Apart from the will to exercise, the next most important thing when pursuing running is the kind of shoes you wear. The type of shoe that you wear decides how good or how bad your running experience is. The selection of the running shoes governs many factors like comfort, pain and the duration of your run, but most importantly it decides how beneficial the run is to you.

Best Running Shoes

A large number of people make the mistake of buying their running shoes without much research. Most people pick up their pair from a running shoes sale by bargaining on the price. What they do not realise is that they are compromising on the quality of the pair of shoes. A lot of people have the misconception that spending too much time and money on buying a pair of running shoes would be a waste since they would not use it much. Others believe that the price reflects the brand value and does not affect the quality. All these factors are responsible for a lot of us giving up on running too early, or waiting till a significant problem arises due to using the wrong kind of shoe.

Using the wrong kind of shoes can lead to serious knee, hip and ankle injuries. They can also affect the posture of the body and cause shin and foot irregularities. In order to avoid all this, buy the best running shoes in your budget, not the cheapest one.

1. Understanding Pronation of the Foot:

Pronation is the way our foot reduces the impact of stress on it when we run. It is the ability of the heel bones to angle inward and allows the arch to collapse. This absorbs the shock and balances the foot while running. When our foot is under pronated, it is not evened out properly, so most of the shock is absorbed by the outside of the foot. Over pronation occurs when the stress is centred on the inside. This can be seen by the wear of the shoe on the inside, rather than the outside.

• For runners who over pronate, Motion-Control Running shoes are suitable.
• For runners who Under pronate, Cushioned running shoes are suitable and
• For runners who have a neutral pronation, Stability running shoes are the best.

There are various degrees in pronation ranging from mild to Severe. 

2.    Know The Type of Your Foot:

The best way to know the type of pronation you have is to outline your foot and check the height of the arch. The height of the arch that your foot has determines the type of foot you have.

• In persons with a normal arch, the curve of the foot is distinct and uniform with less than half of the width of the foot forming a connection between the toe and the heel. Such arches show neutral pronation.
• In some cases the arch is less in height and almost the entire foot is visible in the outline. Such people tend to over pronate which results in injury to the foot.
• When the curve is extremely sharp and the outline has a very thin link between the heel and the toe, the arch of the foot is very high and tends to under pronate.

3. Choosing The Right Shoe for Your Foot:

After having studied pronation and the type of foot you have based on the pronation it displays, the next step is to choose the best running shoes you can find. When purchasing running shoes, the important thing to look for is the shape of the shoe. There are 3 shapes that are available in shoes, Straight, Curved and Semi-curved.

• Straight shaped shoes are suitable for those whose feet over pronate since their straight shape provides rigidity and maximum support, controlling the pressure.
• Curved shoes are apt for those who under pronate since they have a cushion that absorbs the shock. Their curved shape encourages motion of the foot and their soft mid sole provides ample support.
• Semi curved shoes suit people with normal or neutral pronation since they have lesser control and more support.

4. Visiting The Store:

Once the above steps are completed you will be familiar with not just your foot but also what kind of shoe is apt for your running style. Head out to a good running shoes sale to pick a pair of running shoes that provides you value for money. Make sure you wear the running shoes and walk around for a while before you decide on buying on. Always try your running shoes with socks on so you have a better idea of the comfort level.

If you are a 100% sure about your size, you can even pick good running shoes from online stores. You can find great prices online for DVS Rico CT, Gola Harrier, Gola Harrier Navy and Gola Harrier Red. These are very comfortable running shoes that boast of high quality and manufacturing.