The Importance of Running Shoes

Should every runner really be putting importance into the kind of shoes or spikes they are wearing, or is it just another way for shoe companies to get us to waste money on their products. Can we all be like the Tarahumara Tribe who runs barefoot for unbelievable amounts of miles or do we really need that soft supportive cushion protecting our feet.

I believe runners need quality running shoes and should put importance into ensuring that their feet are well protected. Without a doubt, having the correct shoes on your feet makes all the difference. It can be the difference between having a healthy season and being on the injured list. And having the right spikes can give you that extra tenth of a second you needed to qualify or hit a specific mark you may have been striving for. Every runner looks for the light-weight spike or racing shoe that may give them that edge, but how do you know you are wearing the proper shoe for your event. Just because you paid for an expensive light weight spike does not mean it is the right spike for you.

Lets say you are running a marathon, typically you would want a racing shoe that is lighter then your typical training shoe, with plenty of heal and arch support. The last thing you want to do is go find a 4 ounce racing flat meant for 5k to 10k races. Finding the right shoe for you is all about what events your trying to run. If your looking for something relative to mid-distance such as 800 - 1600 meter races, you would want something with a tough front to mid foot plate and less support on the heal and arch of your foot, typically because in these kind of races you run mostly on the balls of your feet and up on your toes. But if you want something for distance races on the track, such as 3,000 to 10,000 meters you want a spike that would still allow you to run from heal to toe and not as much of a tough front plate but a soft cushiony plate, mostly because the tough plate burns your feet for such long distance. 

One common thing you will find in both long distance and mid distance track races is that the lighter the spike the better as long as the bottom plate fits your event. Some people may believe that finding the "right" spike is bologna, but finding the spike that fits you can make all the difference. The way I see it, shaving off the ounces on your shoe is like shaving off the seconds in your race, so why not take all the advantages you can get.