Finding the Right Running Shoe

Finding the right running shoe could be the difference between pain free running and debilitating injuries. When I started running I had no idea about stability or neutral trainers. I just picked a pair of shoes that looked appealing to me. I was having ankle problems with long runs, but nothing that I couldn’t handle. After I wore through my first pair of shoes I purchased a different pair and within a couple weeks my ankle pain was so bad that after every run I could barely walk. I went to a foot and ankle doctor because I was worried I had a stress fracture. It turns out that my foot was so sprained from wearing the wrong shoes that the swelling had displaced a bone in my foot. Within a a couple weeks of switching to a new shoe the problem went away and I have never had a problem since (knock on wood). Many running stores offer a proper fitting with shoes. They will look at your gate and how you stand and recommend shoes based on this since everyone is different. I run primarily in Newton Running shoes and they work well for me; however my best friend won’t run in anything other than a New Balance 860. It really truly is different for everyone. FYI, if you have a Road Runner Sports store near you they let you return up to 90 days even after running in them, which is great because if you don’t like the shoe it usually takes at least a couple weeks of running to figure it out. Enjoy and be safe!