Not all running shoes are perfect for every runner.  So, how do you find the best shoe for you?

Looking at all the different types, styles, and name brands of shoes can be overwhelming for even the most experienced runner.  You should first realize that the ideal shoe has more to do with your running style and the shape of your foot than it does with the color or the name brand on the shoe.

 

 

There are 3 main running types, neutral pronation, overpronation, supination.  If you are a pronation runner you will see a wear pattern centralized to the ball of the foot and a small portion of the heel.  Overpronation usually wears a pattern along the inside edge of your shoe.  Supination wears a pattern along the outer edge of your shoe.  Most running shoes can be recognized by one of these three running types.

Making sure the shoe fits is also important.  Finding a store that has a large variety of shoes is a great help.  You need to try on many different brands and sometimes even different sizes.  The sizes vary by manufacturer.  Try shoes on at the end of the day because feet tend to swell a little throughout the day.  You also do not want the shoes to touch your toe, you should have a thumbnail’s length of space in the toebox.

So in the end finding your running pattern and then keeping an open mind about brand and size should help you in finding the shoe that fits.