* Under Development *

Introduction

Many people enjoy running or jogging as part of their exercise regime, but many people do not know the correct way to purchase the most import part of their running kit… their running shoes. This guide entry is designed to help the reader analyse their individual running gait and from there, help them to select the correct shoe.

Running Gait

An athlete's gait is the way in which their foot hits the floor and how it travels before lifting up for the next step. Gait can be expressed in three ways; pronator, neutral or suppinator. The three gait types are explained below.

Pronator

A person who pronates (often called an over-pronator) strikes the ground with their heal and rolls excessively in toward the big toe. Uncorrected pronation can lead to overuse injuries(** insert hypoerlink)

Neutral

As suggested by the name, a runner with a neutral gait will hit the ground with the outside of the heal and then roll in toward to big toe. Neutral runners do not require gait correction from their running shoes.

Suppinator

A suppinator or under pronator is a person who's foot hits the ground at the heal and then tends to roll out toward the little toe. Suppination is the most rare gait type.

Gait Assessment

The following are the best methods of assessing gait:

Podiatrist

Visit an accredited podiatrist. Podiatrists are foot care professional who will perform a number of tests upon the patient and provide a diagnosis of gait type. it is also wise to visit a podiatrist if after self-assessment of gait the runner is still suffering from overuse injuries(hyper link). Podiatrists may also be able to prescribe special orthotic insoles for your running shoes in the case of extreme gait problems.

Wet foot test

To perform a wet foot test, the individual should wet their feet and walk across a tiled floor or similar. A review of the footprints will indicate gait type. A pronator will have a foot shape which will show all of the foot, and neutral runner will have a pronounced area where the foot did not touch the ground and a suppinator foot print will be in two parts, the ball of the foot and the heal.

Old Shoe Review

This test reviews the wear on an existing pair of running shoes, which is an excellent indicator of how the athlete is running. Place the shoes on a flat surface. If the shoes leans inward toward the big toe, this indicates an over-pronating runner, if the shoe remains flat, the runner is neutral and if it leans out toward the little toe, the user is a suppinator.

Visit a local specialist running store

Most specialist running stores have experienced staff who could use on of the above methods for diagnosis.

Shoe Types

Running shoes come in array of different types. The following paragraphs explain the options and matches shoe to gait where applicable.

Motion Control

These shoes are designed to control the motion of an over-pronators foot. This is achived by a more firm section of the foot towards the big toe which will stop roll over.

Cushioning

Cushioned shoes are

Performance Training Shoes

Performance training shoes are lighter and less cushioned than a normal pair of running shoes. These type of shoes are designed for fast lightweight runners during interval training ** insert hyper link**. Due to their very specific nature these shoes are not recommended for heavier runners or people training at long distances i.e. people training for marathons.

Racing Shoes

These shoes are very light and are designed with performance in mind. As a result, cushioning and control are sacrificed. They should only be used during racing and not during the arduous process of training due to the limited defence from injury.

Off Road / trail shoes

Trail shoes have deeper grooves on the sole of the shoe for better traction on muddy or slippery surfaces

Stability shoes

Shoe Selection

Once the runner has identified their gait and then decided upon the type of shoe they want, they must then select their shoe.

Overuse injuries

This description of overuse injuries is NOT to be use as an alternative to a visit to a qualified medical practitioner. It is designed to help the athlete understand possible conditions which may occur due to running gait problems which have not been corrected an dnot for self diagnosis.