The Running Shoes

Due to the uneven pavement, potholes and other problems women runner encounter when they are running they can develop foot injuries. Most of these runners end up with stiff feet from poor selection of shoes. In order for a women runner to be able to select the proper running shoe they need to know the criteria of a good running shoe.

Depending on the type of running program that the women are involved in make a great difference on the type of shoes she should get. Women that run distances of 25 miles or more per week is going to need a more durable shoe than a women that run a shorter distance.

The two most determining factors on which shoe you would like to try is the distance you run on each outing and how often you run each week. Knowing these two factors women can look for the proper shoe for the style and distance they run.

Many of the shoemakers have woman running shoes on the market but Adidas, Nike, New Balance, Reebok and more make the best shoes. The best womens running shoes will ensure safety, durability and comfort if the shoe is not comfortable do not purchase it because it will cause you to get blister and sores on your feet and make you prematurely tired. You also want to be sure to get good ankle support so you do not twist your ankles.

A lot of the low quality shoes do not have proper airflow and will cause you to develop sores, which can lead to infection. So do not compromise your feet to an inexpensive pair of shoes. Todays technology has come up with the full volume air sole that extends from the tip of the toe to the heel to ensure greater comfort and to aide in preventing sores from developing.

Cushioning is probably as important as airflow or maybe even more because we exert thousand of pounds of pressure on our feet every time we run. So it is very important to get a good shoe with the proper amount of cushioning without compromising the weight.
Keep your shoes as light as possible so that you are not carrying that added weight on a 25-mile run.

The price you pay for your shoe is the quality you are going to get. Do not be sold one of those inexpensive shoes because they look like their pricier counterpart. If you are serious about running the most important piece of equipment you will buy will be your shoes so do your homework and spend the money so you do not end up with severe injured feet because of a few dollars.

By: Philip Collins

women running shoes

The importance of proper aerobic shoes is often underrated. People talk about doing the exercises right, planning out a routine, eating properly, hydrating properly, and all manner of other workout tips, but they seldom get to talk about good gym shoes.
Of course, if you are taking an aerobics class, then footwear does not matter. You will do all of your aerobic exercise on a padded mat, and wearing shoes will be discouraged, if not outright banned from the room for the sake of preserving the floor. But for many other aerobic exercises (with swimming and a few other excepted) proper aerobic shoes are a must. You just can not protect your feet without them.

The type of aerobic shoes depend on what you are doing for your workout. If you are a serious runner, you need to get running shoes. These are lighter than other kind of aerobic shoes, and concentrate padding for where runners need it. They are no good for playing tennis, for example, as they provide very little lateral ankle support. For tennis, or most other exercises that involve more than just moving in a straight line, you need a different kind of aerobic shoes: cross trainers or tennis shoes. Basically, both of these aerobic shoes are about the same thing – the modern version of the gym shoe, with plenty of padding, but still a low top to allow some flexibility and movement at the ankle.

Of course, if you play basketball, you need bigger sturdier aerobic shoes to adequately protect your ankle. These are called high tops, and they come up all the way to the top of the ankle. They are great for this sport, because you are repeatedly jumping high, bursting into sudden sprints in different directions, and doing many other things that can wreak havoc on your ankle. They protect you from injuries much better than any other kind of aerobic shoes, and you will see almost all basketball players wearing them. They are not good for the kinds of sprints that you have in tennis, however, and so are rarely if ever worn by tennis players. Then again, if you are a cross country runner, you need different aerobic shoes altogether. They will be sort of a combination between tennis shoes and light hiking boots, with a fairly light build and plenty of traction on the bottom. But that is another story entirely.

By: Dan Sherman

Aerobic shoes

There are a lot of different shoes you can pick from for different activities. One of the styles of shoes that you may have thought of already is the running shoes. So if you are looking to buy new pair of running shoes consider the following guidelines to help you choose the best pair for you.

Some things to think about when buying a pair of these shoes is ask yourself how much you run and how far. This is a main factor in buying these shoes to expect the life of them. If you are a serious runner who logs a lot of miles you will probably want to buy more than one pair. Most of all shoes will cost anywhere from $35 to $200.

If you are a runner who only runs about 25 minutes a week on a three day basis then you are looking for the less expensive kind. If you are a heavy runner you need to look for the shoe that will support your foot the best. For men, think about getting Nike or Reebok shoes or even Asics. Asics makes a wide variety of running shoes. Women who run half an hour a day or less should probably go with a shoe like Asics carries.

If you run more than the average person than you will want or either need to buy a better quality shoe and as mentioned above you should also get more than one pair. These higher quality shoes are made to handle more impact and are going to be a lot better on your feet. Men may want to think about getting a good running shoe from a company that specializes in running shoes such as Saucony.

The kind that you choose is not going to hurt you but you want to get the best possible choice you can. You can pick from all kinds of running shoes there are Nikes, Reebok, Mizuno, Asics, Saucony and many more. These are just a few kinds that are picked by many, but you should take a look at the latest Consumer Reports to get a better idea and then go with the one that is comfortable for you.

There are a lot of other things to think about when buying a pair of shoes. Try and think about how much you are running and how far. For example if you are running on smooth surfaces then you’re not going to need a rough bottomed shoe. On the other you may need a rough bottom type because you prefer running in the woods maybe a little cross training.

By: Gregg Hall

running shoes

When you were a kid you had at least two pair of shoes. One pair was your “good” one your mother referred to as your “dress shoes,” while the other pair was your “everyday” shoes, most probably of athletic nature. These shoes, specially designed for sporting activities, were given the generic name “athletic shoes,” which is still considered a category that consists of running, basketball and tennis footwear.

Originally introduced as part of the sporting apparel, athletic shoes are now worn as part of a casual look. Going for a walk, running across the shore, or playing outdoor games, are examples of the instances that people of all ages select to wear them. But how did all begin and why do more and more different types of athletic shoes being produced?

It is much more than the supply and demand curve, but it all comes down to that. Modern sneakers have beginnings in various sports shoes. One ancestor is the expensive British upper-class footwear of the late 1800s, used for lawn tennis, cricket, croquet, and at the beach. While at the turn of the twentieth century, football and baseball players wore essentially the same shoe type as before, the leather high-topped lace-ups with leather soles and cleats, the need to have footwear that provided a good grip onto the ground was the reason why a variety of lightweight shoes were introduced.

Special shoes that would allow runners to move and lead to positive results, like increasing their speed and thus, their competitiveness, were ordered. Thus, as the need for greater speed increased, so did the athletic shoes’ number and styles. By refining and improving the shoes’ traction, sportswear companies created a subcategory in sports apparel; the shoemaking industry that is now worth billions. The sneakers’ demand emerged as athletes drew spectators to games and scientists invented new ways to accelerate human limits and improve athletes’ scores.

The dictionary defines the athletic shoe or sneaker as “a sports shoe usually made of canvas and having soft rubber soles; also called tennis shoe.” As today, uppers can be of leather, nylon, canvas, plastic, or combinations of these, and the shoe bottom surface has come to include any type of natural or synthetic rubber soles, tennis shoes are not equivalent to any other type of athletic shoe types. Sure, the term “tennis shoes” has become a generic term for athletic shoes, but this should not give the wrong impression to people that all sports shoes are the same or that one should wear them interchangeably regardless of the game/sport played.

Running shoes on a tennis court, for example, are a sprained or broken ankle waiting to happen. Running shoes are built with a thick, soft heel to maximize cushioning for straight-forward, heel-to-toe foot impacts. Playing tennis is all about sudden starts and stops, as well as moving quickly from side to side. The trouble is that, during extreme stopping, cornering, and pivoting, if the sneaker’s outsole is too rigid, the tennis player loses contact with the playing surface, which results in a loss of footing.

In addition, since runners do not usually move sharply sideways, while “on the run,” the running shoe sole is totally unsuitable for the sideways movements a tennis player makes.

From Keds, which were the first tennis shoes in 1917, to today’s extraordinary designs and expensive advertising budgets, shoemakers continue to design shoes with an eye towards accommodating various types and shapes of feet. When one adds to this equation, the trendy variety of styles, the outcome speaks for itself. There is always an option available for our feet will feel comfortable while playing a friendly match of tennis.

By: Jonathon Hardcastle

tennis shoes

I remember my first pair of running shoes. I had read in a magazine article that the way to prevent injury was to buy good running shoes, and that any good running shoe would cost between $90-$130. A light bulb went on. I could prevent injury and potentially be a better runner, all in a shoe? Off I went.

My first stop was a huge multi-sport center. I breezed past the canoes, golf clubs, treadmills, and in-line skates. Scanning the display wall of shoes, I looked for something expensive because I thought that meant it must be a better brand or a better shoe. I naturally picked the shoe I thought looked the best, with the best complimentary color scheme, something I could “match” with any one of my “running outfits.”

Then I looked around, huffed and puffed, and all but threatened to blow down the display wall if I couldn’t get some help. My help finally arrived. He came from the tents and camping equipment section.

Was it a hideous experience? No, not exactly hideous. Did I get help? Yes. The nice man went back to look for the shoe I picked out. Was there a problem here? I didn’t think so, but any knowledgeable running store employee would have told me otherwise. This whole scenario was a problem.

First of all, you don’t buy shoes because of the color or style! You don’t buy shoes because you think the more they cost, the better they must be! And finally, you don’t buy shoes because they’ll match your outfit!

Lucky for me, the mega multi-sport center didn’t have the half size I needed, and I didn’t buy those shoes. The man helping me generously recommended a local specialty running store so that I could have the shoes that day. I remember wondering if that meant the shoes would cost even more.

Answer? No. I found out within the hour they wouldn’t cost more at the specialty running store. They actually cost less.

At the running store, the clerk asked me all about my running experience. Where do I run? How often? What type of surface? How far? I thought he was just making conversation. I found out later he had been assessing my individual needs. He looked at my feet and my old running shoes. Then he started bringing out boxes and asking more questions.

“How do they feel? What do you like about these? What don’t you like?”

He asked me to run the length of the store. At first I was embarrassed. Why was he watching me run? It turns out everyone has a different running style, and this is an important assessment. You should expect this at any reputable running specialty store. By the time I left, I felt like I had the best possible pair of running shoes for my overpronating, flat, narrow feet.

I learned a lot about my feet and about running in general. I also learned something about these knowledgeable running store employees. These are the people who know the latest in shoe design and performance. They are typically runners like you and me. They work there because they love running and they love helping other runners run better. Running specialty stores can also serve as a center for your local running community. This is the place to find local running groups, information on training and upcoming races or fun runs.

I consider myself lucky that the super sports center didn’t have my shoe size. If you’re reading this, you should consider yourself lucky, too. I did all of the research for you. Now, hurry. Run, don’t walk, to your favorite running specialty store! I recommend visiting the folks at Running Centers for Running & Jogging Shoes

By: Natalie Rohwer

running shoes