3 tips for choosing your running shoes
She competes in long distance running and triathlon events.
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Get your feet measured
It is always of great surprise to hear that people don’t know their exact foot size. “I’m a 6 UK in some shoes, 7 in another”. When asked what width their foot is, it is extremely rare that I meet anyone that knows the answer to this at all. Both of these factors are hugely important as incorrect shoe sizing can lead to discomfort and blistering. This is likely to happen both from the onset and just as you are building up your mileage. It is another very common reason we see people coming in with runners black nails. Our friends down at Sporting Feet have a pressure plate that will give you an accurate static measurement of both the length and width of your feet.
Get a gait analysis
If only I had a penny for every time someone came into clinic and told me that they over-pronate. One of the most common buzz words in the running world. The ability to over pronate is a hot topic in the medical world but what is important to remember is that pronation is a natural movement of the foot. Everyone pronates to a certain degree but what is of more interest is the speed and amount of pronation in every stride. With this in mind a gait analysis can be very useful to help determine how your foot moves while you run. This can help influence the level of support/cushioning that you may need from a trainer. Standing on one foot and someone telling you that you have dropped arches and therefore need a stability shoe, simply does not cut the mustard.
Comfort
This is above all the most simple but important criteria. You can have expert assessment and guidance but if you put on the shoe and it is simply not comfortable, then it’s not for you. We tend to advise getting your measurements and gait analysis first, based on this we suggest a selection of trainers that we feel would be most appropriate for you and then to try them in a store where you can have a run in them to feel what you find most comfortable.
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