Sneaker School Part 1
Who else is a sneaker junkie? I love running shoes. That was reinforced by one of my college roommates who really loves them as well, and would teach me about all the different companies and their products. I even had a summer job at a New Balance store watching people walk and fitting them with proper shoes. It comes with no surprise that when people ask me about their trainers I get really excited !
I am not an expert but an enthusiast on running shoes and I am going to start sharing some of my favorite (and hopefully helpful) knowledge on choosing the right trainer for you!
Let's start with the major types of shoes:
Neutral: This type of shoe is designed for those who have a "normal" foot strike and stance phase. You don't pronate and you don't supinate (your foot doesn't roll in or roll out respectively)
Support: Support shoes are built up and have a denser foam or higher/stiffer wave plate (don't worry I will explain these two things in a different post) built in to the middle of the shoe on the medial side (basically under your arch or if you are flat footed - where your arch would be).
Motion Control: These shoes are built up on both sides of the heel/arch area designed to help you stabilize your foot strike and avoid rolling in or out.
Performance/Road Racing: Very minimal and light shoes for racing.
Trail: This one can be broken down further into categories for which terrain the shoe is best suited for. These tend to be
"grippy" and rugged in the soles, some may have water proof elements.
Maximal: A LOT of cushion and high stack height (I'll explain stack height later).
Minimal: Basically mimicking "barefoot" running.
Neutral shoes.
When you walk you don't roll in or out too much (probably have a medium to high arch) you can go for a neutral shoe! Lucky you! These are the most plentiful and you will have a great pick of shoes. Now you just have to decide what you need for cushion, stack height, the terrain and what type of running you will use them for!
EXAMPLE: Asics Gel Pursue
Support shoes.
Support shoes are built up and have a denser foam or higher/stiffer wave plate built in to the middle of the shoe on the medial side (basically under your arch or if you are flat footed - where your arch would be). There are different grades of support - mild, moderate, maximum, which tend to correspond with how much you pronate. The size of an individual also comes into account here sometimes.
The support can be made of different products. Most companies use a denser foam to support you like Asics, New Balance, Saucony, Brookes, Nike. Some will also use a small plastic support in the sole of the shoe under the mid foot for more support in that area like Asics tends to do. Mizuno uses denser foam but also a plastic wave plate or two (of different plastic materials ? but not sure if they are a different make up entirely) for support.
EXAMPLES:
and my favorite go-to <3 : http://www.runningwarehouse.com/Mizun…/descpage-MIN13W4.html
Motion Control.
These shoes are built up on both sides (and mostly the medial side in the majority of shoes) of the heel/arch area designed
to help you stabilize your foot strike and avoid rolling in (or out). They also tend to have a flat sole. This type of shoe can be especially helpful for those who are severe pronators need support and wear orthotics, larger folks, those who just need more stability in a shoe. Those with flat feet can also benefit from this type of shoe! Like support shoes - motion control shoes vary in degree as well (moderate, maximum). I used to wear the Mizuno Wave Alchemy with an orthotic - loved them and wore them for years. The wave alchemy has gone into retirement though. These shoes used to be pretty clunky but now they look very similar to most shoes!
EXAMPLES:
Performance and Racing Shoes.
I lumped these two together because they can be used in the same way depending on what type of activity you do and how much of it. These shoes are light, minimal, offer very little support and are for those with some faster runs and track speed work. They can also be used for racing. The difference between "performance" and racing shoes, referred to as "flats" quite often, are that performance shoes are intended to be training shoes for casters runs and workouts (and races) and racing flats are meant to be for racing purposes and maybe some fast track work. The racing shoe is generally going to be lighter and more minimalistic than the performance shoe, which is already lighter and minimal compared to most other regular trainers.
EXAMPLES:
Racing Flat: http://www.runningwarehouse.com/Nike_…/descpage-NSL3M13.html
Comments
Post a Comment