Shoes
As I've already mentioned, getting the right pair of shoes when you start running is definitely worth doing. Okay I may have said it's essential, which taken literally isn't true, we can run in any footwear or even run barefoot, but if you're not careful you can easily end up injured – beginners are even more susceptible to injury through wearing the wrong footwear as their bodies are adapting to the stresses and strains of running more than those who've been running a long time.
My advice for buying running shoes?
Go to a running specialist store, with staff who know what they're talking about. JJB Sports, Sports World and other similar stores may be great for picking up bargain shoes, but the extra few quid you may spend at a proper running/sports store will be more than worth it if it prevents injury. If you can stomach reading down to the bottom you'll learn of my experience with running shoes, which I don't believe by any means is the norm, but can quite easily occur.
When shopping for a running shoe, a decent running shop will analyse your running style. This may be through asking you to walk across a pressure sensitive pad to understand what your foot is doing as you move, they may ask you to run on a treadmill and watch or video you from behind and explain their findings, or they may just ask to watch you jog down the road, whatever their method they should see you run. Without seeing you run they can only guess which trainers will provide you with adequate support and cushioning. Watching and understanding what your feet do whilst running is typically known as gait analysis. Whilst I originally planned to scribble in a paragraph on gait analysis within this section, I feel it's important and detailed enough to warrant its own section. Once the shop staff have seen your style of running, and spoken to you regarding the type of running you do, they can recommend various trainers to you based of the level of support, cushioning, and motion control you require.
How should new trainers feel?
Make sure you try on a number of different brands and models for comfort. Don't be surprised if you're trying on trainers that are a size or so bigger than your everyday shoes, this is quite normal! A running trainer should feel comfortable and supportive around the main part of the foot, but never tight; your foot can swell by up to a whole shoe size whilst running (depending on the distance ran of course). The foot shouldn’t be able to slide around inside the shoe, any movement can cause friction, which is a perfect way to get plenty of blisters; there should however be plenty of space for your toes to move. If you feel your toes pressing on the upper section or end of the trainer, whilst stationary or running, you'll probably find yourself getting bruised toes or blackened toe-nails. Ultimately you know what feels comfortable for you, and from that point of view, there is no BEST TRAINER, it's all down to opinion and personal preference.
My Experience?
My first pair of running shoes was bought from a JJB store, I went in and explained that I'd started running around the local roads and was hoping to build up to 15miles per week. The sporty looking employee gave me some Reebok Road Plus III's to try on for comfort, they seemed fine, and were reduced in price by a fair amount; the employee assured me they were perfect for my needs and at the reduced price, who was I to argue? They seemed to serve me well, though as I pushed on with the mileage I developed shin splints which really was both draining and upsetting to come back from every run with aching shins. I spent ages and ages icing the affected area every day until eventually I read about Gait Analysis. I visited a running store in Lincoln that was doing gait analysis. They recorded me running on a treadmill and showed me the video back in slow motion and explained what my foot was doing. It turns out I over-pronate! I splashed out and bought some Asics Gel Kayano XII's which felt fantastic – and my shin splints have not returned since.
More recently I've had a biomechanical assessment, which is similar to a gait analysis, but more detailed and studies the whole of the lower body rather than just the lower legs and/or feet. The assessments shows that the Asics Gel Kayano's offer slightly more support than I need so I'll be looking at other shoes available soon enough!
