High tech but the wrong choice
Four years ago, I needed to buy running shoes because the ones I was using got broken. I went to a specialized store to get some advice in order to get the perfect shoes for me. The experts of the store did the following:
- Asked me to step barefoot on a gel plate that “copied” my footprint.
- Made me run barefoot on a treadmill while 4 video cameras recorded my “gait” (pattern of movements). The idea was to evaluate my stride in length/form and check my pronation type. We discuss about pronation in the article “ready to run?”.
- My old shoes were analyzed by comparing the sole areas with wear and my pronation type. By the way, even when my foot is fairly flat, my pronation is normal.
- They asked where I was planning to run, trail, pavement or a mix.
- They selected a Nike shoe as my perfect running shoe.
And, this is what happened with the perfect shoes:
I tried them on as soon as i got home, but thank god I was smart enough to go for a walk with them before going jogging. And, since the first moment, something felt wrong at the heel area. My step was also somehow different. I didn’t feel comfortable with them but didn’t pay much attention. Over the weekend, I went to Sweden to spend some time with friends and of course, I took the new shoes with me. My friends showed me around and took me to downtown. We walked for a couple of hours. My feet, back and waist were hurting and even the area of the Achilles tendon was irritated. So, when I saw on our way a sports store, I immediately went in, bought the first soft-sneakers I found and got rid of the expensive shoes I had.
I am convinced that the process i went through at the “expert store” was good but I guess something went wrong with the model selection and size. The shoe was too tight and caused me pain everywhere. Unfortunately, it was not the only time I chose the wrong shoes. Around one year later, I wanted to buy shoes that I had before and were pretty good for me …. but …. since it was an old model, there were not many pairs left and the one i chose was slightly smaller in size than normally. As you can imagine, when I went for a 7km run, my toes got blue and blisters appeared everywhere. My feet (like everybody’s) get a little swollen due to the effort and temperature when I run. The longer I run and the hotter the weather is, the bigger they get. At a certain moment, my toes were touching the end of the shoe and started hurting.
Conclusion: A good shoe type selection is important but the size and comfort are equally important.
So, how do I determine which shoes are “the perfect shoes” for me?
Basic knowledge on running shoes
First of all, I started learning about running shoes and how to define the type I need to use. Let’s see the running shoe anatomy.
The running shoe, like any other shoe, has an upper part (cover) and a sole.
However, if we go deeper into the details, we can see all elements of a shoe.
Upper part: it gives the shape to the shoe and can be made out of fabrics, mesh, leather or a mix. This upper part forms the exterior but also the interior of the “hat” of the shoe. It does not only cover and protect but also keeps your foot and the rest of the shoe in the right position.
Tongue. The tongue is a part of the upper part and protects the foot from the lace-area. The design of the tongue and how it is connected to the upper part can vary (only at the toe box are or at the toe box and along the sides of the lace area).
Sole unit. The sole has typically three main parts, the outsole, midsole, and insole. The mid and outer soles are responsible for the cushioning when the feet hit the ground. The outsole is the area of the shoe that touches the ground and can have different design patters to provide durability, flexibility and traction. The insole is the part that touches the feet.
Last. A last describes the design of the shoe as the shape (curved, semicurved or straight) and the way the upper part was attached to the midsole. When the shoe is made, the last is the foot model that mimics the foot shape and is used to give form to the shoe.
Shank. Shank is a support zone for the arch of the foot in the sole unit.
Heel drop. Many shoes have a difference in height between the heel area and the midfoot-forefoot areas. This difference is added to help the pronation by encouraging either heel striking or midfoot/forefoot striking depending on the total height difference.
Toe box. It is the space created by the sole and upper for the toes. It should protect the toes and keep them in place while providing freedom of movement. The gap between toes and upper and between toes and front end of the box is important (contact here can cause friction and therefore, promote blisters or finger hammering).
Heel tab is the part of the upper that touches the back of your ankle, where the achilles tendon is. The heel tab is very important. It should, with the collar, help wrap the foot and keep it in position but, if it is too tight or too hard, the achilles tendon can get irritated.
Heel collar. As extension of the tab, the collar surrounds your ankle and connects to the lace area.
Heel counter. It is the rigid part below the heel tab that extends to the sole and wraps the heel. The couter is supposed to provide support to the heel and prevents some side-to-side movements. It is responsible for keeping the heel in its place.
If you want to read some more information you can go to the following pages:
Asics, very well fit, runners world, running shoes guru, aapsm and runners blue print.
As you might remember from the previous article, the pronation can be rated as “normal”, “overpronation” and “supination”.
Many producers of running shoes offer a wide range of shoes in all these categories. However, you might not know yet what your pronation is like and which shoe type could be suitable for you.
I would suggest going through the process I experienced at the expert store. Knowing how you pronate and other characteristics of your foot and gait are important to make the right choice. At such stores, you can also have your feet measured in length and width and even in height of the midfoot. Even when you can realize how you pronate by looking at old shoes and the wear patterns, a professional advice is always worth. In general, you should pay attention at the following signs:
- How is your footprint? You can step on a cardboard with wet feet and take a look at the print. You can also walk on sand (at the beach) and look if your feet are parallel, if the arch is strong or if your feet are “flat”. If the print is too thin in the middle, you might supinate. If it is too wide your foot might be flat and you could need support shoes for overpronators.
- If you stand on one foot, is your position stable? or you feel like falling?
- How do your running shoes wear off? uniform across midfoot? At the heel area (center, outer or inner areas)? At the front foot (at the big toe or the smallest one)?
In general, if your foot is fairly flat or if your shoes wear irregularly along the sole (far more wear on one side than the rest) and/or if you feel unstable when standing on one foot, you might need a “support shoe”.
I have found the following pages to help you find out how you pronate:
Brooks provides some simple exercises to see how you walk, how your foot supports your weight and whether your foot arch is flat or not.
Asics assumes you know how your pronation is and suggest shoes based on your answers.
Adidas seems to have only a shoe finder wizard in India… or I couldn’t find it in other countries. But the link to the indian adidas wizard is here.
Nike doesn’t have a good shoe finder (or i couldn’t find it) but a kind of catalog in different categories.
Saucony asks about possible problems you have with your current shoes and/or during training and based on your answers, they suggest the shoe to use.
Mizuno assumes you know how you pronate and provides you with a list of shoes classified by type, and use (speed, etc).
Running shoe guru uses pictures and a wizard to help you find the right shoes.
Runners point shows you pictures to help you identify your foot type and pronation.
What to consider about design when choosing shoes:
- Even when the pronation type should not modify the looks of the shoe, it does. So, before making your design and taste choice, you need to check whether you need normal or support shoes (over and under pronation).
- Size proportions. Consider length, width and inner space of the toe box.
- Cushioning. Do you want a shoe that gives a soft feeling, a springly sensation or a bare-foot feel? The cushion type is related to the design.
- Sole-Heel design. For heel strikers the sole at the heel area might be “bigger” and higher, round or sharp to better protect the heel area.
- Heel drop. I personally look for a moderate heel drop but, there are persons who like more the “ground feeling type” (zero drop) or cushioned feeling and high drop. Cushion and stride type will definetely require some attention. For heel strikers or persons prone to achilles problems a high drop might be good.
- Weight. The more material, the heavier the shoe will be. Technology can play an important role when chosing the sole material, cushioning level and weight.
- Last. In some cases, by looking at the shoe from the bottom, you can see a straight, curved or semicurved design. This can be related to your foot shape. See at Dr. Abbie clinic page some images.
- Intended use. Sole design is different for different training styles. For gym runners, road or forest trail there will be different designs. The sole will be different to guarantee flexibility, traction and cushioning. You will also find options for “speed” or “distance” depending on how you train and your goals.
- Intensity. Many brands classify the shoes either by the distance to be covered per week or session or by the frequency of use (or both). Then, you will normally see options for 5k, 10k, marathon, etc.
- Upper material, mesh types and colors. From leather to syntetic materials and plain to exotic colors, you will find a wide range of options.
The perfect running shoes
Now that we have seen the parts and types of running shoes, we can list some of the important things to consider in order to get the most suitable shoes for you:
- Consider your foot type and how you pronate. this will be certainly a good point to think of since the very beginning.
- Do you want traditional shoes or do you want to try barefoot running?
- Will you run at the gym, on the road or on a forest trail?
- How long/far will you run -distance-? How often (times/week)? Many shoe makers will point to 5k, 10k etc or a distance per week like range 5 – 10k, 10 – 20k, etc.
- Try some models on and check how your foot fits inside. Consider at least one number bigger than your normal shoe size in order to keep enough space even when your feet dilates due to the effort and temperature.
- Consider the Toe box and check if there is enough space from your toe-tips to the inner tip of the shoe and from the toes to the upper. Width, length and height of the toe box must be adequate for your foot. Some shoe manufacturers offer medium and wide shoe designs.
- Heel drop and overall height of the sole. Depending on how you pronate (and how you strike the ground -heel, mid or forefoot-) some shoes might be better for you. In my case, I don’t like shoes with a very thick sole or extremely heavy. I also look for a moderate heel drop. I have improved my stride and now it is a little shorter and I tend to use more the mid foot than the heel to strike the ground and therefore (theoretically at least) I don’t need extra cushion on my heels.
- Achilles tendonitis. If you are like me, you might have a very sensitive achilles tendon area. If I use shoes with a hard heel tab or a high heel counter, i often have problems of tendonitis. Move your feet to all directions when you try on new shoes.
- Sole flexibility. Some shoes might or might not have a shank to support your midfoot or the arch of the foot. Some others might be too rigid on the outer sole and limit your range of motion.
- Socks. When trying some shoes on, consider the thickest and thinnest socks you have. I have started running with no socks lately and surprinsingly, I get no blisters at all. It turned out to be the best choice for me.
Happy running!
Miguel
