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

.Contact www.nike.comNike Triax Swift – £80Simple and intuitive to use, the Triax Swift is perfect for marathons thanks to its 27-lap memory – a split for every mile – and the last 0.2. The Swift also has three countdown timers, which could be useful if you

and simple to explore. This is the kind of kit that could take over your life.Contact www.polarelectro.co.ukNike+ - £19 (with iPod Nano - £99) The Nike+ has replaced the company’s earlier footpod-based SDMs, though no-one seems to miss them. Now Nike

(with a battery-life reading in hours), a PC interface to download data (with free Garmin software) and the GPS lock, once established, is reliable. Contact www.garmin.com; 0870 850 1241Timex Speed and Distance Monitor – £180Timex’s arm-mounted receiver

treadmill, you don’t need many preset programmes, and you can live with a slightly narrow belt and lightweight feel.Contact: 0115-981 0205; www.hebbindinc.com (*Best below £1500*) JK-Exer 938B £1099Defining features 5 programmes; 10mph; 43x133cm; 0-12°; 1.7

. In motion-control and stability shoes, the heel counter commonly reaches further down the inside of the shoe to help control overpronation. Impact ForceWhen your foot hits the ground, the force that travels through the leg is about 2.5 times your body weight

be at least 127cm, with 140-150cm preferable for taller runners. Make sure you feel comfortable and confident on the belt, and check that it doesn’t sometimes stutter, slip or slide off-centre. Controls The console buttons for changing speed and incline

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