RACE-DAY RUN SHOES

As your only contact point with the ground, it’s imperative you choose a pair of running shoes that are right for you. Jack Sexty tests 10 pairs of racers...

The running shoe market has gone through every fad and marketing push imaginable, and in 2017 it feels like we’re kind of back to square one; runners are again been advised to simply run in what they feel most comfortable in.

Head to the Shoe Finder on Brooks’ website for example, and the short questionnaire directs you to what you need based on your requirements, rather than telling you to change your running habits. This is quite different to the top-down approach of the barefoot running movement, a trend that’s been further called into question from a study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine published in January. The study assigned a selection of barefoot-style, lightweight shoes to half a group of habitual heel strikers, and more conventional supportive shoes to the other half. The results showed greater rates of injury in the barefoot group after 26 weeks of running, and injury was more likely still in runners that weighed over 71kg.

While this study only analysed 61 runners, it reiterates the need for careful selection of your shoes based on your build, running gait and experience. The shoes here range from 210-350g in weight, with some perfect for flat-out 5-10k’s and others that tick boxes for long-course tri.

Time then to test the latest and greatest runners for the upcoming race season...

TONGUE Make sure yours is flattened as much as possible while tying your shoes; a scrunched up tongue could cause it to rub or blister your foot HEEL COUNTER An insert that reinforces the heel cup to provide stability. Many race shoes will have a...