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17 Things You Must Know About Your Running Shoe

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Remember I was at Hong Kong, not just for the Hong Kong Marathon, but also for the New Balance Tech Summit? During the talks, I jotted down notes as I learned more about the wonderful world of running shoes. Methinks New Balance unleashed the monster running shoe addict in me!

Here are running shoe tips I picked up from New Balance:

  1. Check the INSOLE and look at the imprint to find out if you have the right fit.
  2. Don’t just measure the length of your foot.  Measure the width and where the joint bends (ball to heel) too.
  3. When checking the shoe fit. Feel the WIDTH. You don’t want too much pressure on the side or too much material.
  4. You should be able to play the piano with your toes to ensure the TOE BOX is wide enough. But you don’t want too much excess material in this area either.
  5. Get the shoe size for the bigger foot.
  6. There should be 1 to 1.5 thumbs width from the tip of the longest toe to the end of the shoe. Why? Your foot expands. Your foot moves such as when you run down the hill.
  7. The MIDSOLE is like the engine of the car, materials that hold the shoe together.
  8. Check the TONGUE. How much of the tongue is showing?
  9. Women have about 4x as many foot problems as men.
  10. Women are more difficult to fit.  We often worry that the shoe is too wide when we’re probably just not used to a spacious toe box since we wear narrow shoes (e.g., high heels).
  11. Shoes should last 300-600 miles, which is roughly 3 to 6 months.
  12. Best way is to rotate between two pairs. Pair A and B. Introduce second pair after roughly 200 miles on the first pair of shoes.
  13. Foot size changes as you get older because ligaments stretch. Your feet may not get longer, but they may get WIDER especially for women who have given birth.
  14. Never wash your entire shoe. Do not put them in the washing machine. Do not throw them into the dryer.
  15. Test a running shoe by flexing the shoe. If it flexes in half that’s not a good shoe.
  16. When you run, you run on an S-shaped angle. Land on the lateral side of the heel and exit on the big toe.
  17. Running generates 2-3x your body weight.

Posted on 03.17.10 to 04 Gear & Product Reviews. Tags: , . Subscribe to follow comments on this post. 20 comments. Add your thoughts or trackback from your own site.

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20 Responses to “17 Things You Must Know About Your Running Shoe”

  1. Thank you for the great running shoe tips!! I’m now using 1225; 735; and 827. New Balances are the best shoes, while Nike has the worst fit for my feet! I’ve always wanted 993s

    RESTASSURED said on Mar 17 10 at 8:29 AM Reply

    • Wow, you truly are an NB fan. I’ve tried NB 801, 1225 and 760. I like the stability of 1225 and 760 but wish they were lighter.

      thebullrunner said on Mar 17 10 at 11:32 AM Reply

      • Hi Jaymie! Guess what?!! I’ve just purchased two Saucony Running SHoes! The Hurricane XI and Guide 2! And OMG! they’re the best shoes out there!! I’ve now replace NBs to good old Saucony! I even got the Shadow 6000 for my casual gear!

        RESTASSURED said on Mar 19 10 at 10:57 AM

  2. wow! this website and your magazine is very helpful, i’am a beginner. the Bull Runner gives me more tips on the running gear that i need with style and comfort.. with this website i’am really hooked on running i want to have my 1st marathon. and with your articles and guides, i’am inspired to train harder and get running a serious hobby and an overall sport. thank you The Bull Runner and more power!! :) keep pushing!!

    erin macapia said on Mar 17 10 at 8:51 AM Reply

  3. hi,

    great post! though parang bitin yung no. 17?

    joe said on Mar 17 10 at 9:22 AM Reply

  4. hi jaymie! we are not suppose to wash the entire shoe pala… too bad, i washed mine twice already with matching dryer pa.

    james said on Mar 17 10 at 9:58 AM Reply

  5. hey jaymie thanks for the tips! is it recommended to shop in the afternoon? =)

    armie said on Mar 17 10 at 10:37 AM Reply

  6. “Test a running shoe by flexing the shoe. If it flexes in half that’s not a good shoe.”

    tested my nike lunar glide and it flexes in half. is there a shoe that doesnt?

    jason said on Mar 17 10 at 12:13 PM Reply

  7. i’ve tried other running shoes before but once i put on NB i never looked back. my favorite was the 660 but couldn’t find them anymore. i have a 591 now. i hope when i buy a new one i’ll remember all these tips :)

    aleah said on Mar 17 10 at 10:20 PM Reply

  8. Hi Jaymie!

    Thanks for the informative tips. Can i repost this in our office bulletin board? =)

    Runningbeyondair said on Mar 18 10 at 8:01 AM Reply

  9. thank you for sharing this,,very timely as im about to buy a new pair this weekend:-)

    Jay said on Mar 18 10 at 11:56 AM Reply

  10. Is there a visual way on how it “flexes” in half here? I would really appreciate it since a lot of New Balance shoes that come out in the market are quite flexible and even in Runners World flexibility is also part of the test for shoes.

    Titanium Runner said on Mar 21 10 at 3:38 AM Reply

  11. Hi Jaymie! Thanks for your tips. I’ll take this tips into mind the next time i buy new shoes. I’m a beginner in running and I find your site very helpful. Thanks and more power to TBR! =)

    Amiel said on Apr 07 10 at 1:11 PM Reply

  12. Never wash your entire shoe. Do not put them in the washing machine. Do not throw them into the dryer.

    So, what is the proper way of washing our shoes po? Which portion do you wash? mahirap naman kung baho nung sapatos at paa mo…

    Jerome said on Jul 06 10 at 5:10 AM Reply

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