How to Choose Running Shoes
There’s no question that running shoes are one of the most important pieces of gear in any runner’s closet. But with hundreds of options on the market, which shoes do you choose? Can’t you just pick a pair that you like the look of and call it a day? Do you need super shoes? Does it really matter? Let’s discuss!
Which shoes should you buy?
Photo by Isaac Wendland on Unsplash
Spoiler: Probably not the pair that your favorite influencer raved about.
My number one piece of advice is to go to your local running store and get properly fitted. This is invaluable. An expert there can analyze your gait and will help find a shoe that’s right for you. It may not be the pair that your eye was first drawn to, but trust the process.
Don’t just treat this as a “one and done.” It’s worth repeating this process every few years or so, as your gait, form, body, and preferences can all change over time, along with the shoes that are available.
Does it really matter that much?
Yes! Running in the right shoes can help prevent injuries and is critical to your comfort. No single shoe can meet every runner’s individual needs.
Running shoes vary in the stability that they provide, level of cushioning, heel-toe drop, and overall weight. The way that your foot hits the ground (heel strike, flat, or toe strike) affects the shoe that you need. So does pronation or supination. So does what you’re training for (basic fitness, 5k, marathon, etc.). And so do the surfaces that you run on (roads, trails, treadmill). This list could go on, but you get the picture.
Running in a shoe that meets YOUR needs can make a big difference in running happy and healthy.
When do you need to replace your shoes?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer here, as different shoes have different average lifespans, and factors like body weight and foot strike pattern play a role. However, you can generally expect to get 300-500 miles out of a pair of running shoes. If you’ve been wearing yours for years, it’s definitely time to replace them.
Fortunately, it’s easy to track the life of your shoes on an app like Garmin Connect. Or, you can simply note the date that you started wearing your shoes on the tag. Give it a try!
Do you need to rotate between multiple pairs?
Need to? No. It can be expensive to maintain a rotation of 2+ pairs of properly fitted running shoes. This isn’t a need, per se.
However, if you’re a distance runner and it’s within your budget, you might benefit from alternating between 2-3 different pairs of shoes. This approach can help your shoes last longer, as the foam has time to “recover” between runs. There’s also some evidence that rotating your running shoes could be protective against running-related injuries.
Beyond this, many runners find that they prefer different shoes for different types of runs. For example, I personally like a slightly more cushioned shoe for long, easy runs, and a lighter, more responsive shoe for speed and tempo work.
Should I buy super shoes? They’re so expensive!
Maybe. Maybe not. And you should never be using them for every training run.
Super shoes are indeed expensive, and tend to have a relatively short life span vs. regular running shoe models.
Carbon-plated super shoes can help improve running economy. For the average marathoner, this may translate to cutting a few minutes off your race finish time. However, this effect varies a lot by individual. At slower paces, these benefits can evaporate all together, or even work against you.
Super shoes can also help you feel fresher by reducing muscle soreness and fatigue during longer-distance running events. For many, this also means recovering better post-race.
However, super shoes can also increase injury risk in some runners, as they may alter your biomechanics, increase foot and ankle instability, increase bone stress, or overload your Achilles tendon or plantar fascia.
If you decide to try super shoes, get properly fitted, and introduce them slowly into your training. Start with testing your super shoes on one shorter run each week to see how your body responds, rather than jumping straight into a 15-miler.
Which shoes do you (Coach Laura) run in?
Please remember: what works for me is not necessarily best for you. Go get properly fitted!
For context, I’m a neutral runner who tends toward supination. In general, I prefer lighter, more responsive shoes, and I run almost exclusively on paved surfaces. When I’m training for a race, it’s usually a half marathon; my weekly mileage isn’t as high as many marathoners’.
All of that said, my current favorite is the Adidas Adizero EVO SL. For me, this shoe works for almost any type of run, and the cushioning and energy return are just right. For easy runs, I’m also a fan of the ASICS Novablast.
Final tip: If you find your Cinderella shoe, don’t hesitate to stock up. You may not love the updates and “improvements” that come with the next version of the same shoe. And, you can often get a great price on the current model right before the new version launches.
