There’s a lot less mystique about getting good running shoes than the major brands would have you believe. The truth is, so long as you go with a running brand that has a good reputation the shoes are likely to be well constructed, made of suitable quality materials and will give you plenty of miles for your money. From that starting point there are only a few simple rules to follow. Your weight, pace and any running gait idiosyncrasies are likely to be the most important factors affecting your choice of daily training shoe. There is always an element of trial and error before you finding the type of shoe that feels right for you, but when you find them there’s a tremendous pleasure in putting on a new pair of running shoes in a shop and just knowing they are right! The heavier runner will certainly get best value by choosing a slightly more robust – and usually heavier – shoe. These often have much more sturdy support around the heel cup area, and a denser midsole which won’t compact and crush so readily. A generally firmer construction in the midsole, they tend to be a bit inflexible in the forefoot, but give great stability. The light to medium weight runner will have a very wide choice and it’s then a matter of what characteristics you like in your running shoes. The perfect combination for me has always been a very soft spongy heel cushion, as lightweight as possible and great flexibility. Give me those three things and don’t rip me off and I couldn’t be happier. It’s really worth shopping around and trying to pick up last year’s model if you can. If last year’s model was a great shoe last year, it still is this year, but you’ll probably get the £100 shoe for £60. As for high technology – since the 1970s the big brands have made extravagant claims about new innovations in design and materials and how they will make you a better runner. There’s probably never been much in any of that as they all pretty much keep pace with each other, although I confess to being a fan of Nike air cushioned shoes. New Balance have also made shoes that have felt just right for me over the years. The recent controversy surrounding Nike Vaporfly technology has opened up a whole new debate about where the line between fair and unfair advantage is drawn, but they are really a straightforward racing shoe so not something you’ll be wearing everyday. To me they look like the type of shoe I’d absolutely love, but at the pace I run at, and with a price of £160 – £240 I may wait a while before indulging !
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