Running shoes are designed to help protect our bodies from the impact force of each footfall. These forces are proportional to a runner's weight, so a 15-stone person, for example, produces 50 per cent more force with each running stride than

-210 can also log how far you run and help pace you. It requires a bit more thought than a GPS SDM, as you have to programme in your stride length and work out how many strides per minute will help you hit your time goals. If your feet strike the ground

recovery since your last run. The S3 stride sensor measures cadence as well as speed and distance, and the package can help you train to increase your stride length and cadence for a faster, more efficient run. Best of all, though, the accompanying Polar

speed and distance facility uses a pod mounted on top of your shoe, which counts and measures strides (based on an initial calibration over a known distance) to calculate speed, pace and distance. Once calibrated the calculations appear to be unerringly

; programme memory; electronic stride control to stop belt slipping; 12mph; 51x142cm; 0-15°; 2.5HP; non-foldingWarranty 3 years parts and labourPros Excellent heart-rate control; good on-screen instructions; clear display; smooth and stable; fast top speed

not offer the support a runner needs because it doesn't properly wrap and support the foot. Improper fit can even lead to plantar fasciitis. Fit tip Not only does your foot slightly lengthen as it hits the ground with each stride, it also spreads out, so

stride and natural side-to-side movement of runners, treadmill belts are expanding in width and length. Fifty-centimetre-wide belts are becoming common, and no good belt should be narrower than about 43 or 45cm. The length of the running area should

to the Complete Heras and you could drop up to 1 minute 14 seconds.Diadora Mythos Racer – £65Weight 237gDiadora claims that the spring in its new range of shoes can extend each stride by two metres – so, in theory, a light weight Diadora racer should

-to-side. This can result in discomfort, chafing and strain on the breasts' supportive tissue – the Coopers ligaments – which in turn can eventually lead to sagging.In fact, the SASI research also shows that on average, a woman's breast moves 9.08cm with every stride

If there's one bit of running kit that really matters, it's those bits of moulded polyeurethane on your feet. So this week we've picked out three niggling shoe queries from the Gear forum. Lend us your thoughts...Q1: The washing machine conundrum