Part1Determining Your Needs
1Consider the surface you will be running on.[4] This will significantly influence what kind of shoe will be best for your foot. For instance, if you are running on a track or court specially designed to be flat and offer grip, you won't need extra traction on your shoe. Generally:EXPERT TIPTYLER COURVILLE
Professional RunnerTip from Tyler Courville, Ultra and Mountain Runner: "Gear that’s good on roads isn’t necessarily good in the mountains, so be specific about what shoe you need for the terrain."
A Personal Cautionary Tale: "I remember I bought this pair of trail shoes once. I ran with them on roads and thought they were phenomenal. Then, I wore them for a technical mountain run in Montana, and in the middle of the race, I discovered that they weren't suited for technical terrain — my foot was sliding all over. I ended up having to tie them so tight to keep them in place that I gave myself tendinitis on the top of my foot. It's a good lesson to know the terrain you're running if you’re doing anything in the mountains, and test your gear ahead of a big race."
Road/track running will require less traction and lighter weight.
Trail running should have good traction, support, and cushion for uneven ground.
2Identify the kind of running you will do.[5] It's important that you don't accidentally buy athletic shoes that aren't designed expressly for running. There are many different categories of athletic shoes, like training shoes or walking shoes, though these are no ideal for indoor, track, cross country, sprint, or distance running.[6]
3Receive a professional evaluation for your feet. Many specialty running stores now have equipment that can analyze your gait (how you walk/run) and your foot type. This will help you to know whether or not you need support to prevent your foot from rolling inward (also called pronating). Though there are many different foot-types, the main three are:Neutral footed runners, where your foot comes into contact with the ground toward the middle of the foot.
Overpronation, where your foot rolls inward too far.
Underpronation, where your foot does not roll in far enough (optimal is about 15% give). This results in inefficient impact dispersion, and it causes the lateral (outside) part of your feet to do more more work than necessary at the push off.[7]
4Take your weight into account. The heavier you are, the greater the impact between your foot and the ground will be.[8] This increase in impact may require you to purchase shoes with additional support, even if your foot-type is neutral and you normally would not be advised in that way.You may want to bring this attention to your doctor or the expert helping you decide on your shoes, especially if you already feel foot, leg, or back pain.
5Consult a doctor about injuries and physical impairments. You may have an injury that influences your gait, or a physical impairment that does the same. In both these instances, you should check with your doctor as to what kind of shoes would offer the best support and running experience with you.
