Wearing the right shoes is important for running, or any other specialized activity. Your typical running shoe should be a training shoe with a sole and mid-sole that absorb energy and impact. Running shoes are designed for running, which is a straight line activity. You should choose shoes in a small to medium size running shoe store, where the staff are oriented toward running. These people will give you the personal attention that you need to make a good selection.

Go shopping for shoes near the end of the day. Your feet will be swollen compared to early in the day, similar to the way they will be toward the end of a run. Fit and comfort are the primary criteria for choosing new shoes, and you should try on numerous pairs for comparisons. We all have different feet, just as we have different faces. What works for one of your friends may not work for you. It is your job to fine the best shoes for you.

Allow up to an hour and a half before you make a purchase. Before you put them on, place each shoe on a counter so that you can check that the heel seam is vertical. When you try them on, wear you regular running socks, which should be made of a wicking, synthetic fabric, such as acrylic, and lace both shoes properly. Most people have differences between their right and left foot, and you want both shoes to feel comfortable. The right shoes will feel comfortable in the store, you should not leave the store thinking a marginal pair of shoes will break in; they may not. While you are trying shoes, ask about the return policy. Ideally, if you wear the shoes for a few days indoors only, and they show no wear, you should be able to exchange any shoes that prove to be uncomfortable.

Don't necessarily limit yourself to the same size as usual. Shoe models are always changing, even from the same manufacturer. Also, different manufactures may size shoes differently. You need room in the toe box. If you push your heel against the back of the shoes, you should have a thumb width between your big toe and the front of the shoe. Alternatively, push your toes as far forward in the shoe as you can, and you should be able to slide your thumb between your heel and the back of the shoe. make these checks while you are standing. Check the height of the shoe and the heel counter. Taller shoes tend to be more stable for most people.

Lacing systems vary. In some shoes the holes come closer together toward the front of the foot. Shoes like these may feel tight if you have a wide foot. In most cases it is better to consider shoes in which each pair of lace holes is the same distance apart as the rest. Another approach for wide feet is to begin lacing at the second pair of holes. Some running shoes have lace holes directly in the upper of the shoe. In others, you thread the laces through loops or rings, and these tend to lace easier, allowing you to reach a snug fit. This contributes to your feet's stability in the shoes.

If you find a pair of shoes that feel as though they will work for you, but there is a little slippage, you can make them more stable with a pad under the tongue. Most running shoe stores and shoe repair shops have adhesive tongue pads, and these make many shoes feel more comfortable. If you have custom made orthotic inserts, or often have to resort to pads or tape to stabilize your feet, you need shoes with removable insoles, as training shoes usually have. If you have bunions or bone spurs in your big toe joints, after you've bought shoes you may make them more comfortable by cutting a slit in your shoes, over your big toes.

When you have a pair of shoes that feel just right for you, consider buying two pairs. Then you can alternate shoes, letting each pair dry out thoroughly before you use them again. Shoes go through drying and wetting cycles because feet sweat, and these cycles affect the mechanical properties of the shoe materials. Synthetic shoe materials also tend to break down when exposed to heat or strong sunlight, so let your shoes dry naturally. You can also help new shoes stay clean by applying silicone to repel water.

When your new shoes are in use, monitor how they're doing. Keep a mental check on how they feel while you're running. And when you're not, check them for wear at the heel, and use glue to rebuild them. You can buy a tube of glue at the running shoe store, or hot melt glue and an electric glue gun at a hardware store. Check your shoes for stability by flexing the soles up and down, and gently twisting the heels, side to side. Depending on how much you weight, you running style, and how much your shoes have been exposed to the weather, by about 300 to 500 miles your shoes will have deteriorated significantly. Now it is time to go through the whole process again.

(Editorial Board Member Marvin Bloom, M.D., is Associate Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco. He runs, and his first athletic love is tennis)

Volume 16, Number 2, Running & FitNews
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