With vast amounts of shoes on the market right now, it can be pretty daunting figuring out which pair you need. Fear not, I am here to help you understand which pair of shoes you need with these simple questions.

What will the shoe be for?

The first thing you should consider when looking to buy a good pair of running shoes is the purpose of the shoe. Is this shoe going to be your daily trainer? the one that you log 80-90% of your miles in. Or is this going to be the lightweight racer that you will save exclusively for hard training runs and races? Or maybe you’re a complete beginner looking for something that will do both. Whatever it is, make sure you know exactly want.

What surface will you be predominately running on?

Now that we have got an understanding of what the purpose of the shoe is, it is imperative to understand what the shoe will be used for. Are you going to be running on the roads exclusively or do you venture off-road and into the mountains? By understanding this, you can make a more informed decision on the amount of grip that is necessary. If you are a trail runner you will want a good trail shoe with a lot of grips, however, this same pair of shoes can’t be used on the roads, where the lugs of the sole will become a hindrance. If you are going to be doing a bit of both, there are very few, if any, “in-betweener” shoes, so I’d recommend getting a pair for just the roads and a separate pair just for the trails.

How far are you running?

Depending on how far you are running, you will want different levels of cushioning. This almost exclusively applies to your race day shoe. If you are in the market for a daily trainer, this question isn’t as necessary, due to most of the brands now utilising a high stack height in their daily trainers – which is advantageous for long distances. But if you’re racing a marathon you may look to get a more cushioned race day shoe, compared to if you were to be running a 5K. With a 5K you can get away with a more aggressive shoe that is lightweight and has less of a stack height.

Have you had your running gait tested?

An area that I had neglected for many years, but looking back I wish I had considered it sooner. Having your gait tested will allow you to get a better understanding of the type of shoe you need – Neutral or structured. This will depend on how your foot rolls upon contact with the ground. I was running in a neutral-shoes for many years but since changing over to a structured shoe my injury rate has decreased. You can go into specialist running stores and many of them will be able to offer you a free gait analysis. Or if you don’t want that you can film yourself from behind and at a low angle on the treadmill and see your foot and ankle placement.

Now that you have the answer to these four questions you should be able to make a more informed decision about what type of shoe you need to be successful. The fun part is now finding a brand that works for you, which is a whole new task.

Ready to take your running to the next level? As an online running coach, I can help you achieve your goals and improve your performance. Contact me today to learn more about my personalised training plans and coaching services

Happy Running :)