BUYING TRAINING SHOES – Part 3

You may be wondering why in a series of articles about 'Training for Running' there is no talk about actual training methods. Well, all the training methods and all those miles of huffing and puffing enjoying the runner's 'high' are not to be a past time if you are injured, and the health benefits and cardiovascular improvements cannot be maintained either. In fact, many other things need to be in place before you start to run - all the ancillary aspects which are part and parcel of good training for running. Moreover, a holistic approach is required.

INTRODUCTION

In part 1 of this trilogy more general common sense and buying and maintenance tips were suggested, along with the need to take your time when buying training shoes and try on a lot of pairs. Part 2 began with a lengthy section on which injuries a runner can receive from inappropriate or worn out training shoes. Then the first two of the list below of more technical aspects of your running style and training shoe design were treated in Part 2, and so there are the other sections to be covered here in Part 3:

 Pronation

 Wear patterns and practical tests

 Flat feet

 Biomechanics

 Insoles (orthotics)

 The toe box

 Arch supports

 Shoe technology and manufacture

Part 2 concluded with the following questions, which, if you cannot answer them, you should read Part 2 as it is essential.

This article has three parts: (i) injuries, (ii) pronation, (iii) shoe wear test for pronation.

(i) How many injuries can be caused by your running shoes?

(ii) How does pronation help the foot to absorb the shock of the heel-strike of each step?

(iii) Normal pronation, over-pronation, and under-pronation all have characteristic shoe sole wear patterns underneath your training shoes. What are these patterns, and which one are you?

What is a last?

Another angle with which to look at training shoes is from the point of view of how they are made. Manufacturers turn out millions of shoes on lasts. These lasts are designed to fit the average foot. The last is shaped in the form of a foot, and is usually made of wood, metal or plastic. Lasting is the process of stretching a stitched shoe upper around a last so that a midsole and outsole can be attached.

Questions:

1. Given all the medical and biomechanical detail you have already been given, and taking into consideration the fact that no two feet are alike - they are as different as out fingerprints - how likely is it that the running shoe made on a typical last will suit you well?

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