The World’s Best Types of Running Shoes

Choose your weapon wisely.

If you’ve ever seen the 1994 film Forrest Gump, you know the importance of shoes – particularly to a runner. While you may not ever plan on running across America like Gump, you’ll definitely want to make sure to have a shoe that fits you well and remains comfortably during your jaunts into the woods and along the roads.

How do you know which kind of running shoe is right for you? Here are some of the best types of running shoes you’ll come across, and what they mean for the kind of runner you are.

(Note: also feel free to visit the ShoeFinder courtesy of Runner’s World in order to find a shoe that really fits your individual style.)

First, what is pronation?

Pronation is often the angle of your feet – your pronation also reflects in how you run. If your heels tilt inward a bit, you have a higher amount of pronation and you’ll want to look at motion-controlled shoes.

-Strongly cushioned shoes.

Runners with moderate to high arches typically do the best in these types of shoes, in which you have a running motion in which you strike the mid or forefoot of your feet upon impact. Do a little running to test out your individual running style and see if you notice where you unconsciously make the most impact while you’re running.

-Motion-control shoes.

For larger runners, this is the type of shoe you’ll want to find, as it will help cushion the impact of your style of running with extra support on the arch side of your foot. Motion-control shoes can also be efficient for some types of beginning runners who aren’t quite used to the impact their novice running style might create in their feet.

-Trail shoes.

Trail shoes are what they sound like – shoes built for running trails and confronting the elements. They are built more for traction and weather resistance than the typical “gravel” running shoes that are built to enhance the support you have for your feet on a flat surface.

What kind of runner are you?

In order to find out, you also might want to run barefoot on a flat surface with wet feet, and observe the kind of footmark you lave behind. Do you have a lot of pronation, or do your feet look relatively straight? Take that information into account so you look at the best type of running shoe for your individual running style.

Photo Credits: Maryam S.

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Originally posted 2009-03-18 05:59:11.

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