Chapter 7: Shoes—Choosing the Best Shoe for You

The best advice I can give you about trail shoes is to get the best advice. If you have a good technical running store in your area, go there and ask for the staff person who is the most knowledgeable in fitting trail shoes. The advice you can receive from experienced shoe fitters is priceless. The better stores conduct on-going training with all staff members so they know the following:

1. How to identify how each person’s two feet naturally move when they walk and when they run.

2. Which shoes are designed for the function of each foot.

3. Which shoes in a function category are best for various foot shapes and sizes.

4. Which shoes offer protection and solve problems in various situations.

5. What are the technical aspects of trail shoes—for terrain, surface, and protection.

Well-trained staff members will work with you to find several possibilities. They are your consultants who can identify possible problems and suggest specific shoes as you walk and run in various shoes, describing how each feels on your feet.

Top priority: Find a basic training shoe that will support your foot. Most runners will do most of their running on paved surfaces and will need a shoe with sufficient cushion that allows the foot to function in its natural way. Go through the fitting process for an everyday shoe first.

Trail shoes? There are many good trail shoes, which are designed for various types of terrain. Many runners, however, can use their everyday shoes on trails. Before investing in a trail shoe, it’s best to try running in your regular pair on a short trail. Most of the trails I run don’t require a trail shoe. This “trial trail run” will identify possible problems that you can talk over with your shoe-fitting expert.

• Protection for the foot: If a significant portion of your miles are run on rocks or gravel, there are many trail shoes that can protect the foot.

• Toe protection: If you experience toe impact from very rocky trails, look at a shoe with a toe guard.

• Loose dirt or sand: Shoes that have knobs, waffles, or other projections from the sole can give better traction.

• Motion control shoes: On uneven terrain, these shoes can be too stiff and cause injuries.

• Gore-Tex: Waterproof cloth will often increase sweating and heat build-up. When running through streams, water usually enters the shoe over the ankle and is trapped in shoes that are waterproof.

No expert in the area? If you don’t have a really experienced shoe advisor in your area, try this do-it-yourself plan:

1. Look at the wear pattern on your most worn pair of walking or running shoes. Use the following guide to help you choose about three pairs of shoes from one of the categories:

Heel wear is usually not as important as forefoot wear. Most runners hit first on the outside of the heel and experience more wear in this area. If you have a wear pattern on the inside of the heel and are experiencing pain in the knee, hip, or ankle, you should try shoes that are not too soft or wobbly on your feet.

Floppy feet have spots of wear, including some wear on the inside of the forefoot.

If your shoes show this pattern, and you are experiencing some foot or knee pain, select a shoe that has minimal cushion, is not too high off the ground and is not too soft.

Overpronated foot: This floppy foot pattern shows significant wear on the inside of the forefoot. If there is knee or hip pain, look for a shoe that has more stability. If you don’t have pain, look at a neutral shoe that does not have a lot of cushion in the forefoot—or choose a shoe that is similar to one that is working for you currently.

Note: Don’t try to fix a foot that is not broken. Just because you roll excessively to the inside does not mean you should choose a motion control shoe. If you have no foot, knee, or hip problems and are using a neutral or even fairly cushioned shoe with success, stay with the type of shoe that is working for you.

Rigid: If you have a wear pattern on the outside and middle of the forefoot of the shoe and no wear on the inside, you have a rigid foot and can choose a neutral shoe that has adequate cushion and flexibility for you as you run and walk in them.

Can’t tell: Start with several neutral shoes, or shoes that are very similar to those that have worked for you before. Walk and then run in several models. If your foot does not feel supported or is not working in a natural way, try a different shoe.

1. Set aside at least 30 minutes to choose your next shoe so that you can compare the three final candidates you have chosen.

2. Run and walk, on a pavement surface, to compare the shoes. If you have a floppy or over-pronated foot, make sure that you get the support you need. Often the signs of minimal support are irritation of weak links in the hip, knee, or foot when using one shoe and not with another model.

3. You want a shoe that feels natural—no pressure or irritation—while allowing the foot to go through your natural range of motion when running and walking. Runners that need motion control should feel reasonably secure in the shoe.

4. Take as much time as you need before deciding.

5. If the store doesn’t let you run in the shoe, go to another store.

Does the size seem too big? Don‘t worry about the size on the box—go for the fit. Most runners wear a running shoe that is about one-half to two sizes larger than their street shoe. For example, I wear a size 10 street shoe but run in a size 12 running model.

There should be room in the toe region. Leave about half to three-quarters of an inch of extra toe room. Your foot tends to swell during the day, so it’s best to fit your shoes in the afternoon. Be sure to stand up in the shoe during the fitting process to measure how much extra room you have in the toe region of the shoe. Pay attention to the longest of your feet, and leave at least half an inch.

Width issues:

• Running shoes tend to be a bit wider than street shoes—but a few models come in widths.

• Usually, the lacing can “snug up” the difference, if your foot is a bit narrower.

• The shoe shouldn’t be laced too tight around your foot because the foot swells during running and walking. On hot days, the average runner will move up a half shoe size.

• In general, running shoes are designed to handle a certain amount of “looseness,” but if you are getting blisters when wearing a loose shoe, tighten the laces.

• Some shoe companies have some models that come in widths.

• The shoe is too narrow if you are rolling off the edge of the shoe as you push off—on either side.

Shoes for women:

Women’s shoes tend to be slightly narrower than those for men, and the heel is usually a bit smaller. About 25% of women runners have feet that can fit better into men’s shoes—usually in the larger sizes. The better running stores can help you make a choice in this area.

Choosing trail shoes:

The first part of the trail shoe fitting process should be the same as for an everyday running shoe. Once you determine the pattern of movement and support needs, you can move on to choosing a trail shoe.

Minimal support shoes:

About every 10 years, a new wave of minimal shoes returns to the market. These feel good when running on carpet, golf courses, or beaches. Without protection, however, they don’t protect the foot from rocks, sharp objects, uneven terrain, and the pounding of pavement. I’ve heard from thousands who have been injured when wearing these and I don’t recommend them for everyday use or on trails.

Breaking in a new shoe:

• Wear the new shoe around the house, for an hour or more each day for a week. If you stay on carpet and the shoe doesn’t fit correctly, you can exchange it at the store, but if you have put some wear and dirt on the shoe, few stores will take it back.

• In most cases, runners find that shoes are comfortable enough to run immediately. It is best, however, to continue walking in the shoe, gradually allowing the foot to accommodate to the arch, the heel, the ankle pads, and to make other adjustments. If you run in the shoe too soon, blisters...