Beginner's Training Program

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Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10

Week 5: Running Shoes

Runner's Handbook Recommended Reading

• Running Shoes: Chapter 16, page 196-220
  
• Making Them Last: Pages 212-213
  
• Breaking In Shoes: Page 204
  
• Shoe stuffings including insoles, heel lifts, heel cups, orthotics: Pages 214-220
  
• How to make running shoes last: Pages 212-213

The most important investment any runner makes is a good pair of running shoes. Each shoe strikes the ground about 800 times per mile, hitting with the force of about three times your body weight. Running shoes protect feet from the environment, cushion impact, stabilize the foot, and neutralize biomechanical imbalances.

Beginner Curriculum Textbook

Choosing Your Shoes

Your best bet is a local running store where real runners fit shoes to your personal needs. Go ahead and try on several models if you really need to. Take your time and make your selection as carefully as possible.

Shoes are important and the only major investment on your road to fitness and performance. Pick the best shoes you can find and afford. Don't buy too cheap or you'll likely pay for it down the road. On the other hand, the most expensive shoes aren't necessarily the right ones.

Good shoe characteristics: flexibility, cushioning, durability, motion control--and comfort, much more important than price, color, or brand name. Many running magazines and web sites have shoe reviews to help you decide.

Fitting

• Try on both shoes of the pair; do not assume that since one fits they both will. Wear your running socks (changes in sock thickness affect fit) and, if you wear them, orthotics.
  
• Feet swell during the day. If you are morning runner, buy shoes in the morning to get the best fit. Likewise allow for a little swelling if you are an afternoon runner. If you are uncertain about which size to go with, take the larger. You can always fill in with insoles.
  
• Buy for fit not size number. Running shoes sizes can run differently than dress shoes. You need about a thumbnail's width between the longest toe (not necessarily your big toe) and the end of the shoe. Try wiggling toes freely inside the shoes.
  
• The width fit should be snug but not pinched. You can also make a wide shoe fit better using a variable-width lacing system.
  
• Heel should not slide up or down. The upper should hold the foot in place securely. Neither should they squeeze nor pinch your foot.
  
• Take a test jog around the outside.
  
• Check for flexibility. Bend the shoe. It should flex about 30 to 35 degrees-about the same as when you run

Why Women's Running Shoes?

The anatomy of a woman's foot is different from, and not simply a smaller version of, a man's foot. For example, in general, a woman's forefoot is wider and her heel is narrower relative to length than a man's. A woman's size 10 shoe is roughly equivalent to a man's size 8 1/2, but a woman's size 10 is 1/4-to 1/2-inch narrower in the heel. Generally, women's shoes are 1 1/2 sizes larger in number than men's for the same approximate foot size. For a wider foot, some women prefer men's shoes.

What About The Heavy Runner?

The more you weigh, the greater the impact when you run. Heavier runners frequently have wide, flat feet and over-pronate. Look for shoes with a wide toe box and lots of support for pronation. The heavier runner can exchange shoe lightness for cushioning, durability, and support. Ask your shoe guru for recommendations.

A Little More

Running Coach Shelly Glover has a master's degree in appplied physiology from Columbia University. She co-authored The Runner's Handbook and The Competitive Runner’s Handbook, is a veteran road runner and marathoner. She also coaches The Greater New York Racing Team is available for private coaching. Coaching Services