’s typically wide base, the new Stabil has an extremely broad fit in the upper. That makes the feel of the shoe slightly unbalanced. The loop lacing system doesn’t allow runners with moderate-width feet to pull the laces really close together; but on the other

introduced the Durham into the UK, a shoe that has been a US favourite for a year. There’s absolutely nothing fancy about it, as befits a shoe in Nike’s core Bowerman range; it’s simply designed to provide maximum stability with ample cushioning. (It also has

and polyurethane in the rearfoot that extend well into the midfoot for excellent stability. But all this cushioning and stability technology adds up to the heftiest shoe in running – serious protection for even the biggest runners on the block. Very much a niche

, wear testers who wore prior Max shoes were surprised by its lightness, smoothness and overall upper comfort. In short The Max has always been a big part of Nike’s line, but it was either too bulky or not stable enough for many core runners. Forget that

Weight 435gEvaluation As is the way with Nike’s core Bowerman running range, changes to the Durham this year are minimal. It still has a heavy, full-length polyurethane midsole – which makes it particularly well suited to weighty runners looking

, especially core stability, is valuable. Most runners only strengthen a non-running muscle if their physio tells them to, post-injury. However, the next injury could come from somewhere else. Doing a weekly whole-body exercise such as rowing, active yoga

When your lower-back muscles are weak, you are more likely to suffer from nagging pain, bad posture or below-par running. To keep this critical ‘core’ area strong, you need to strengthen and stretch the erector spinae muscle group. The following

Weight 362gEvaluation The Thielsen is from Nike’s ACG rather than its core running range and was designed with the trails around the firm’s Oregon HQ in mind. These trails are not unlike British off-road conditions, which is why this is a pretty

the carb-loading low-down with these simple dos and don'ts.Rest and RecoveryBecome a better runner even after you've pulled off your trainers with these quick and easy recovery tips.Core StabilityA strong core will make you fitter and faster, as well

studs, a softer, better-gripping outsole rubber, and the option of narrow and standard widths.Like Walsh, Felldancer makes three models: a core training shoe (the Challenger); a racing shoe (Racing, 256g, £52); and a support version (Extreme, 352g, £61