My Running Shoes

Exhibit A - Not so Everlast

Exhibit B - Yet to be tested.

If you're new to running and are looking for a pair of nice(ish) running shoes without breaking the bank it can be hard to know where to start. I knew I wanted some better trainers than those above in Exhibit A, but the sky seems to be the limit with the cost of running shoes, and when you start researching the topic you find lots of jargon, like 'minimalist', 'neutral', 'stabilising' etc., which makes you realise footwear is quite a complex subject. To offer a very brief summary:

Lightweight shoes - as the name implies, wear these for speed, not overall training.
Stability shoes - for normal arches, and those with a tendancy to pronate.
Motion control shoes - for low arches and to combat excessive pronation.
Cushioned/Neutral padded shoes - for high arches and supination.



One way of getting round this of course is to go to the nearest running specialist to have your gait analysed and then have an expert tell you which shoes are suitable for your running style (presumably followed by a hard sell). If, however you are concerned that your budget can't extend to the latest and greatest in footwear technology, you might feel more comfortable educating yourself and then browsing the more mid-range competitors for your money. This is what I did. I am after all just starting out. If I decide down the line that running is life-alteringly-awesome and that I want to progress beyond 10k I might see the appeal of the services offered by the specialists. For now though, I'm just 'having a go'. I'm curious if I'll find running enjoyable, and whether I can complete a 10k race. For my purposes, trainers that are 'good' rather than 'amazing' will suffice.

So, upon doing some research on running shoes for supination (annoyingly also known as under-pronation), I found out the following:

• Cushioning is important as supination makes joints vulnerable to injury and shin splints quite likely.
• Needs good arch support.
• Aim for neutral padding
• Heel support is desireable
• Shoes should be curved

Other factors apply obviously, like breathability, a roomy toe box (so toes aren't cramped), good build quality etc.

There are a selection of shoes reviewed in 10 Best Underpronation Running Shoes Reviewed and Compared that give a good general overview of the kinds of shoes to aim for.

The shoes I ended up with were The Print Run Dist by Reebok (Exhibit B above). I've yet to try them out on the road but they're a neutral running shoe, claiming to have lots of cushioning, so we'll see how I get on with them.