Save your feet! Choosing the right Footwear for Running

The new year has predictably brought with it a spike in the number of people determined to get fit – but if you haven’t worked out in a long time, you’re at risk of injuring yourself if you overdo it or try to exercise without the right equipment. If you’re returning to exercise after a while away, take things slowly – there’s no benefit in putting too much strain on yourself and causing an injury, which apart from anything else will put a damper on your training schedule!

Running is one of the most popular forms of getting fit, and it’s easy to see why – you can do it more or less anywhere, at any time, and you don’t need much specialised equipment to get started. However, you will need a good pair of running shoes – and most importantly, a pair that matches the way you run.

Not everybody realises that people have different running styles according to the shape of their feet, which fall broadly into three categories: underpronators, overpronators and normal pronators. These refer to the way your foot strikes the ground and rolls when you’re running: underpronators’ feet roll inward less when they run, while overpronators roll too much.

When you under- or overpronate, the forces of impact as your feet hit the ground and spread less efficiently. Over time, without the right footwear to support your running style, this can cause strain and injury – and at the very least it’ll make your running experience less pleasant. Fortunately, it’s easy to tell what kind of runner you are, and specialists like Up and Running provide running shoes for all types.

To find out how you run, just carry out the “wet foot test”. Get a sheet of dark paper, dip the sole of your foot in water and press it onto the paper. If you can see almost all of your footprint, you likely have low arches (overpronator). If there is only a very thin line connecting the balls of your feet and your heel, you probably have high arches (underpronator). If your foot makes the classic footprint shape, you’re neither.

Overpronators will need stability or motion control running shoes, which provide extra support to stop your ankle from rolling inwards too much. Meanwhile, underpronators need cushioning in the soles and flexibility to help better absorb shock. If you have normal arches, you can wear most kinds of running shoes – although some kind of stability shoe is usually recommended.

There’s more to choosing the perfect shoe than this, but this is a good start – you can find out more by browsing running websites or talking to other runners. Soon you’ll be on the way to working out the perfect training programme as well!