From time to time I like to remind people about buying shoes in a running store. I feel compelled to write this as I have noticed some interesting things of late.
1) The running store is a resource with people who know what they are doing. At least I hope they know.... When you go to a running specialty store, the staff should be knowledgeable, friendly, and offering some good advice. If they provide gait analysis, do it. They can let you know if you over pronate, supinate, or are neutral.
2) What does it mean if I over pronate, supinate or am neutral. Pronation is a natural movement for your foot. There is no good or bad about it. If your foot rolls to the inside as you run or work, you over pronate - 75% to 80% of us do this. The rest either supinate(roll to the outside) or are neutral. The person doing the gait analysis will be able to determine which category of shoe you need based on this.
3) Once your pronation is determined, the shoe fitter will give you some options. Let me be clear - color is not an option. You cannot and should not buy shoes based on color. It does not matter if the shoe is pretty, pink, yellow, ugly, or plaid, buying a shoe must be based on your needs and pronation. You can buy the outfit based on color, but please, don't ask the fitter if the Brooks Adrenaline comes in another color. Get the shoe. Your feet don't care what the color is, and at mile 20 neither will you.
4) Leave the Runner's World at home. I love reading Runner's World and think it is a great resource. Please don't bring in the shoe guide issue and tell the shoe fitter that you think you need the award winning Mizuno Rider, because so and so tested it, and your wet foot test tells you that is the only shoe for you. Please refer to the first two points I made in this post.
5) I don't care if your grandma wore Asics as a child, that does not mean it is the only shoe for you. Yes, the brands your family members, friends, loved ones and fellow runners wear are great - for them. Work with the shoe fitter to determine the best fit for you. Don't ask, "Which is the best shoe." My answer 100% of the time to that question is, "Whichever one fits you the best."
6) You are not a size 5 foot - unless you really are. There is a reason shoes are fitted 1/2 to a whole size more than what you normally wear. Feet swell when running, and you need the room to allow that swelling. If you don't, you can risk blisters, black toe nails, circulation issues, etc.. It can be jarring to find out you are not the size 5 foot. I ask you not argue with the shoe fitter. They don't mean to insult you, they are there to help, and they know you may need a size 6. I have had customers walk out because they would not listen when I told them they weren't the size they insisted they were. One woman called me a liar. I have no reason to lie. I told her A reason she may have the aches pains, hammer toes, and black toe nails could be because she was in too small a shoe. She insisted she was a 6. She was a 9. Those poor feet.
You only get one set of feet in this world. Treat them well with well fitted shoes.
Charlie
