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ASK LARA: Best brand of running shoes?

Posted September 21st, 2007 at 7:45 AM by Lara Johnson

Section: Columns, Ask Lara

Need advice? Injured? Confused? Overwhelmed? Bored? ASK LARA!
ASK LARA is a free advice column to help you with all of your running, fitness and nutrition inquiries. To ASK LARA — simply fill out the form at the conclusion of the column.

Q. I am fairly new to running. What is the best brand of running shoes?
~Mike from Portland, ME

A. Every runner’s feet are unique, and thus each pair of feet requires not the best shoe, but the right shoe for his or her feet. Therefore, the real question here is not which brand is the best, but which type of shoe is best. Fortunately, there are many companies that manufacture high quality running shoes that are based on scientific research. All of these companies seem to have their own trademark style, materials, and basis for why they make their shoes the way they do. This is great, since we as runners will fit better in one type of shoe than another. Furthermore, one type of shoe may fit better from one brand than another. Basically, it’s best to keep an open mind about which brand you choose, and an overall focus on finding the right shoe for you.
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Choose Running Shoes
by Arch Height

Posted September 17th, 2007 at 11:00 AM by Martin Kennedy

Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Gear & Apparel, Running Shoes, Training Tips

running shoe store selection Check the height of your arches when you shop for new running or walking shoes. If you have high arches, you usually need shoes with good shock absorption. If you have low arches, you will probably benefit from shoes with good motion control (Gait & Posture, July 2007).

When you run, you land on the outside bottom of your foot and roll inward. This is called pronation, which helps to protect you from injury. If you landed on your foot and did not roll, the force of the impact would be transmitted up your leg to increase your chance of breaking bones and tearing muscles. However, as you roll in from the outside bottom to the inside bottom of your foot, you will see that your lower leg twists inward.

Excessive pronation twists your lower leg, which can cause stress fractures of the lower leg bones. It can cause knee pain because it forces your kneecap to rub against the bone of your upper leg. Excessive pronation can even twist your hip joint to cause pain in the hips and lower back.
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Foot type, pronation and how to choose the right shoes

Posted December 17th, 2006 at 6:09 AM by Emily Hoskins

Section: Running & Training, Gear & Apparel, Running Shoes, Training Tips

Everyone can relate to the overwhelming feeling of walking into a sporting goods store to buy new shoes and being faced with a seemingly infinite number of choices. Sure, you want your shoes to look cool, it is of far greater importance that your shoes are right for your foot type.

Proper shoes will go a long way in preventing running related injuries and improving your long-term performance. So how do you decide?
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