What are the best running shoes for me?
The first thing to consider is your terrain;
· If you’re running on a track you’ll want shoes referred to as Spikes.
· If you’re mainly running on roads, you normally need a lighter, flatter pair.
· If you’re a trail runner then you’ll ideally want proper trail shoes which offer more grip for off road running.
Try to get something which suits the majority of your running. It’s okay to wear road running shoes occasionally for a trail run, you just don’t want to do that all year round, particularly in the winter when you rely more heavily on grip.
You then need to consider your anatomy
What we ultimately want to achieve from our shoes is that our body is able to function anatomically in an optimal state of movement. That means, if we start to restrict movement in any way, we risk causing a stress to the structures of the body, for example the ligaments, muscles or tendons.
Despite what you’ve been told, this restriction will be caused by insoles, shoes that are too tight or by anti-pronation shoes. This is because these enhancements force your body away from your natural movement. In short, the closer we all get to barefoot running (i.e. totally natural) the better.
Focus on strengthening muscles rather than on the design of the shoe
With a gait analysis what they might find is that you pronate or have dropped arches/flat feet. But, the only way to change that is through exercise and strengthening your muscles, it cannot be fixed through a mechanical change to your shoes. In actual fact, all they do is make you weaker and therefore even more prone to injuries.
So, in answer to the question above, the right pair of shoes for you is the shoe that meets your terrain and which allows your feet to work in their natural state. As important as it is to strengthen your leg muscles you also need to strengthen your feet muscles so they support your feet rather than the shoe.
Happy running.
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