Running Shoes - The Bare Truth of It
When I started running again several years ago, I was prone to injury. In particular shinsplints. It seemed every time I got over 6 miles in distance I would get shinsplints that were excruciating. Then a friend recommended I go to FrontRunner in Upper Arlington. I had never purchased shoes at a “specialty” store and was not sure what the difference was. That fateful visit has changed every aspect of shoe wearing forever.
Gone are the days of shoes that crowd my toes. Whether running or dress. With these shoes comes a freedom from injury that I have never thought possible. Gone are shinsplints and knee ailments. Instead I have shoes that give my toes the freedom to spread out and do what they were designed to do - support my body in movement. So where does that leave us? How to buy shoes?
There are many articles on this. People dedicated to the science of shoes and feet. When it comes down to buying running shoes there are three important questions to answer about running shoes.
Your running shoes salesman should first be a runner. Second they should know the difference between the shoes that they sell, regardless of the price. They should know how to match your shoe with your physical size, stride, support, etc. A good salesperson is going to match you up with the right fit because as runners we have a tendency to buy more than one pair a year. If he screws up you’re going somewhere else the next time.
If you are buying it because of an article in a magazine and they rated brand x as the best brand or because that shoe is the cheapest shoe available for the size and style then you could be setting yourself up for gigantic issues and problems.
How is that? Large chain stores sell shoes that fall within a certain price point and track record of sales. They hire low wage workers that may or may not have any interest in running. They also worry about selling you a shoe and not selling you the right shoe, which they may or may not have.
So when purchasing that shoe think about this - is it worth it to spend a little extra to get a little more? I think so but everyone has their own path to run….
Keep on jogging!
