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You need running shoes if…
The majority of your work is on the treadmill followed by some bike work, rowing and then a few toning weights.

The benefits of running shoes for the above activities are:

You can purchase a shoe with the right level of support – protecting yourself from injury during your running discipline (have a look at our Pronation Explained! Article for more information on what type of running shoe you need).

A running shoe is lighter.

A running shoe is more cushioned.

To view running shoes click here

You need a cross trainer if…
You do more circuits, classes and aerobics. And / or you also like to play court sports like squash, badminton etc.

Cross trainers would be better for these activities because:

They are usually more responsive – lower to the ground – which decreases the risk of injury as there is less chance of going over on your ankle.

They have non-marking soles – often gum rubber – running shoes are made from carbon rubber which can mark on court surfaces and make you unpopular with the management!

During court sports, there is a danger that the constant aggressive changes of direction might make running shoes separate (the upper comes away from the sole). Cross trainers are more protected (often with a bumper) around the toe to add durability and prevent separation.

The uppers of cross trainers are usually stronger (often leather) which although slightly heavier gives better support. This is required for the movements in aerobic and circuit work.

To view cross trainers click here

Put simply, the cross trainer is better if you play a variety of sports and want one shoe for everything. A running shoe is better if the majority of your gym work takes place in the cardio suite.

Now get down the gym and have fun!

Firstly, when choosing your footwear, think about what you’ll be wearing underneath. For example, if you’re going to be wearing thick socks you may need to take ½ a size up. When measuring your feet, always measure them whilst wearing the socks you intend to wear.

If you have a wider than average foot, have a look for those shoes that are available in a 2E or 4E wider widths. Most shoes by New Balance are available in wider widths.

Get a gender specific fit. Because men’s and women’s feet vary in shape and size, it’s essential to make sure that you buy a shoe specific to your gender. Female feet are narrower, particularly around the heel and women should therefore only buy a shoe built on a female last. Men’s feet tend to be broader, and therefore are built on a more generous last.

To view men’s shoes click here

To view women’s shoes click here

Running Shoes – we recommend that you go up ½ to a full size from your usual shoe size, because when running your feet will swell, so you need to have a thumbnail’s width of space at the end of the shoe to ensure you have enough space. Generally, if you’ll be running up to 10K in a session, a half size up should be sufficient, but if you’re doing more than 10K a full size up might be needed.

To view running shoes click here

Football boots – are narrow as they should fit tightly to keep your foot over the sole unit for better traction. What size you should buy depends on the upper – leather boots will stretch, particularly when wet. If you’re buying a leather boot, we recommend that you take ½ a size down from your normal shoe size and ensure that you take the time to wear your boots in. The leather should mould to the shape of your foot, giving an individual, customised fit. For synthetic leather boots we recommend that you take your normal shoe size.

To view football boots click here

You need to start with 2 pairs of running shoes that have less than 250 miles on them. Mark them A and B if you have the same model, and keep a record of the mileage completed on each. If you have Nike + this will be easy!

Keep your newest pair /lowest mileage for longer runs and racing.

Keep the older pair / highest mileage for shorter runs, bad weather and off-road runs.

Keep the older pair for 500 miles – after this it’s time to say goodbye and bring a new pair into rotation.

If you continue this cycle you will be doing your best to avoid injury and the physio! In the long term, it will save you money because your shoes will last longer and there will be no expensive trips to that physio!

Just realised that you need new shoes? Click here to view products

The Normal Foot

Normal feet have a normal-sized arch and will leave a wet footprint with the forefoot and heel connected by a broad band. A normal foot lands on the outside of the heel and rolls inwards slightly to absorb shock. This is called ‘pronation’ and is the natural movement of the foot. The ‘normal foot’ runner is biomechanically efficient and therefore doesn’t need a motion control shoe.

Shoe needed: Support shoes with moderate control features.

Recommended support shoes include:

New Balance M858 to view and buy click here

Asics Gel Kayano to view and buy click here

Brooks Adrenaline to view and buy click here

Saucony Grid Omni to view and buy click here

Or click here for all other support shoes

The Flat Foot

This has a low arch and leaves a print which looks like the whole sole of the foot. It usually indicates that the foot is over-pronated – one that strikes on the outside of the heel and rolls inwards excessively. Over time, this can cause many different types of overuse injuries. The low-arched foot is flexible and requires support.

Shoe needed: Motion control shoes, or high stability shoes with firm midsoles and control features that will reduce the degree of pronation. Avoid highly cushioned, highly curved shoes, which lack stability features.

Excellent control shoes include:

Brooks Beast to view and buy click here

Saucony Stabil to view and buy click here

Mizuno Renegade to view and buy click here

Or click here for all control shoes

The High-Arched Foot

This leaves a print showing a very narrow band or no band at all between the forefoot and the heel. A curved, highly arched foot is generally known as ‘supinated’ or ‘under-pronated’. This foot can be inflexible; it doesn’t pronate enough and, therefore, it is not usually an effective shock absorber.

Shoe needed: Cushioned shoes with plenty of flexibility to encourage foot motion. Avoid motion control or stability shoes, which reduce foot mobility.

Recommended cushioning shoes include:

Asics Gel Nimbus to view and buy click here

Saucony Grid Triumph to view and buy click here

Mizuno Wave Creation to view and buy click here

Or click here for all cushioning shoes

What size are you?

You may need to go up in size slightly as your feet will expand when you run – generally you should allow a thumb width of room at the front of your shoe to avoid sore toes.

How wide are your feet?

It is important that you get a shoe that fits the width of your feet properly as a well fitting shoe will perform better. Most shoes come in a D fitting, but some e.g Brooks tend to be wider and some e.g Adidas are narrower. Nike offer shoes in a 2E fitting so consider them if you have wide feet. New Balance really cater for those with wide feet and offer D, 2E and 4E for men and 2A, B and D for women.

How much do you weigh?

The heavier you are, the more pressure you are putting on your running shoes. Therefore, the cushioning and stability of the shoe will be more important for you. Brooks Beast, Saucony Stabil or the Mizuno Renegade are made with the heavier runner in mind.

Alternatively, if you are light in weight, you may want to consider a more responsive shoe like the Saucony Fastwich.

What surface do you normally run on?

Road running: a shallow tread that wears well is required. Products such as Asics Gel Kayano or Mizuno Wave Rider are popular for road running.

On and off road running shoe: typically tow paths and footpaths, with a bit of road mileage too – the typical suburban runner needs a tread that has deep enough lugs to give you grip but also a durable enough sole to not wear out on the road. A classic on and off road shoe is the Nike Air Pegasus or the Saucony Jazz 6000.

Off road running shoe: for cross country running you need deep lugs for traction and grip. A classic off road shoe is the Adidas Swoop.

Are you a natural runner or do you under or over pronate?

We have left the most important question until last! Pronation describes the lower legs way of absorbing shock and the movement of the foot. There are 3 types of pronation and you can easily check which one you are by doing the ‘wet test’ – all you need to do is have a look at your wet footprint and see what shape it makes.

Normal /Mild pronators – runners

A normal foot will leave approximately half the footprint – the outside part. This is a position between the two extremes and so requires a support shoe. Support shoes usually combine good cushioning technology with lightweight support characteristics on the inner side of the shoe in order to limit excessive inward rolling of the foot.

Great support shoes are:

New Balance M858 to view and buy click here

Asics Gel Kayano to view and buy click here

Brooks Adrenaline to view and buy click here

Saucony Grid Omni to view and buy click here

Or click here for all other support shoes

Underpronators / Supinators / Neutral runners

This print will leave a very thin band on the outside of the foot or none at all, between the heel and forefoot. This is because most underpronators have a high fixed arch often run on their toes, only using the heel when going downhill. This curved, highly arched foot does not pronate sufficiently and requires a lot of cushioning. Cushioned shoes are built on curved or semi-curved lasts to encourage foot motion. They provide little stability but are softer under foot and more cushioned.

Great cushioning shoes include:

Asics Gel Nimbus to view and buy click here

Saucony Grid Triumph to view and buy click here

Mizuno Wave Creation to view and buy click here

Or click here for all cushioning shoes

Overpronators

Overpronators will leave a footprint of the whole foot because the arch collapses through the foot motion. The foot will roll excessively and so will need a control shoe. If you are a serious overpronator and do not wear the correct shoes then you are much more likely to get injuries (especially knee and hip injuries) when running. Control shoes usually combine cushioning with serious support characteristics. They are generally heavier but provide essential protection which aids injury prevention.

Excellent control shoes include:

Brooks Beast to view and buy click here

Saucony Stabil to view and buy click here

Mizuno Renegade to view and buy click here

Or click here for all control shoes

To have a better look at this great-looking shoe click here

4 other good looking shoes were put forward for the award:

New Balance 903 – click here to view

Nike Air Vomero 3 – click here to view

Nike Lunar Trainer – click here to view

Saucony ProGrid Paramount – click here to view