If The Shoe Fits….

Your guide to Summer Running Shoes.

TNY RUNNING EXPERT: KIMBERLY SMITH

*Disclaimer* I’m not an expert. Good thing is, I don’t have to be an expert. In the running world, EVERYONE else is an expert; and most believe that, whatever is on their feet, should also be on yours. Everyone has an opinion.

  From barefoot or minimalist, to arch support, to Brooks, Mizunos, Vibrams, or Newtons, the shoe selection at a typical running shop can be overwhelming. When you start throwing out terms like “heel drop”, and it’s enough to make your head spin. First things first, you need to find someone who truly IS an expert and have them watch you run. It can be a bit nerve wrecking to feel like your form, and foot strike is being judged, but the truth is, this person is trained to   watch what your body is doing and help you find a shoe.

   For example….my feet, awful; my arches are beyond fallen. My foot rolls into the inside and turns out like a ballerina. Without the proper shoe, I suffer (and I mean SUFFER) with Plantar Fasciitis to the point where walking hurts. I tried many shoes before finding the right one. For me, it’s the Brooks Adrenaline line (http://www.brooksrunning.com/Adrenaline-GTS-13/120123,default,pd.html), in a size and a half bigger than I normally wear. If you do not have screwy feet, you might want to look into the minimalist options. This is where heel drop comes into play.

    In “barefoot running” heel drop is zero. Simply put, your toe and heel are on the same plane. Of course they are…you’re barefoot. If running sans shoes isn’t your style, but you still want the feel of the barefoot runner, then you should look for a shoe with the least amount of heel drop. The popular, if funny looking, Vibrams 5 Fingers are a true Zero Drop shoe. They will give you the closest feeling to running barefoot, short of taking off your shoes and going for a run. If that doesn’t work for you, there are many options in the 0-10mm drop range. The smaller that heel drop number, the closer your heel is to being on the same plane as your toes. When this happens, it forces you to stop jarring your heels into the ground and adopt a more friendly mid-foot strike. Think knees up. Instead of making your stride long, your knees should come up, keeping your feet under you. Most people start out running as a heel striker. When your heel hits the ground/trail/pavement/track first, all that energy travels right up your leg, essentially putting the brakes on your stride. Imagine with every step, you are actually stopping your momentum. Add to that, the potential for injuries such as ITBS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iliotibial_band_syndrome), Plantar Fasciitis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantar_fasciitis), shin splints (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin_splints), back and knee pain…..wait? Why do I run again?

   You want a supportive shoe that promotes good form? Check into Newtons  (http://www.newtonrunning.com/).  These colorful shoes with the funny little pegs on the bottom are designed to encourage your foot to land more “toe first”. However, at nearly $200 a pair, and coming with a learning curve (these cannot be your primary running shoe when you first switch to them), they can be a big leap for a new runner. Full disclosure, I tried a pair of Newtons last year, and although I wanted to love them, after my first 5 mile race, my legs hurt worse than they had after my first half marathon. I simply couldn’t afford a second pair of running shoes to wean into the Newtons, so after 2mths of trying, I took them back to the running shop and exchanged them for my beloved Brooks. If you aren’t in the middle of marathon training, and have the time to wean yourself into them, they can be great shoes.

    But that’s the thing about being a shoe expert. The only person you need to be an expert for, is

yourself. Do you research, find a trusted local running store with educated employees who aren’t just trying to sell you the latest and greatest gadget, and find the shoe that works for you. People were running long before the days of “heel drop”, “Chi Running”, and fancy watches, and they will be running long after many of these fads run their course (pardon the pun). The most important thing is to find what is comfortable and what works for you…not the brightest, fanciest, most expensive thing you can find.


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