If you are serious about your fitness, then you need to be serious about the footwear you chose for sport. There are a lot of key elements that make up a good running shoe and they should be given equal attention and consideration when shopping for your new sports shoe.
A good starting point is to establish the type of foot you have and your gait (how your foot reacts when you run). These are important as it will enable you to purchase the right shoe for you foot, otherwise you could be doing more harm than good. Sports stores that specialise in athletic footwear will be able to test your foot and do a gait analysis.
The width of the shoe should fit snug, a loose shoe will slide and cause blisters. If the shoe is too small, it can cause black toenails. The most important part of a running shoe is the midsole; the layer of shock-absorbing material between the outsole and the upper. A good midsole will be made of ethylene vinyl acetate and polyurethane.
The outsole is made from rubber and a good running shoe will have added gel ?€˜strike pads?€™ for additional cushioning. Blown rubber is lighter in weight and more cushioned as air is injected into the rubber compound. A good running heal will be split into 2 sections aiding the heel to toe running motion.
Inner foot support is also important to support the arch of the foot. This is called the medial post, and is especially useful to prevent overpronating which is when the foot rolls inward too much.
The upper should provide plenty of space for your toes using breathable mesh fabric combined with reinforcements to keep the shape of the shoe. The lacing system should extend far enough so that the shoe can be tightened to fit snugly on your foot. A plastic reinforcement in the heel area is required for motion control and stability and the stiffer the heel reinforcement the better.
It is imperative that you make sure your running shoe contains the above elements as running with the wrong footwear can cause serious back pain, knee pain, Achilles tendonitis and various other serious and minor ailments.
Rory Hamilton is a sports equipment expert who is currently researching what’s fashionable in sports shoes.
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