The best running shoes for you

RUNNING HAS BECOME SO POPULAR

For many of us, running is an inseparable part of our lives—we need it. When we run, we improve our health, relieve stress, achieve personal goals, compete, raise money, and most of all have fun.

On any given weekend, check out a running event in any city across the globe and you’ll be inspired by runners spanning ages, speeds, motivations, and goals—each with their own stories. It’s easy to understand how everything about running is actively studied, critiqued, debated, and running shoes are no different.

SOMETHING THAT WE GET ASKED IN OUR PODIATRY CLINIC IS…

Many of our patients at Claremont Podiatry run and when they come to see us, they look after our podiatrist support to run faster, longer, healthier, more efficiently, and injury-free mile after mile. One of the questions that gets asked most frequently is what footwear should they use or if running barefoot would be a healthier more natural option.

RUNNING SHOES FOR EACH TYOE OF RUNNER

A. POORLY CONDITIONED ATHLETES

At one end of the spectrum, we know there are runners who are poorly conditioned athletes, always injured or breaking down, lacking strength and endurance. Running intermittently, with large gaps in there sessions, sometimes weeks without a run, there running technique resembles something out of the walking dead! Yep I said it Zombie like. We hear repeatedly that a more stable running shoe was a crucial factor in them being able to run.

B. BLESSED WITH A GREAT RUNNING TECHNIQUE 

At the other end of the spectrum there are the biomechanically blessed with great running technique,  well-conditioned in strength and endurance, they run regularly, even competitively,  they complete running strength work and know there ins and out of there training program and load management. But still these people more often than not wear some level of shoe. Some prefer a light weight thin running shoe often described a minimalist or barefoot shoe, often rotating a number of different shoe categories based on their sessions.

C. SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN

The vast majority of runners fall somewhere in between these two types of people and that’s why a one size all approach to what running shoe you should wear will never be ideal. The real focus should firstly be on how you run and train, and then finding the right shoe that addresses your needs. Whilst barefoot running may be beneficial for short periods as a part of a larger training program we strongly believe that we have evolved to wear footwear and that’s what we should do.

SHOE PRESCRIPTION FOR EACH PERSON

At Claremont Podiatry in Hobart, prescribe shoes of differing designs and characteristics on a daily basis. We use them as a tool to enhance peoples function, change their biomechanics and treat pain in the body. We base our suggestions on our patient’s unique needs; BUT we also understand there limitations more than anyone, as much as we would like them to… Shoes don’t work miracles and there often only one part of a very complex puzzle of understanding the human body.

ORTHOTIC PRESCRIPTION FOR EACH FOOT

At Claremont podiatry we can go even further and design custom made orthotics for your feet characteristics and needs. The podiatrist performs a foot assessment, takes the 3D scan of your feet, prescribes and designs the orthotics himself and last he does the fitting to make sure the orthotics are achieving what they are supposed to do & he will make small adjustments.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST

What you should run in requires a degree of thought. We strongly believe if you value your running that you should seek out the right information from trusted sources and become educated on this topic. Our ultimate goal is to keep you running for the long haul and give you transparent, research driven information so you are well informed for all your running needs.

For those who live in Claremont or Oatlands, Tasmania, come and see our team of podiatrists. For bookings fill the form in our contact page  or call us at (03) 6249 1155 .