Part 3: How to choose the right running shoe for you

Wherever you run, however you run and however long you run for, there will be a shoe for you.  

How to choose the shoe for you can be confusing with so many options out there.  

The terrain: Road or Trail. 

The first step to choosing a shoe is to figure out where you run, what terrain are you going to run on for most of your runs. This would lead you to choose whether you needed a road shoe or an off-road / trail shoe.  

Gait analysis: discovering your running style. 

A gait analysis will help find the right shoe for your running style also known as your running gait. This can change over time, depending on the training you do, or your lifestyle, so repeat it at various intervals as your running progresses. 

A trained team member at any Up & Running shop will watch and film you run on the treadmill and then show you the video and explain how your gait. If you overpronate, a support shoe may help keep you running stronger for longer, if you are a neutral runner then a neutral, cushioned shoe would most likely be brilliant for you. It would come down to you choosing the most comfortable shoe from the shoes you try on. Gait analysis is free at all Up & Running shops. 

Try on and Run.  

Try on a selection of shoes that are suitable for your style and the type of running you are doing. You can take them for a test run on a treadmill, or better still outside the shop to help find the right ones for you. It is always a personal choice, some shoes have more, or less, cushioning, some feel firmer or softer underfoot, some are lighter, some more solid.  

Ongoing advances in the technology of the model of shoes may mean they feel different or change how they suit your running style. It is always worth trying new shoes on in the shop before you buy.  

The right shoes are key to running many comfortable miles.  

It's worth the time and investment in finding the right shoe for you and keeping them up to date to help prevent niggles and keep you running comfortably for many months or even years. If it’s a shoe to get you started on your running journey or a replacement for a trusty pair of shoes you have had for a while, pop into one of the 29 Up & Running shops across the UK and ask for our help and advice and a free gait analysis. That way you know you are running in the right shoe for you.  

Find your local Up & Running shop here.