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Lead Stories: Friday, May 16, 2008

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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TFS Shoe Review: Reebok Pump Paris Trainers

Posted January 18th, 2007 at 2:00 PM by Rick Jacobs

Section: Gear & Apparel, Running Shoes, Product Reviews, Special Features, TFS Reviews

Product: Reebok Pump Paris Trainers
Price: $100.00
Type: Stability Cushioning
Fit: Go up 1/2 a size
Pronation factor: Moderate Over-Pronation
Best for: Runners with flat to medium arches and small to medium frames.

Reebok made a big splash last November at the ING New York City Marathon when they unveiled their new newest running shoe, the Pump Paris Trainers. These stability and cushioning shoes, set for a February 2007 release, were designed by NASA and MIT-trained engineers. The Final Sprint had the opportunity to preview and test these stability and cushioning trainers. They feature an adjustable air bladder and chamber that Reebok claims will automatically adjust to a runner’s foot and allow for a custom fit. There is also an easy-to-use pump and release for manual control of the air bladder.
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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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Changing your running shoe type . . .

Posted November 4th, 2006 at 7:00 AM by Jim Fortner

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

Jim Fortner is a weekly, guest contributor to TFS. Make sure to also check out his own personal running and advice site: “Jim2’s Running Page”.

A word of caution about making too much of a sudden change to the type of shoes that you use. At least, I will offer my personal experiences, which may or may not apply to you.

In 1983, during the first year of my first running life, I developed a severe case of ITBS at my right knee which completely stopped me from running. A visit to a sports medicine center determined that it was caused by overpronation…..that was when I learned that I am a moderate overpronator, especially on the right side. Read the rest of this entry »

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