Running Shoes for Comfort and Speed
The best running shoe is different for everyone. Your style of running and your speed along with your foot type all center around what type of running shoe you need. The terrain, your past injuries and your weight all play a part in a running shoe. When you first get a new pair of running shoes, you need to test them inside on carpet flooring for about an hour to make sure the fit is right for you. Always fit the shoe to both feet to ensure proper fit for both feet. Sometimes one foot is a bit longer in size than the other one.
One thing you never do with a running shoe, do not expect to break in a running shoe on a day you plan to race. You will definitely fail, this happens because no matter how comfortable the shoe feels, it is not broke in and your foot will become sore and painful.
The Difference between a Running Shoe and a Walking Shoe
Some people make a big mistake when buying a shoe. The difference between a running shoe and a walking shoe is the support. A running shoe, constructed differently than a walking shoe. The running shoe absorbs shock and cushioned to prevent overpronation and aides in the stability of the foot.
A walking shoe on the other hand, has flexibility and allows for an even roll forward of the foot. The walking shoes tend to have thinner soles and a beveled heel that is much lower than the running shoe.
Types of Running Shoes
A running shoe cushions the impact. When deciding what type of shoe you need, determine what type of shoe you might require. A shoe with motion control, cushioning and shock absorption along with stability is what a runner looks for in s running shoe.
Motion control shoes help to prevent pronation. When the foot becomes unprotected or not properly protected, stress is applied to your ligaments, joints and the muscles. People with flat feet usually have a problem with pronation.
Since your foot might not be flexible, a rigid and cushioning shoe provides shock absorption and cushioning to the foot. This type of shoe works for people with a high arch. The shoe gives more flexibility to a foot that needs help going through the normal motion.
Since you may have the normal foot arch, a stable shoe type that supplies less of a rigid affect while still providing absorption from shock is designed for your foot. Your foot structure has a great deal to do with the type of shoe you wear.
Other considerations for a running shoe are your speed or regiment, the terrain you run on and if you have had any other injuries to the foot in the past. Replace shoes about every three to five hundred miles. These helps, not only prevent injury, but also maintains proper shock absorption.
Running Shoe Anatomy
The upper part of the shoe extends from the sole up to the laces. The running shoe must have a tongue for protection from the lace pressure. The midsole are between the upper and the outsole. This controls foot motion and cushioning of the foot. The material used for the midsole usually is ethylene vinyl acetate and polyurethane.
The outsole is the glued treaded layer attached to the bottom of the midsole. The heel counter is not flexible it has an external counter to provide extra firmness since the heel counter itself is soft. A wedge is added to provide shock absorption. All the parts of a running shoe have different designs for the different foot types.
Features of a Running Shoe
There are three features to a running shoe to consider, shape, construction and midsole. The shape of a shoe may be a curved-last or a straight last. In order to determine your type of shoe, draw a line from the heel to the toe in equal half’s. If the line does not meet the point of the toe, you have a curved-last shoe type. If the line meets the point of the toe, you have a straight last shoe shape. A curved-last shoe provides a better fit for some.
The shoe construction judges by the overall stiffness. The inside of the shoe under the padding, will tell you if the shoe is a slip-last or a board-last type of construction. The slip-last shoe has the fabric sewn together. In a board-last, construction there is a piece of cardboard. Although shoes are either or, there is a combination-last construction. The heel of the shoe is cardboard and the front of the shoe stitched. The heel counter in a running shoe is firm and cups around the heel.
The midsole provide cushion and shock absorption, this is the base of the shoe. Usually when a shoe has a dual density midsole, you can tell because it is usually two different colors.
What does “Last” mean when talking about Shoes?
The word “last” when used to describe shoes means the material a shoe forms around. The different lengths and widths have a different “last”. The “last” describes the curvature of a shoe. The construction material referred to as “last”. When you hear people talk about a “last” in shoes, they are referring the curve and construction of the shoe. In simple terms a “last” is a model of what the shoe is built around.
