I’ve been a “shoe guy” for a long time. Or at least since the start of High School. I personally can’t stand the term “sneakerhead” because people overuse that term and I’m way too old to use it. When I got to High School, I started to really get into shoes, and once I started working, it was over. I would spend at least half of my paychecks on shoes and remember getting into “disagreements” with my mother about how I was spending my money. My trump card was always, “well I could be spending it on drugs”, and that tended to give me the “W”.
I was mostly interested in shoes for the style, and any performance-related shoes I was getting on the discount racks. I had the backwards mindset of “why spend a lot of money on shoes I’m going to beat up?” As I’ve matured to an otherworldly degree, I have realized that companies often make performance shoes more expensive because (you guessed it) they are better quality. Revelation to my brain.
Even though I ran track throughout college, all of my shoes (trainers and spikes) were provided by the team. I never gave much thought to what I was wearing, and definitely felt like I’d made it because I was being given “free” shoes whenever I needed them. One reason I was interested in the decathlon was because that qualified for a few more event-specific spikes. It wasn’t until after about a 12 year hiatus from running that I started doing some research about running shoes and learned A TON about the differences.
There are many things to learn about and consider with running shoes. My goal is to give you my idiots guide to understanding the different aspects of shoe buying to be aware of. After all, I am firmly planted in the amateur category (at best) but I have spent a lot time researching and talking to former trackmates in the running shoe industry and I have learned a decent amount. The following information is in no particular order.
Stack height
You have likely seen this more than you have heard about it, but the general thing to know about stack height is that it is the amount of cushioning that is in the sole of the shoe. A brand that is known for having a higher than average stack height is Hoka. Hoka has become very popular in the last few years, even for non-runners. A big reason for their popularity is that their shoes are wildly comfortable and provide a lot of cushioning underfoot. I know a few runners that were previously unable to run due to various injuries and pains that have been able to run again with Hokas. I had a pair of Hoka Speedgoats that I grew to love, but they felt very “tippy” at first. It took me a while to get comfortable running in them.
The most common reason that I’ve heard of against wearing shoes with a lot of cushioning is that it can actually weaken your foot muscles. When this happens, your likelihood of a foot injury can increase, so you will want to compensate to help prevent that. One easy way to do that is to walk around your house barefoot as much as possible. One other downside to having high-cushioned shoes is that the tread typically wears out quite quickly. I had a pair of On Cloudmonsters (pictured above and below) that started to show a good bit of wear after only 50 miles. Ideally you want to see more rubber on the soles to help prevent this.
Wearing a shoe with a higher stack height can be very beneficial to runners who are doing longer efforts. You tend to see a lot more people wearing these types of shoes in ultras (anything over marathon distance). After being on your feet for 3+ hours, it can be much more manageable if your feet have more protection. Other than that, I haven’t heard a compelling reason to get a higher stack shoe.
Drop
If you have started looking into running shoes more thoroughly, you have likely heard a shoe described by its “drop”. The easiest way to understand drop is that it is the difference in the height between the heel and the toe. Most shoes that I’ve seen have somewhere between a 4-10mm difference (always shorter in the front). There are a few brands that focus on having a “zero drop” which ultimately means the sole is flat.
From everything I’ve read, the reason the heels are generally higher is to help protect your feet from heel striking. Heel striking is very common, and happens when a runner’s heel is the first point of contact when running. It’s not the ideal position for your feet (from an injury-prevention and running efficiency standpoint), and shoe manufacturers try to help. Zero drop shoes are becoming more popular, with brands like Altra leading the way. If you read up on these shoes, the general recommendation is not to jump into a zero drop shoe too quickly. Due to having less protection in the heel, you really want to be landing closer to your toes, otherwise you can increase your chances of injury.
Toe box
The toe box is referring to the front of the shoe, where your toes are. Some brands are known for a narrower toe box, but there are more brands doing the opposite. Research is showing that the more movement your toes have, the better. If your toes are too cramped, it’s never a good thing and can (again) increase your chances of injury. Altra is also leading the pack by having a wider toe box than most of the other brands.
Carbon plate
The carbon fiber plates have been much more common in the last few years. Don’t quote me on this, but I’m fairly certain Nike was the first to mass produce a shoe with a carbon fiber plate in the sole. Now almost every major shoe brand has something similar in their racing shoes. The basic benefit of the carbon plate is that it helps propel you forward, which reduces your effort and lowers your time (Nike’s 4% shoes were billed to take 4% off your race times). I remember getting my first pair of shoes with a carbon plate and there was a notable difference in feel and took a little while getting used to.
In my experience there are a few things to consider about the carbon plated shoes. First is that they don’t really do anything for you when you are running at an “easy effort”. They actually feel quite unstable at slower speeds. The real apparent difference is when you are running at faster speeds, and they do feel like they are propelling you forward. The second consideration is that they actually beat your feet up quite a bit and the general guidance is that they are not a daily trainer. Lastly is that the carbon fiber doesn’t generally last as long, so don’t expect to be able to get the 300-500 miles that most shoes advertise.
Lugs
The lugs on the bottom of your shoes are more specific to trail running shoes, but are important nonetheless. If you’ve seen a pair of trail runners, one of the first things you will notice is that the tread underneath is much more aggressive. There are knobs sticking out all along the bottom of the shoe, which are very important for grip and stability off-road. Not all trail shoes are alike, and shoes with longer lugs are made for more technical terrain. Those shoes will be better on challenging trails, but will not transition as well to the road.
Gore-tex
I’m sure most people have heard the term gore-tex before, but if you somehow have not, it is a material that is known for being waterproof. It is pretty much the industry standard in waterproofing, and found in all the high quality rain and snow gear on the market. Given that running is a year-round activity and often done in rain or snow, there are a number of shoes with a gore-tex option. While these shoes will do a great job of keeping moisture out, the opposite is also true. They are not nearly as breathable, so the inside of the shoe will trap your foot sweat inside. While that is far from being a reason to avoid them, it’s definitely worth considering prior to purchase. If you think you will be running in wet environments regularly then it is likely a worthwhile investment. Otherwise, it’s ok to have wet feet once in a while.
Brands
There are a lot of shoe brands in the running market, and you’ve probably heard of most of them. All the biggest brands make running shoes, and there are a number of other brands that tend to focus primarily on running. Asics, Saucony and Brooks come to mind but there are plenty of others (some of which I mentioned earlier). Your best bet is to head down to a specialty running store and try out a few different options. Many of these smaller stores also have these incredible machines that can analyze your feet for any consideration. For context, if you are looking for a high quality running shoe, you should plan on paying between $125-150 (sometimes more, sometimes less). Once you know what brands and models you like, you can often find good deals at various online stores. I don’t think I’ve ever paid full-price for a running shoe.
Usage
As you get more into running and training for various races, you may find that not all running shoes are created for the same purpose. They are obviously all for running, but there are actually a few different types of runs that you might find yourself on.
Tempo/Speed
For improving your speed, you will likely want to incorporate tempo runs into your mix. These involve periods of running at faster paces, even if they are broken up into intervals. For this type of running, you will look for a bit more of an aggressive shoe that is built specifically for speed.
Long runs
When training for longer races, the long run is a staple in the mix and is often done at a slower (or conversational) pace. The point of these runs is to build up your endurance and spend more time on your feet, so that your body gets conditioned for running longer. Shoes for these efforts are often a little more cushioned (think stack height). I’ve made the mistake of doing long runs in a tempo shoe and have felt it afterwards. It’s not to say that it isn’t doable, it just may hurt a little more during and after your runs.
Racing
This gets a little more granular because many brands make different racing shoes for different events. The shorter the distance, the more aggressive the shoe. A racing shoe is generally going to be notably lighter than a training shoe and this is where you will see the carbon fiber plates. It is far from a requirement to get a racing shoe, but they can make a recognizable difference once you start trying out different shoes. Bear in mind they do tend to be more expensive…
Trails
Trail shoes are an entirely different breed and have a few key differences from road shoes. There are three primary things that I’ve seen. A reinforced toe box for protection against rocks and roots, a firm sole (also for protection) and aggressive, rubber grip. Similar to road shoes, there are a variety of options when it comes to the trails. If you plan to run on the trails on any consistent basis, I recommend picking up some trail shoes. I have ran with a few new trail runners, and they have marveled at the difference after picking up their first pair.
Recovery
It’s becoming more common to have shoes and sandals that are specifically designed for recovery. Ultimately that means high cushioning for your sore feet. There are a few brands that are focused almost exclusively on this market – most notably Oofos and Kane. Footwear like this has become more popular and other brands are making their own versions of recovery shoes. I too succumbed to the interest here, but have mostly relegated my recovery slides for odds and ends. After a few minor foot pains, the most common advice I’ve received is to walk around the house barefoot, so that’s been my go-to.
Breaking shoes in
The general advice I’ve always received is to walk around your house in new shoes for a while before going out for your first run. This is especially important before doing a run over 3-5 miles. I’ve made the mistake (recently…) of skipping this step before and have ended up aggravating my foot, which took a few weeks to recover from. Be smarter than me 🙂
Conclusion
There is a LOT to the shoe buying process, and I hope this has been a helpful high-level overview for you. While this was a lot of information, it is far from being all encompassing. This was mostly geared to newer folks, but hopefully some of the veteran runners out there learned something new too. You might have noticed that I have (what some might say is) a lot of running shoes. There are a few reasons for that. One reason is that I do a decent variety of runs on roads and trails, and each shoe serves it’s own purpose. The other reason is that you can injure your feet if you run with the same shoes every day and on the same terrain. The variety helps prevent injuries so you aren’t sidelined unnecessarily. For those of you who think I might have too many shoes, I’ll tell you as well… at least it isn’t drugs.