Choosing shoes is pretty mundane stuff. Go to the store, browse a bit, look at the tag, fit, check, buy. No one could get lost in the process. Mundane stuff, eh?
But if you are a contemplative buyer who does yoga for shoe choice enlightenment, then you’re on the right page. Likewise, if you have Scrooge as your family name and have the habit of running to the nearest bank for a dime, then you’re definitely in the right place.
Running shoes how to choose
That is because those running shoes fitting nicely last longer and save money. They don’t look awkward, and they provide you with the benefits a shoe can generally afford. On the health side, running shoes fitting nicely promote good form corrects the slight problem and prevents nasty accidents like slips and falls.
That’s why running shoes fitting nicely, always get the job done. Below are some pointers that will help you in getting your best running shoes fit. I know this is pretty mundane stuff, but hey, every once in a while you forget things once in a while, even brushing teeth.
Study your feet
Of course, that includes your feet size. Not only that but also the width, especially on the forefeet and the toes department. And how high is your arch? Do you know what your gait type is? If not, do the ‘Wet Footprint Test’ below.
Wet Footprint Test
- Wet your feet slightly, not dripping wet.
- Put 2 sheets of clear paper on the floor, preferably dark paper or those types that absorb paper. No, a tissue paper won’t do.
- Walk on the paper as normally as you can. Normal means head high and back straight. As you walk, try not to watch your feet as this would create a slight distortion on your footprint.
- Study your footprint.
There are three types of gait: the average pace, the flat-footed gait, and the high-arched gait. A normal gait should include a well-defined heel and a well-defined bridge connecting to the metatarsus. The flatfooted gait has an overly defined heel, an overly defined bridge (sometimes the whole instep is defined) and the metatarsus. The high-arched gait has a severely undefined bridge; sometimes the bridge is absent.
Pronation
Pronation occurs with the flatfooted and the high arched gait. Pronation is the roll in or rolls out, where the heel hits the ground then the foot rolls inward or outward as the toe descends. Normally, pronation occurs even in normal gait, but in cases with flatfooted and high arched feet, pronation occurs more frequently. This can contribute to a severe physical defect.
Selecting the Shoe
Some builds of the shoe may not be for you. One differential factor is the body mass and strength. Some shoes could be stiff but to a more bulky individual it should be a comfortable fit. Select a shoe and try running and walking and jumping with it. It may make you look like a loon or could earn you a few nasty stares from the salesperson, but hey, you’re buying a shoe right?
The concept of specific sport shoe is an important one, not a so-so. If you intend to do trail running, get a trail running shoe. If you’re running lanes, get a standard running shoe. If you’re doing barbeque, get a Shox.
Price Average
Normally this won’t be a fitting segment to a running shoes fit article but since McDuck might indeed be reading, then by all means. A bargain could cost around $40 – $60 while an average shoe is about $70 – $100. Barbeque running shoes like the Shox could very well reach $150.
Women’s Running Shoes
Women’s running shoes should have motion control, should be flexible and should have lesser cushioning. Read on why.
Usually, there’s no marked difference between men and women’s running shoes. Any shoes that men may wear could also be worn by women without any reduced differences in performance or causing a possible health risk.
Experts tend to disagree, though. The key difference between the sexes is physiology. Since female had wider hips (relevant to childbearing), the end result would be that women’s legs tend to slant downwards at a greater angle from the hip to the ankles, a sharp contrast from the men who tend to have legs that are more splayed to the sides and toes pointing markedly in a 90° angle. The slanting of the legs, in turn, will cause the feet to hit the ground from the outside, creating an opposite force direction that would also pull the gait inwards. The result would be an inward pronation action during every footstep.
Another difference is also body mass. A typical female in an 8-inch shoe size will weigh lesser than a male with a shoe of the same size. So this means that a women’s 8-inch shoe should have lesser cushioning than the male’s 8-inch shoe. Cushioning, though a positive feature on all running shoes, may also provide unwittingly an amount of stiffness. This is generally okay for male runners since they can easily bend even the stiffest shoe while they ran, but for women, they could have trouble in flexing their shoes properly.
Summing it all up, women’s running shoes should have a bit of motion control to limit pronation and should be flexible enough to compensate for the lack of strength. Also, typical women’s running shoes should have lesser cushioning since women are lighter.
Asics Running Shoes
Asics offers top of the line running shoes. Be sure to check out their fantastic selection below.
Looking at the internet shoe catalog, I was surprised at the cost of the items there on some brands, running shoes of the latest design cost as much as a wheel tire. Shelling out $180 for a pair of running shoes is ridiculous even if it has 100% air with no foam. I would still find it ridiculous even if it allows me to soar and glide like Drexler or Jordan.
ASICS Gel Kayano uses the standard GEL Cushioning System in heel and forefoot for better shock reduction and transition with the Solyte midsole completely in charge of weight reduction of shoe for an even lighter ride.
Many users state that the Gel is the ideal shoe for cross-country running. The fabric of the shoe is done out of lightweight mesh. This mesh maintains the shoe cool while discharging the moisture which comes out of the feet. Maintaining your feet snug and fit is simple with integrated lacing.
Nevertheless, there are alternatives to these overhyped brands and one reliable candidate would be Asics. Without sacrificing quality, durability, and efficiency, Asics over time had released a perfect line of running shoes at a much lower cost.
Asics running shoes are a far cry from being the lamest running shoe available. It seriously contends with manufacturing giants like Nike and Adidas. And the fact that Asics running shoes are way cheaper than Nike and Adidas made it a weighty competitor.
Asics running shoes are made for athletes of every type. A few of their shoes are specifically designed for events which involve a degree of running. These runners consist of people who carry out pole vaults, high jumps or treks.
The Asics running shoe is designed for those who carry out long jumps, triple jumps or pole vaults. Added traction, leverage and energy return is supplied by spikes on the soles of the shoe. Because of the spikes, the effective use of remarkable and improved take off power is easy. The midsole is quite durable, a high quality that is essential considering that the shoe receives a whole lot of impact when the runner lands from the jump. The top part of the shoe is made to lock the foot in place. This increases the outstanding responsiveness of the shoe.
Look for reviews of Asics running shoes. You’ll be surprised at the number of wows it had received from its quality products. Or better yet, try one yourself and see if it would also extract a wow from you.
New Balance Running Shoes
With a range of excellent New Balance running shoes in their listing, you will be certain to find a winner among its rankings
When New Balance came into the scene in 1961, it also launched the Tracker, the technology belonging to New Balance that presented ripple sole. This running shoe grew to become an instantaneous hit as it began the shoe preferred by many runners.
After the highly successful 803 New Balance running shoes product, New Balance Athletic, Inc. was on its way in succeeding as a healthy competitor in the shoe manufacturing giants league.
New Balance are very classical looking running shoes. They’re made for women. These shoes have many sizes, so they’ll fit anyone from young teens to adults. Also you can choose from 6 different colors – black, grey/pink, silver/blue, black/pink, grey/teal and black/yellow.
This isn’t the widest color choice possible, but it’s still better than normally. Not many sport shoes offers a wide color variety, so even 6 different colors for one model is great. These shoes are so comfortable, they’ll feel like you are in slippers. That’s a very great quality for sport shoes. The most important thing is to choose the right size.
If you choose a smaller size, the shoes might chafe, but if you choose a bigger size, they might fall off. For sport shoes that’s very important. These shoes are great for fitness, workouts and runs. Also you can wear them every day, if you like. Actually, you can wear them for any reason you like.
Also they’re very light weighted, so you won’t even feel their weight. They’re great for sports, because they’re breathable. Your feet won’t sweat more than necessary. But if you run or jog on a beach or any other place with fine sand, you should be aware, that sand might get into your shoes. But it’s very easy to get that sand out of your shoes. You can run even in forests, because their sole is made to protect your feet from some rocks and roots.
You won’t hurt yourself by stepping on something like that. Also you can wash them, if they get very dirty. But as those are shoes, you probably won’t do it more than twice in a year. You can wash them in a washing machine on a very soft program. And do it separately from other clothes. But as you can wear them without socks, you might feel the need to wash them more often. These are great shoes.
adidas Running Shoes
adidas is a real key player in sports gear and apparel. Verify the adidas running shoes assortment below and see the true label of a winner.
It all began when Adolf ‘Adi’ Dassler launched his first running shoe production in 1920. It presented the short distance spikes earlier created by a British company known as J.W. Foster and Sons. The footwear was groundbreaking and became an instant hit that in 1927 Adi Dassler introduced another shoe model referred to as DRP. The shoe model was created mainly for the Olympic Games in Amsterdam. By now Adi Dassler, together with his brother had started the business named Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory.
Quickly three years later, the adidas running shoes made its starting Olympic good results with German athlete Arthur Jonah. That was 1930. When war broke in 1946, adidas was required to shift its manufacturing to a multi-purpose footwear to be utilized for the army. adidas returned to sports in 1950 to launch the first low-cut, soft, lightweight running shoe specifically created for the German World Championship team. Also, Adi Dassler presented adidas as the official business name. When Wilma Rudolph ‘Black Gazelle’ won the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome with a pair of adidas running shoe, Adidas was already an important player in sports gear and apparel.
From the first set of shoe Adi Dassler molded in his backyard to the present type of adidas running shoes utilized by athletes worldwide, it appears adidas couldn’t stop making shoes that win. Adi Dassler’s heritage had outlasted him to help athletes through the years in pushing the limits of their performance.
Check on the adidas running shoes assortment and see the true mark of a winner.
Shopping for Nike Running Shoes
Most likely the top selling label of running shoes could be the Nike running shoes. Plus, Nike running shoes stands out as the most recognized brand of the shoe industry. Wherever you go, you’ll find someone wearing a Nike. And that’s really surprising, since Nike running shoes are not cheap in the first place. So what’s all this business with Nike? Or in other words put bluntly, why should you think twice about purchasing a pair of Nike?
A pair of a Nike running footwear is a really costly purchase. A whopping $150 for a pair of Nike Shox is not funny. And least expensive Shox at $110 is still way out of my category. But because the assurance of an excellent product and great fashion supercedes the high cost it carries made me make a decision on the acquisition.
I don’t know if you go along with me but I always find Nike shoes to be really long lasting. I had a purchase of a Nike long ago and it made it through 4 years before I have to replace them. But make no mistake, these shoes continued to be in good shape, I just made a decision to replace them as they are beginning to smell funky, an issue it got for sticking with my feet far too long.
The Nike Shox running shoes collection most likely the most successful series of athletic shoes in the Nike catalog, maybe a close second after the highly successful Jordan Series.
The series was referred to as ‘Nike Shox’ because these shoe models integrate the Shox Technology put together by Nike. These are small columns built-into the shoe sole and are assembled together in a formation commonly of four or five. The first Shox application was restricted only to the outsoles but now Shox have been incorporated anywhere on the soles, some even have mid soles made completely of Shox.
Shox Technology offers outstanding impact absorption. But not only that, in addition they operate similar to a spring: feeding power on each stride as the heels produce a spring back after every landing. So, if you happen to wonder why they named it ‘Shox’, it is from the word ‘shocks’.
First and foremost, make it a point to get a hold of those great running shoes that you think will hold up your feet very well. Since running shoes are made to cushion and prop up your feet every time they stride off the ground, it is important to find that pair that will really do just that.