I say it is rare and there are no specific shoes for supinador, but that this type of runners use neutral cushioned and flexible.
Find out our tread is not easy, homemade methods as the soles wear or any proof that we carried out in static or walking are not valid, the way to find our tread is an expert see us running, either in a shop or a sports Podiatrist.
In case of doubt and if you've previously run without discomfort, the neutral running shoes are always the best choice by default.

Height of bow do I have?

It is something that is little noted, but is very important, since the height and flexibility of the arc influence much the Biomechanics of the corridor. The low arches and flat pronan the vast majority and need running shoes suitable for this type of arches, where the Arch of the shoe area is not marked nor prominent, since that can cause discomfort or blisters.
The highest arches should seek slippers with a height of normal bridge or marked so that the foot receives support from the shoe and it fits much better as well adapting the shoe to the shape of the foot.
An expert can give you exact details of height you own, there is an approximate home method as it is the wet is the sole of the foot and step on a sheet of paper, the high arches just leave mark in the middle of the foot, while flat feet leave very marked this area.

I've been injured?

Our current or past injuries are also very important, a poorly chosen shoe can cause us to many problems and injuries of all kinds, from Fasciitis, bursitis, tendinitis, periostitis, etc, almost like it can help you to greatly reduce a pre-existing injury.
Whenever you go to buy a shoe, speak to the seller of your current and past injuries, if you use custom templates and why they do it; If the seller knows what sells you know to recommend a model suitable for the inconvenience you have suffered from or cover in those moments.

I want them to train or compete?

Runners that run faster and make more weekly miles need several models of slippers to rotate in workouts, in addition, if you compete you will need an adequate model for distances in the competition.
Novice runners, or simply going out to run less than 40 km a week and have no marks or high level records (4 min km or faster) can opt for a single shoe for all, although two pairs are always recommended to switch and shoes recovered their properties and last us more kilometers.
Our rhythm is important when choosing a shoe, the more slowly is more we lean toward stable, lasting and cushioned, sneakers giving less importance to weight, the faster run can begin to assess running shoes more flexible, more low profile midsole, ventilated and less cushioned and stable.
The ground whereby we run is also important, is not the same asphalt to dirt or grass, nor is it run in a warm region that one with frequent rain, the shoe must be prepared for the field which usually run and climatic conditions where to undertake training or competition if it is that we are looking for a model of competition.

The Council

With these data, you will already have a large part of the work done in the process of choosing your new running shoes. Knowing what is needed and doing a little research, we can reduce the search for shoes much, up to four or five models. With this idea we can make the final decision in the store based on the adjustment of the shoe on our foot and sensations of each.

Types of running shoes

Running footwear is divided into different types or categories to conform well to the needs of each runner. There are many subcategories, but the main classification would be as follows:
Running training shoes
Between 250 and 375 grams of weight, they are models designed to provide stability, cushioning and durability to the corridor, these slippers are that the vast majority of runners used to their shootings on a daily basis, regardless of their weight. The rhythms that work best are those slower 4.20 min/km.
Flying or racing shoes
They are shoes for running up to 225 grams in weight, low profile midsole to make them more fast, flexibility, lightness and speed are its main weapons. They are aggressive models and that not everyone can use. Single often are recommended for up to 10 km or half-marathon, in any case competition always at faster rates of 3.45 min/km
Mixed shoes
They are intermediate slippers between training and competition, weighed between 215 and 300 grams and as its name indicates its features are mixture of previous models, have a profile higher than the flying but lower than that of training, the same goes for cushioning and stability. Therefore, they are very good options among popular racers to compete or for those days where we train series, farleks, or quality. Perfect for rhythms between 3.40 min/km and 4.30 min/Km.
Slippers minimalist or transition to minimalism
This category is relatively new, they are most suitable shoes for that type of runners who possesses an efficient technique of career, higher Cadence, shorter length of stride and landing mid-foot or forefoot (toe). They are not recommended for the runner who is not accustomed to this kind of technique, because it requires a process of adaptation because of its drop (height difference between the heel and forefoot more flat than in other types of shoes).

The Council

All these models of running shoes have their own subcategories where we find models for pronator of all kinds, from mild to severe, models adapted to the triathlon, more minimalist models where there is just sole, etc, but as we have said, once we have clear our features and the use that we will give them, we will have to find the best alternative within these four types of shoes.

Key to buy running sneakers

If we have before we stopped at aspects of the corridor which could influence the choice of running sneakers or others, now we will discuss the features of the shoe that we will have to look to make a wise purchase:

PROFILE

It profile of a shoe is the distance between the ground and the sole of the foot, the midsole covers most of that distance, and a small part of the sole materials do.
A normal distance in training sneakers typically 30 mm at the heel and 20 mm in the forefoot, which makes an average of 25 mm height profile. This is what we find in most models on the market, the higher the most appropriate heel will be that shoe for heavier people, how much lower the height of the heel most suitable for lighter people.
The toe is slightly different, it is normal in training running sneakers to be between 16 mm and 22 mm. Just as in the heel, to higher-profile most suitable for heavier runners. The difference is that sometimes we are looking for a shoe that it has everything, especially people who start and just want a pair of sneakers, amateurs can opt for a model with about 16-18 mm of height in forefoot, this will bring a plus of glued and rapidly to the shoe to be lower, especially for runners who don't need as much front damping or too much this type of cushioning causes them discomfort as overheating, burning on the ground, foot asleep sensations...

DROP

The drop is the difference in height between the heel and forefoot, just say that it is normal heel 30 mm and 20 mm in the forefoot, that would make a difference of 10 mm drop. The trend is currently the reduce the drop slightly, historically the normal drop were 12 mm, and now 10 mm, but there are plenty of models with drops of between 0 mm and 8 mm.
The lower the drop, more adaptation and technique need runner, low drops are very demanding with the chain of the posterior muscles of the leg (soleo, twin...) and can produce overloads, therefore (under profile and drop) minimalism requires a long adaptation.
If we have always used normal drops can be 12 or 10 mm, the best is to keep this type of drop or go down slowly gradually to not hurt us, the body will adapted while we acquire the necessary technique.
Technique is the best of the ways that exist to avoid injuries, is not minimalism, but the technique, an efficient technique is just as good to avoid injury take a 20 mm profile or profile 5 mm shoe, if the technique is good and the drop of the shoe is low, injuries will be much reduced because the body will be more prepared muscularly and the impact that greets the run will be less.

WIDTH and adjustment

It is very important to choose a running shoe that fits well in our walk, it is a very important part of the success of the election. Within the setting, we have to know if we need a shoe wide or narrow and that parties need so, many brands sell sneakers with width sizing, as there is the sizing lengthwise (43, 44, 45...) there is the size width, normal width that we see in the majority of shoes would be a size D (B in women), then we would have the wide size that would be 2E (D in women) and the extra wide that would be 4E (2E in women), differing in 5mm between them.
We always leave the width of a finger between our most advanced toe and the toe of the shoe, while may seem that are not used are large, it is highly recommended to do so, for running foot swells to receive more blood and grows and must be given scope to prevent chafingcalluses and black nails.
Adjustment heel and the midfoot area is essential, we can not choose shoes that are troublesome for lack of space, nor that we rub around the ankle or at the Achilles, but we can neither choose ones that are loose as much increase the chance of scratches.
In the toe or forefoot thing is different, it is preferable to choose a slightly broad model where even though the foot must not dance inside the shoe, Yes must have enough space for the fingers to expand to support that area, especially if we are with low drops slippers.

BREAKS AND VENTILATION

The ventilation of the foot is important, we must have the fresh foot as much as possible, use socks suitable to the practice of running.
If we are brokers of long shoots, long competitions as the marathon must pay attention to this point, the foot need sweat and also has to be cooled with air inside the shoe, why not run with foot as old slippers.
We had to choose a running shoe that giving us proper adjustment is able to offer good ventilation, open-mesh or the large amount of exposed mesh are symptoms that this shoe will work well in this aspect, but there is an adjacent point which must be taken into account and is the consistency of the mesh.
Many brokers tend to break the shoes by the mesh, whether by improper use (running shoes should be only for running, not to walk or do other activities) or features of your foot, either by morphology or the form takes to run, we need to identify where we break the shoe and try to find more reinforced models in this particular area if we want to last us a good season.

Correction and support

One of the important parts of the election is the tread which we possess, especially the pronator and some neutral.
Pronator there are many types, with high, low or flat arches, we have said that it should look for each one with respect to the height of the arc, but now they have to know how much correction needed to its tread.
You should always buy sneakers with a correction right or slightly less than what our pronation required, never more correction, it is always much better to shoot low, something pronation is not nothing wrong, it is bad excess pronation or excessive correction.
If we are pronator mild, you can use shoes with a little bit of correction or neutral, either in the form of double density or that have a piece of plastic to stiffen the inner part of the shoe.
Pronator media will opt for mild pronation or half pronation models and so on with pronator severe and strong.
If someone expert looked us at the tread running you know to tell us where we need correction, heel, arch or even on the front, there are pronator shoes models that cover the whole spectrum of pronation, so if we only need correction back there are brands like Mizuno, Kswiss, or Nike, which often offer him, others such as Brooks or Saucony corrected both heel and Arch, Asics has even some models that support at the front.
Neutral runners on many occasions, especially when they have a higher weight of 85 kg up or when they run with fatigue by accumulation of km often tend to pronar slightly, many of them even notice it or experience slight discomfort at the end of the training (knee, discomfort in the tibial side...), this type of ailments may require some supporttherefore recommend that many runners who happen to be neutral in a study of tread somewhat support extra and as not, brands also offer shoes that give solution to this, Adidas and Nike are the most prolific in this regard.

The Council

Always recommend attending a specialized store where we know that we will recommend consciously, based on our features, we have previously collected, and the research we have done, if in house we have eliminated some particular model that is for greater weight, because it is not for our bow or does not have the drop that we want and the seller it presents it as an alternativeare informed by what they have dismissed it so you know what you are looking for, because you can always submit an alternative that we have overlooked and can work well, in the end and after the shoe is essential and is preferable to leave €20 more in a model that is not offer or that we have testedthat left €90 in a physical therapist.

Article contributed for educational purposes