Fit: Your running shoes should fit comfortably snug from heel to mid-foot, just behind your metatarsals. From the metatarsals forward, the fit should be roomy, without being sloppy. Your toes should be clear of the end of the shoe, which will allow the metatarsals and toes to splay, and save you from black toenails, or no toenails. Most often you will have to size up ½ to 1 full size greater than your street shoe size, in order to have the proper fit.
Feel: Ideally, the shoe should feel like an extension of your foot. Seams, overlays and sock liners should not rub or restrict the foot. The feel of the shoe when moving-smooth, comfortable, unobtrusive-is what you are looking for, and not the feel of the shoe when standing.
Function: If the shoe doesn't fit, if it doesn't feel good, then all the bells, whistles and stability features mean nothing. Some feet require a more medially stable shoe, some feet require very little other than simple cushioning.
How do you function?
So, do you pronate? Everyone, to a degree, pronates. Don't let people tell you that because you pronate, you need a stability shoe. Pronation is the natural movement of the foot as it rolls inward after touch down in the gait cycle. Over-pronation is an excessive movement than can, but doesn't always, lead to excess stress in the connective tissues of the lower leg, knee and hip. A flat foot is not an over-pronated foot. If the foot noticeably everts (rolls onto the medial side, or inside, of the foot) then it is over-pronated.
What type suits your function?
Neutral shoes are for feet that don't over-pronate. Very generally speaking, these feet tend to be of standard flexibility and don't have excessive visible movement. Neutral shoes are free of corrective stability features.
Stability shoes are for feet with noticeable over-pronation. These feet tend to be considerably more flexible. A stability shoe will have corrective stability features, most visible on the medial (inside) of the foot. Dual density posts are the most common type of corrective feature, but plastic inserts of varying shapes are also common.
Motion control shoes are stability shoes for excessive over-pronation. Generally, they will be built on a straighter last (shape of the shoe) and the corrective stability features will be larger or more aggressive. Excessive over-pronation is highly visible-it appears the foot is almost rolling onto the inside ankle-and rare.
Lightweight shoes can be neutral or stability and are generally an ounce or two lighter than a standard trainer and often lower profile (two to three millimeters less foam in the midsole).
Feel: Ideally, the shoe should feel like an extension of your foot. Seams, overlays and sock liners should not rub or restrict the foot. The feel of the shoe when moving-smooth, comfortable, unobtrusive-is what you are looking for, and not the feel of the shoe when standing.
Function: If the shoe doesn't fit, if it doesn't feel good, then all the bells, whistles and stability features mean nothing. Some feet require a more medially stable shoe, some feet require very little other than simple cushioning.
How do you function?
So, do you pronate? Everyone, to a degree, pronates. Don't let people tell you that because you pronate, you need a stability shoe. Pronation is the natural movement of the foot as it rolls inward after touch down in the gait cycle. Over-pronation is an excessive movement than can, but doesn't always, lead to excess stress in the connective tissues of the lower leg, knee and hip. A flat foot is not an over-pronated foot. If the foot noticeably everts (rolls onto the medial side, or inside, of the foot) then it is over-pronated.
What type suits your function?
Neutral shoes are for feet that don't over-pronate. Very generally speaking, these feet tend to be of standard flexibility and don't have excessive visible movement. Neutral shoes are free of corrective stability features.
Stability shoes are for feet with noticeable over-pronation. These feet tend to be considerably more flexible. A stability shoe will have corrective stability features, most visible on the medial (inside) of the foot. Dual density posts are the most common type of corrective feature, but plastic inserts of varying shapes are also common.
Motion control shoes are stability shoes for excessive over-pronation. Generally, they will be built on a straighter last (shape of the shoe) and the corrective stability features will be larger or more aggressive. Excessive over-pronation is highly visible-it appears the foot is almost rolling onto the inside ankle-and rare.
Lightweight shoes can be neutral or stability and are generally an ounce or two lighter than a standard trainer and often lower profile (two to three millimeters less foam in the midsole).
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