Choosing the right shoe

September 29, 2011

For runners, choosing the right shoe is vital because a perfect fit is necessary for long-term running sustainability. Think of a hockey goalie wearing the wrong mask with a bad fit. He may be fine for a few games but sooner or later, well, you get the picture.
No matter the level of runner, it is safe to say that everyone wants his/her shoes to fit like a glove. With so many brands featuring an abundance of different styles, it can be a daunting task for the uninitiated to choose the right shoe. The cost of these cushioned tootsie protectors may be high for some but spending $130 to $190 is average. Some will spend more than $250, while thinking the more you spend, the better the shoes, however, this process is flawed as a runner’s needs may not jive with what the expensive shoe offers. It’s imperative that the runner seeks expert advice for a proper fitting. You may be interested to know that your feet may grow by up to two sizes if you run long enough, with fallen arches being the main reason for this. Others will suffer from excessive swelling after running a full marathon.
The history of running shoes has been well documented. The late Bill Bowerman, former American track and field coach and co-founder of Nike Inc. was a running shoe pioneer. His first creation was what is now called the “Cortez.” He had an interesting obsession with making shoes lighter and lighter, which led to the story of Bowerman ruining his wife’s waffle iron in attempt to make a track shoe with a waffle print for optimal traction.

Please see Friday's sports page for the complete story.