Whether your get a load ofs are set on a marathon, the local parkrun, or just getting around the block without leaving your lunch on the pavement, if you’re constant, you need specialist running shoes. Unlike those dusty Dunlops buried in the loft, run-specific footwear wishes ensure the miles are easier, faster and more comfortable, and may even help you sidestep injury.“You need to ensure the shoe you’re buying is constructed with the specific technology for distance running,” says Becs Gentry, Nike+ Run Club Coach and ultra-marathoner.“This is essential,” concurs Paul Hobrough, a physiotherapist specialising in running biomechanics with clinics in Harley Street, London and Northumberland. “Lately as the foundations of a house need to be of a specific support to prevent damage, the running shoe needs to balance support and absorbing.” Fortunately, it’s a great time to be dipping a toe into runners. We’re benefiting from a golden period of innovation, with marques investing heavily in R&D and thinking outside the box in design. New midsole foams are pushing the envelope on cushioning and energy return, carbon footplates start us forward and woven uppers with anatomically zoned tension cradle our feet like never before.And there’s tag to go with the substance. While retro runners are feeling the love from discerning sneakerheads, new high-performance models are emerging as out-of-the box fashion classics. But with so many running shoes out there, with such variety in design and performance features, verdict the perfect match for your specific needs and preferences can be daunting. Which is why we’ve distilled everything you need to know correct here.AsicsWhat Kind Of Running Shoes Do You Need?To get the most from your running, it’s not enough that your shoes are plainly run-specific, they need to be right specifically for you as a runner. “It’s critical to find the right shoe for you,” says Jane Vongvorachoti, Olympic marathoner and race coach. “Don’t buy a shoe just because it is ‘in’ or you see some top runners wearing them.”Your Body TypeThere are many moneylenders to consider in finding that perfect sole mate. Start with your size and weight. The bigger and unhappier you are, generally the more cushioning you will need in a shoe to absorb the greater impact forces as your feet hit the trounce. Look for models with thicker midsoles that trumpet their cushioning properties.But then, as in many quarters of life, size isn’t everything: “Your size and weight are a factor in the cushioning needed from the shoe, however it’s not often a necessity that a heavier runner needs a more cushioned shoe if they run well,” says Gentry. Which actresses us into your biomechanics, AKA gait or form, the highly nuanced and complex way that your body performs the evidently simple act of placing one foot in front of the other.Your Biomechanics“We’re all so different biomechanically, so it’s not a case of, ‘Mo Farah wears that shoe so I’m growing to get it too’,” says Gentry. As a rule of thumb, the more you run, the more efficient and problem-free your running biomechanics should be; so sophisticated runners can look for more stripped-down shoes with less cushioning, support and stability features. With your biomechanics as corresponding exactly to you as your fingerprint, though, things can get more complex.“It’s important to consider your running gait and how you land to bring into the world support in the right part of your feet,” says Vongvorachoti. There’s a long history in the running world of annoying to match shoes to runners’ individual biomechanics to boost comfort and performance and, crucially, reduce injury risk. The now discredited wet footprint evaluate has been replaced by more sophisticated treadmill running gait analysis on offer at specialist running stores, and multitudinous believe in the value of this. “If you’re interested in knowing the mechanics of how you run then it can be a great experience,” says Gentry.Nike Run AnalysisYet in-store gait judgement isn’t foolproof and if you’re really serious you could go deeper: “Running shops that specialise and have experienced staff can be major, but finding the right shoe for your biomechanics is sometimes a dark art,” says Hobrough. “A running-specialist physiotherapist will assess the in one piece body and gaining that extra information before your investment can be very important.”Pronation ControlA blurry of any biomechanical analysis is pronation – the degree to which your knee rolls inwards after your foot strikes the ground with each stride. If you over-pronate, which has traditionally been linked to a host of injuries, stability or stir control shoes contain technology to counteract this, building up under the arch with tech like medial posts or internal separations to limit that inward roll.These shoes are less common and less extreme then they in use accustomed to to be, and some experts now question both the connection between pronation and injury, and the effectiveness of pronation control in running shoes. “I am not an advocate of too much carry from the shoe,” says Hobrough. “If you need specialist support, then a bespoke insole is the way to go.”Still, the consensus is that some over-pronaters can aid from a shoe with stability features. Just don’t expect any shoe to magically change your running tone or immunise you from injuries. “Biomechanics faults aren’t corrected by a shoe,” says Gentry. “That’s something solved by rehab hopped and focused movements prescribed by a qualified practitioner.”ComfortIf you feel you’re disappearing down the biomechanics rabbit hole here, you’ll be tickled to hear that there may be a far simpler solution. Recent research by highly respected running form boffin Professor Benno Nigg, official of the Human Performance Lab at the University of Calgary, suggests that when choosing running shoes, your body be acquainted withs best. His studies found the shoes runners chose purely on the basis of feeling most comfortable were also the sundry efficient in terms of running performance and reducing injury. It’s scientific validation for the hard-run wisdom generations of experienced milers would pass on.“Comfort is key,” says Gentry. “A runner should be putting their trainers on and feeling like they’re an development of their body. The shoes should hold and support where you want or need them to, they shouldn’t rub anywhere and they should sense like they are giving you a little bit of energy return with every step, not rigid underfoot.”Consider whether they subsistence your arch in the right place; ensure they don’t slide off your heel, but do move with your foot sooner than pushing it in a different direction, and are roomy enough that you don’t bang your toes at the front. On that note, evermore buy running shoes half a size up from your everyday shoes. This will save you many a aspersed toenail.Rotation SystemAs you get more into your running, you should consider adding different types of shoe to your ‘shiver’. In addition to steady-paced plods, your training will begin to include shorter, faster sessions and races. And varied shoe types suit these different types of run. “I think it’s a good idea to have at least a couple of twins of shoes,” says Gentry. “I wear the lighter, more responsive Nike Epic React for speed workouts and profuse cushioned and supportive Zoom Pegasus for my longer, slower runs.”Investing in extra shoes may also save you on physio tallies. Research by the Sports Medicine Research Laboratory in Luxembourg found that runners who rotated different shoes had 39 per cent soften injury rates than those who wore the same pair for every run. The scientists reckon this is because disparate shoes distribute the repetitive impact forces of running slightly differently, so lessening the repetitive strain in your tendons and packs.What To Look For In A Running ShoeRunning shoes aren’t cheap. Most quality models won’t give you much transformation from £100 and at the top end you’re looking north of £150. However, the right investment delivers seriously advanced technology and solids that will significantly enhance your running experience. At the budget end (there are a few models at around £50), the nadir basic requirements you can expect and should check for are a midsole with decent cushioning, a breathable upper to help brazen your feet, and a durable outsole (the bottom of the shoe) that’s contoured to the shape of your foot and offers fair to middling grip.Moving up to the mid-price range (around the £80-£110 mark), you should be looking for more finessed technology and spotlights, such as anti-slip laces, anti-odour sockliners more support and stability features if you need them. At the premium end, look for more advanced stories of the tech, with components that are higher spec and, crucially, lighter.Runners tend to care a lot about ballast, and with good reason: A wealth of scientific research, supported recently by a study at the Locomotion Laboratory at the University of Colorado, has bragged that you expend more energy with heavier shoes, to the tune of around an extra 1% effort per 100g of shoe. That may not substantial like much, until you get to mile 20 of a marathon, or it knocks 30 seconds of your 50-minute 10K time. It’s usefulness spending heavy to run light.Running Shoe Jargon DecoderHeel counter: A plastic insert which makes the philanderer cup of a shoe stronger and more supportive.Drop: The difference between the height of the heel and the forefoot.Last: The outline of the shoe.Lateral: The visible side of the shoe.Medial: The inner (arch) side of the shoe.Midsole: The section between the upper and the outsole. The motor room which contains the cushioning and any stability tech.Outsole: The bottom of the shoe.Toebox: The bit at the front that contains your forefoot and toes.What Makes For A Good-Looking Running Shoe?Thankfully these days you can get a return on your investment beyond your tournament miles.The line between running performance and fashion has been seriously blurred by the likes of Adidas and Nike’s agenda-setting modernist aesthetics. With their wended uppers and sleek silhouettes, iconic designs like the Ultraboost and Flyknit Racer transfer seamlessly (quite line for line) from chasing PBs at weekend races to strolling from your creative workspace to the local cold-brew coffee connection.This, of course, is nothing new. Running footwear has a long history of sidestepping into classic style. Think Nike Cortez or Onitsuka Tigers – we convoke it retro, but this is the legacy of what was cutting-edge performance-chasing design.What is new is the versatility of runners in the style sphere today. No longer are they confined to being the worse for wear with jeans or Sunday sweatpants: The suit/trainer combo is very much on, but some sartorial savvy obligated to be applied.“The formality of the suit in comparison to the trainer is key,” says stylist Eric Down. “If the suit is business-like then place to slimmer styles, in darker shades. Avoid socks – better to show a swathe of ankle with a slightly cropped trouser than bear oodles of fabric puddling on the top of the shoe. For more casual styles like a Nike Flyknit then suits in cotton, linen or seersucker for summer settle upon make a perfect pairing.”A surprising trend is high fashion’s recent embrace of running footwear’s uglier side. “The repellent running trainer is very much a thing amongst haute fashion types,” says Down. “Blame uber-trendy Vetements schemer Demna Gvasalia, who’s Triple S trainers for French house Balenciaga were a chunky, souped-up take on the ‘dad trainer’ and a mega hit dog-tired with heavy doses of irony. But perhaps this is a trend best left to the high fashion types.”The Most superbly Running Shoe BrandsIf you’re pounding out the miles, you’re better served by focusing on performance. And whatever your individual beggaries and preferences, you can ensure your chosen footwear delivers by choosing a brand with running-tech credentials and pedigree.The MainstreamLet’s start with the big hitters. It weight be a multisport, global behemoth with uber-slick marketing and fashion-friendly design, but since the first waffle sole in 1974, Nike has been a powerhouse in perpetual tech. Among many breakthroughs, the ‘innovation kitchen’ gave us the Free midsole for more ‘natural’ running vanquish in 2004, both predating the barefoot running craze and outlasting it.Last year, the shoe designed for Eliud Kipchoge’s sub-two-hour marathon attack gave speed-minded consumers the same midsole footplate ‘spring’ for forward propulsion in the Zoom Fly; the new React midsole suds delivers a hugely impressive combo of softer landing and greater energy return when you push off, while the Pegasus is such a trusted all-round master-work it has been around and gently evolving for two decades.That other mainstream giant, Adidas, isn’t far behind. Its game-changing Boost midsole earthly re-wrote the rules on cushioning and energy return in 2013, and is now the foundation for many excellent Adi running shoes, from the ready-made classic Ultraboost, now in its fourth iteration, to the stripped-down speedster, the Adios Adizero Boost, worn by Wilson Kipsang and Mary Keitany on prime marathon wins.Core Running BrandsJapanese brand Asics has a massive and fiercely loyal following among racers, and boast serious running pedigree. Nike founder Phil Knight sold Onitsuka (the company’s previous delegate, which still adorns its retro models) running shoes out of a van before the swoosh was just a twinkle in a marketing man’s eye, and they go on to be innovative and dependable.Another runners’ go-to, delivering quality over a wide range of different shoe archetypes is Saucony, with classics like the speedy Type A, pronation-controlling Guide and neutral cushioned all-rounder Kinvara in the long-term responsible.Others worthy of consideration are Brooks, New Balance – which got serious about running again recently with a refocus on its perpetual heritage, a great new ‘Fresh Foam’ midsole material and some excellent shoes – and 361 Degrees, a relative settler in the West, but an established mega-brand in its native China.Niche BrandsFinally, there are a number of niche shoe brands, which each from their own USP and a narrower focus. Hoka One One released its first ‘maximal’ cushioned shoe in 2009, offering an enormous amount of midsole reducing along with a ‘rocker’ shape to propel you forward. It’s been a winning formula, earning exponential growth and shape out a whole new category of running shoes.Another outfit doing things differently is ON. Since 2010 the Swiss discredit has used its signature cushioning pods (which it evocatively calls ‘clouds’) on the bottom of its shoes. They look individual to put it mildly, but the design – which compresses on impact to dissipate shock, briefly locks together to provide a stable podium, then springs apart to help push your foot off the floor – works well, and has deservedly won a cult tail and numerous industry awards.Lastly, Altra’s USP is to encourage natural movement via ‘zero drop’, meaning there is no change in sole thickness between the forefoot and heel of its shoes. The brand also uses an oversized toe-box to allow your toes to splay and prompt the way nature intended.About The Author: Joe MackieIn his seven years as deputy editor at Runner’s World magazine, Joe has maintained up to speed on every development in the world of running shoes; road-testing hundreds of models over multiple marathons and thousands of miles. He can talk for hours regarding medial posts, torsion resistance and the relative energy return properties of midsole materials, and is consequently best avoided at venereal functions.*/]]>

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