You take up running, you start with all the greatest intentions but then after two weeks you start getting knee, ankle, and hip pain. You know you have done all the right things, you warm up, you cool down, you haven't gone off too fast and you're following a progressive programme. So what on earth could be causing the pain?
It might be those things on your feet! The shoes you wear for running can be the difference between a happy and pain free run, to something that you quickly regret! This blog post will hopefully answer some of the most common questions I get asked as a running coach about the trainers we should be wearing.
Do remember that the best shoe is the one that feels the best, but this guide should get you off to a great start.
WHAT DIFFERENT TYPES OF RUNNING SHOE ARE THERE?
The last few years has seen the running shoe market boom. What was once a place for just "running" or "non-running shoes" is now a place with thousands of options, from plated shoes to cushion shoes to trail shoes, you name it. These are the basic types of shoe category:
TRAIL SHOES
These shoes generally have wide and cushioned midsoles, made to absorb uneven ground and give you a bit of umph over hard ground. They usually have lugs (the grooves on the sole) to give extra traction and will normally have what is called a rock plate in them to add extra stability. They sometimes have waterproofing properties built in, but not always. These, as the name suggests, are what we use for trail running. So anything off the roads - but can vary from very tricky terrain such as mountain paths all the way to something such as a canal path.
MAX CUSHION SHOES
Next up we have max cushion shoes. These are the super plush ones that are great for slower paces, perhaps during recovery runs or if someone is coming back after an injury. They have a huge wedge of foam in them to help keep that underfoot feeling soft and spongy.
STABILITY SHOES
Onto the next ones, stability shoes. These shoes have built-in stability technology, they generally have either a heel clip, arch support, or overlays to try and help guide the foot into a neutral line. As the name suggests, these are built for those of us struggling with overpronation of the foot, or sometimes useful for people with historical injuries that have altered the foots ability to stabilise itself. These trainers have had a bit of a bad reputation over the years due to the very dull look of some of them and the weight of them, however recent modern interpretations have started seeing a popularity increase.
TRAINING/SPEED SHOES
Next in line, the bread and butter of running shoes - your training shoe or what some people might call your speed shoe. This one generally is the little sibling shoe to your racing shoe. It will have technology built into it which allows you and aids you to train both faster and longer than say your recovery shoe. They often have some sort of plastic plate built into them for added bounce and pushback, have a stripped back upper but won't be quite as snappy and fast as your racing shoe.
CARBON PLATED RACING SHOES
Last but not least in this blog is your racing shoe. These have taken off in the last few years and have pushed so many PBs through the system. Race shoes have a carbon plate built through the midsole to give explosive propulsion and help keep the legs feeling fresh, they are usually super lightweight and will be made with all the latest technology that each company has. They have very minimal uppers to keep weight down, so as a result they can feel quite unstable if used for the wrong purpose. As you may have guessed, with all the bells and whistles that race shoes come with, comes a hefty price and often can be £250+ to buy!
CHOOSING YOUR RUNNING SHOES
There are numerous other categories of running shoe, but these are the ones that I believe to be the most basic and usually the ones we all have in our rotations. As a running coach I am a firm believer that anyone can start running in almost any trainer, and for those of us perhaps just doing a run every now and then any trainer will work. However, if you are starting to get a bit more serious and want to take your running to the next level, that is when shoe rotations become an essential.
Now the market is absolutely saturated with options. There are new iterations of each shoe every year and each time you think you have found the one you love, the design is changed! So choosing your running shoes will likely come as a bit of a minefield, however people like me who live and breathe this stuff will almost always be happy to help in guiding you to the right shoes, and will probably give you recommendations on how to save a bit of money too!! So please, if you have any questions or want to get started on buying the right shoes, leave me an enquiry form on the main website here, and I will be in touch!
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