Help, Confused!

Hello All

I have been running on and off over the last 3 years and I am having problems purchasing the correct shoes.

I have been to 4 fairly reputable (in my opinion) running shops e.g Up and Running (Leeds and Nottingham), Sweatshop and Derby Runner and my running style has been described as neutral, mild overpronation and quite bad overpronation. I don't know who to believe and running shoes aren't cheap. Does your running style change?

Please can someone shed some light on this

Many thanks

Hi Melissa
Book a time with a podiatrist who can assess your gait.

Are the shoes you currently run in comfortable? No aches and pains anywhere after a run? If so, I wouldn't worry too much about changing brand.

Most people are pronators apparently.
I have a tendency to overpronate and was recommended Nike Perseus, quite cheap and does the job!

I'm not majorly into the science in all of this.

I'd say check your old working or walking shoes. See what the wear is like on the heels, and in which direction. You can then decide whether you are under, neutral or over pronation.

I'd keep it that simple, and use the information to purchase them yourself.

Melissa,

Dave0520 has given you some very very good advice!

In last month's magazine 1 person when to about 4 podiatrists and they all said different things. What I found really worrying was one of them said his left leg was longer than his right and then another one said that his right leg was the longer one.

On one of the running shoe shop websites there is some very good advice about choosing shoes and they get you to wet the soles of your feet and stand on some cardboard so you can see what type of foot you have. (Sorry I can't remember which one it is)

It is possible to change your running style if you want as well. I'm undergoing that process at the moment. Yes it is hard work, however I used to be a very heavy heel striker which wasn't helping dodgy knees.

If you already have this months magazine there is a very good advert for Reebok with a flow chart on it.

There is also some good advice on this site as well.

If you have access to a treadmill some people from here have said that when they first have new shoes they run on a treadmill and if they can't get on with the shoes they take them back.

Also check out the gear section of the forum that may help.

I'd be interested to know how each shop assessed your style. Did they do a video analysis on a treadmill? if so, did they show you the video and the angle your heel bends at? If one did, I'd give that advice more weight than if they did anything else. (If so can you remember what the angle was?) I can't see what a podiatrist would do beyond that to assess your style (and you'll have to pay for the pleasure when you could get it done free in a shop). standing on paper is all very well, and will tell you what sort of arch you have, but it doesn't tell you how your feet move when you run.

In sweatshop, if you used the adidas footscan thing I'd ignore that one straight away, you can't run the same barefoot that you do when you're wearing shoes (unless you're a midfoot person, but you're probably not and they're a whole different kettle of fish).

so, in summary, my two penn'orth is - if you haven't been videoed running, get that done and look at the piccies, if you have go with that. For the record, my heels bend in at about 3 degrees, which makes me a mild overpronator, remember you'll pronate more as your feet get tired.

Hi

Thanks for all the responses, I read the article in last months mag about the podiatrists and that has added to the confusion.

Loki up and running (nottingham) first looked at how I stand with my legs shoulder width apart to see if my feet rolled inwards - which they did.

up and running (leeds) looked at my feet whilst running on the pavement.

Sweatshop did use an a footscan and Derby Runner looked at my feet whilst I stood and then how I ran in the shoes that they suggested were right for overpronators.

Its all so confusing, is it expensive to get videoed running?

I would recommend seeing a podiatrist. They will usually carry out a physical examination and also video you whilst you run at various speeds both in your trainers and in bare feet.

I went to see a podiatrist in Settle, North Yorkshire. He advertises in the back of one of the monthly running mags. Cost was about £60.

My visit was quite revealing. I had been suffering from lower leg problems on and off for a couple of years and was convinced I had some biomechanical problem that might be able to be rectified by inserts. It turned out that although my arch is a little flat and my ankle should be in a slightly higher position, my foot strike is only very slightly overpronating. I was running in Asics 2090s (which are recommended to slight overpronators) and the video showed that my slight overpronation was almost completely corrected by the trainers to a neutral footstrike.

The podiatrists conclusion was that I was simply doing too much too soon and too much fast paced running. He was exactly right. That was 18 months ago and I have not been injured since and I'm doing the highest mileage I have ever done as well.

The way podiatrists analyse your running is by superimposing a line on the video down the back of your achilles tendon and heel. When your foot strikes if you have a neutral action your tendon and heel will keep aligned throughout the footstrike and push off. If you have poor biomechanics (and I saw some of them!!!) your tendon and heel will depart from the line by quite a lot and often from each other as well.

As a mild overpronator (which is most common) my foot rolls in slightly after the footstrike so that the angle of my heel of my right foot moves outwards relative to my achilles tendon.

For a quick guide look at the sole of a well used neutral trainer. If the wear is mostly on the inside you are an overpronator. Depending on how significant the wear is to the other side will indicate how severe your overpronation is. I have a very old pair of Nike Pegasus which are neutral shoes. I have slightly more wear on the inside.

Many shops have a dreadmill and associated video ( definitely runners need in Liverpool ST). you can then see how your ankle moves and whether it corrects it.-

I believe I overpronate much more radically when I'm tired, and this is why sometimes I'll be told I'm neutral and sometimes not.

I tell myself that if I pick the "average" advice I'll be about right.

melissa - lots of shops will do video analysis for free, although some will charge you if you don't buy anything - I remember seeing a figure of £25 somewhere.

I don't know of any places that definitely do it near where I assume you are - I went to foot traffic in Bolton, which is probably still a good way away from you. There are bound to be some though, try on Google, and its probably worth a call to check that the gear is all working and the people who know how to work it will be there before you go.