The Difference in Running Shoes






Intro

I've been working in the running shoe industry for the past year and one common consensus that many people have is that all running shoes are alike. This is not true by any means. There are many different types of running shoes that are meant for different purposes and in this blog, you will learn about these models. 

Heel to Toe Drop

Before we get into all the fun stuff let's talk science, each shoe has what's called a heel to toe drop which is the difference in height from the heel of the foot to the toes by. So, a higher drop around 12 millimeters will elevate your foot 12 millimeters from your toes. Everyone has their own opinions about heel to toe drops but I say go with what feels the most comfortable. Each shoe company would have different models that will have different drops. 

0-6 Millimeter Drop

A lower millimeter drop will most likely make you a bit more stable and feel a bit closer to the ground. Usually, you have more calf engagement when the drop is lower as well as being more stable. A 0-millimeter drop would be completely flat from heal to toe which would make a bit more of a natural barefoot feel. These drops promote a lot of midfoot to forefoot strike when you are running. 

8-12 Millimeter Drop

The drops that are a bit higher will elevate your heel from the ground by a significant amount. Which are really good for people who are dealing with Achillies tendonitis, Plantar fasciitis and knee pain. Usually if you have tight calves a higher millimeter drop may be better. These drops promote a rear heel strike. 

All Around (Daily Trainer) 

When it comes to daily trainers you want something that is versatile. A shoe that you could take for a long run, short run, and even a tempo run. These types of shoes are good for beginners or if you are getting back into running. Shoes like the Brooks Ghost 15, Hoka Clifton 9, Nike Pegasus 40, and Saucony Ride 16 would all be good examples. 

                                                                                         Tempo 

A light and fast speed shoe that will propel forward is what a tempo running shoe is all about. The whole purpose of a tempo running shoe is to get some speed into your workouts while being as light as possible. One downside about tempo running shoe is that they won't be as stable and would most likely run out of life faster. Hoka Mach 5, Hoka Rincon, Saucony Endorphin speed 3 and Asics Novablast are all examples of tempo shoes. 

Stability 

The whole name of the game for stability running shoe is to keep your foot as straight and neutral as possible. Usually, if you deal with over pronation, over supination or deal with flat feet you would most likely benefit from stability running shoes. Shoes like the Brooks Adrenaline, Asics Gel Kayano, Hoka Arahi, or Karhu Ikoni would all be solid choices. 

                                                                                         Max Cushion

A max cushion shoe is what you think it is. A shoe that has the most cushion imaginable and feel like an absolute cloud. If you are standing on your feet all day like a teacher or someone in the medical field, you may benefit from these types of shoes. Or also if you are getting into Ultramarathons which are races that are more than full marathons just because you will be on your feet for a long time and these shoes have that cushion that would last. Shoes like the Hoka Bondi 8, New Balance 1080, New Balance MORE, and Diadora Volo 3 are all good examples.






Racing 

A lightweight shoe that is either carbon plated or has some type of plate that propels your forward with a nice energy return and is made to increase your speed by seconds or even minutes during a race. Two drawbacks to these types of shoes, one is that they don't last that long maybe 100 miles and they may be a bit on the more expensive side of things. Nike Alpha Fly, OnCloud Echo 3 and New Balance Super Comp Elite 3 are all prime examples to performance based running shoes.


Trail

Lastly, we got trail running shoes which are shoes that are made for more rocky terrains. If you are going hiking or on a trail run these are perfect for what you need. They tend to be a bit more stable as you are dealing with lots of uneven surfaces. Hoka Speed goat 5, Altra Lone Peak 7 and Brooks Cascadia are all good examples. 





Conclusion

Yes, you have many options for running shoes and each brand have something different to add to the table. Go to your local running shoe store and try on theses shoes or get a consulting about these shoes. Your feet are super important as you only get two in this life so protect them, be comfortable and go find that shoe. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Greatest Runners of All Time

Image
Running Categories Running is a sport that has three main categories which includes short Distance, middle Distance, and long Distance. Each running event has there G.O.A.T (greatest of all time), from world breaking athletes to athletes who were so influential they changed running in all. These athletes have won medals in the Olympics, World championships, The Dimond League and Qualifying Marathons around the world.  Usain Bolt  One of the most well known sprinters of all time is Usain Bolt and arguably one of the most dominant athletes of all time. His first Olympic games was in the summer of 2008 in Beijing where he set a world record in the 100 meter dash with a time of 9.69 seconds. His all time PR (personal record) is 9.58 seconds in the 100 meter sprint that still stands as the world record to this very day. He is an eight-time Olympic gold medalist and has won gold in the 100m, 200m and 4x100 relay. Michael Johnson  Considered to be the greatest American Sprinter ...
Read more

Marathon of Hope

Image
Terry Fox Born July 28th, 1958, Terry Fox was raised in Port Coquitlam, BC where at the age of 18 was diagnose with Bone Cancer which caused his leg to be amputated. This did not stop Terry as he started the "Marathon of Hope" to raise money for cancer research. Running with a prosthetic leg he ran over 3,500 miles in a span of 143 days which has to be one of the greatest running accomplishments of all time. He died on June 28,1981, after his cancer had spread to his lungs.  The Marathon of Hope Map Cities Running 26 miles a day Terry wanted to run all of Canada. He started his run at St. Johns, Canada, than ran through 59 more cities including Quebec, Montreal, and Toronto. He finished his run in Thunder Bay, Canada.  Illness As stated previously Terry fox was dealing with Bone cancer which caused him to amputate his leg at the young age of 18. He went into Remission for about 2 years and at the age of 21 when he was on his third month of his running journey the cancer came ...
Read more

Why you should run

Image
Health Out of all the benefits you gain from running the most crucial one is improved health. Running improves your cardiovascular system by strengthen the heart by ensuring the proper flow of blood & oxygen throughout the body which in long term will help prevent heart disease and heart attacks. Running also helps with maintaining blood pressure and cholesterol. Lastly improving your immune disease which is important to fighting off sicknesses.  Weight Management Running is one of those exercises that burns the most calories if you're trying to lose weight. If you're at a weight that your comfortable at running will help maintain that weight. Running increases what they call the "After-Burn" which is where the number of calories you burn after a workout increases. Of course running by itself won't help lose or maintain weight but with frequent exercise and proper diet you will find losing weight and maintaining weight easier.  Social Life One thing that runni...
Read more