It wont take long for a runner to realize the overwhelming importance of shoes. Poorly chosen footwear can cause injury under the wrong circumstances. So, what constitutes a good choice in footwear? Read on to discover the RIGHT way to select running shoes.
First, the proper fit. Too tight or loose can cause rubbing or otherwise cause pain. It isnt sufficient just to put the shoe on, if possible move the foot through a range of motion and as much of a running gait as is practical. It is entirely possible to find shoes with subtle imperfections in the fit that arent immediately apparent.
Second, we should worry about your running technique. A proper motion for the foot rolls from heel to toe, and has a slight inward rotation as the ball of the foot touches the ground. There are shoes to compensate for a greater tendency to wear the inside, outside or other parts of the shoe tread. As well, there are shoes to compensate for greater or lesser than normal amounts of this standard foot motion, called pronation. The simplest way to determine this is to examine an old pair of running shoes and check the wear pattern. Excessive wear on the inside of the front...