If a pair of shoes could make you faster overnight, Adidas stores nationwide would have a line out the door.
That's because on Sunday, when Geoffrey Mutai crossed the finish line first at the New York Marathon, he was sporting the Adizero Adios Boost--the brand's popular racing flat.
Minimalist shoes--lighter kicks with less cushioning similar to the Adidas Mutai ran in--get a lot of ink. A recent University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill study found that only 14 percent of runners wearing them reported an injury over a year compared to almost half of runners in traditional sneakers. The twist: That same study found that people who opted for traditional sneaks usually landed on their heel or the middle of their foot, while those who wore barefoot-like options tended to land on their forefoot.
Many factors--like foot mechanics, how much your run, or even how big you are--play a role in what shoe you should wear. So while the sneakers that one of the fastest men in the world laces up with could work for you too, your best option has a lot to do with, well, you.
Whether you're walking, jogging, or training for a marathon, these four tips from Jeff Dengate, Gear Editor at Runner's World will help you make sure your shoe is doing its job.
Check your support. Generally speaking, newer runners, bigger runners, people who have flat arches, and those who are prone to injury benefit from more stability. The more you run, and the lighter your body, the lighter the shoe you can get away with.
Go big. Most runners wear shoes a half size too small. You should have a thumbnail's width from the end of your shoe to the end of your longest toe. You want to be able to wiggle your toes. Footwear can mess with your feet--giving you bunions, for example. Tons of runners also get black toenails, mainly from their toes hitting the shoe.
Consider price. One challenge with shoes that are under the $100 price point is that they're generally made from cheaper materials. That said, the best-selling shoe is the Nike Flex Run ($80; Nike.com). Lots of people wear these for everyday activity, and it works if you're running a few miles on a treadmill every day.
Know when to replace them. You've probably heard that you should replace your shoes every 300 to 400 miles, but lighter-weight shoes wear out more quickly--while heavy trainers with a lot of rubber could last longer. If you're wearing through the rubber at the bottom, or there are holes in the top, it's time to replace them. Sometimes a shoe simply feels dead, too--that's hard to figure out, but if you feel aches and pains that your training doesn't suggest you should feel, toss ‘em.
Additional research by Brian Dalek
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