Sports Wear

Running is a demanding sport, placing a significant burden on your body, sportswear, and shoes.

Like most of the other popular sports, the sport of running continues to see a constant stream of new running gear & equipment released almost daily. While running watches become more advanced as technology is ever improving, so does the various types of running apparel (ie.shorts,tops,socks,bras,wind-breakers,etc.) as new and improved synthetic fibers are found and developed to make our running experiences even more comfortable and enjoyable.

While we all use and replace when needed our shorts,tops,gloves etc., the most important part of our equipment, & probably our largest investment, tends to be in our running shoes. While we will be devoting a future article to the other items of running equipment, this article will concentrate on running shoes.

For me, I don’t want to add up the total amount of dollars I spent on running shoes this year as I believe I bought about six new pair of running shoes this year. Two pair were specially designed trail shoes.

Every one can agree that the most indispensable piece of Running gear is the Running Shoes.

Running shoes need to be matched to your feet structure, foot strike, body type, terrain and distance required to be used for. Running with the wrong shoes accounts for 80% of injuries. Running shoes should be used only for running. These shoes are designed to provide traction and support and reduce the chance of injury.

Trail Shoes

Trail shoes are another important item to consider. Traction, stability, and durability are the name of the game when shopping for trail shoes. My first purchase of trail shoes this year was a pair of Adidas Supernova Trail shoes. The model I bought only came in red at the time but I think they later replaced them with a different color. I wore these shoes when I did the Pikes Peak Ascent,Barr Trail Mountain Race, and only for trail running. It has been a great shoe. Lots of ankle support and stability. My second pair this year was a trail shoe by Salomon I found at a mountaineering store. They were more expensive,quite comfortable, but my Adidas still has them beat.

I remember when I first started running in high school. There were only two brands of running shoes: Adidas & Puma in a few different styles. That was in the late sixties. Wow, look at it now.

There are hundreds of different types of running shoes on the market today in all colors,styles, and price ranges. A good pair of running shoes will usually run you about $80 to $120 or more. A sizable investment and critically important in making a good selection of the right shoe & the right fit.

Some experts suggest that you rotate shoes, so it is also helpful to buy two pairs of shoes and replace them when you have run 350-400 miles. Don’t buy shoes that are not designed for running, and don’t use your running shoes for other sports. Running shoes that actually run miles, as opposed to running to the grocery store, only last about four to six months or 350 to 450 miles, so most people will need at least two pairs to get through all the training and to run their first marathon.

In conclusion,

Take your time,do some research, and don’t be in a hurry when you go shopping for a new pair of running shoes. A good running store, with a staff made up of experienced & seasoned runners, is usually your best bet. I’ve found that most of them will allow you to try the shoes on and run a few hundred yards outside the store to check for comfort. Of coarse, many stores now have computer assisted treadmills that can check your feet for pronation,gait,etc.

Happy Shopping & Happy Running,

Tags: Popular Sports, Running Equipment, Running Gear, Shoes, Sport, Sportswear

by admin on April 10th, 2008 | RSS | trackback