{"id":1444,"date":"2022-09-03T18:52:39","date_gmt":"2022-09-03T18:52:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/untamedrunner.com\/?p=1444"},"modified":"2022-09-03T18:52:39","modified_gmt":"2022-09-03T18:52:39","slug":"a-few-shoe-bits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/untamedrunner.com\/index.php\/2022\/09\/03\/a-few-shoe-bits\/","title":{"rendered":"A few shoe bits…"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I get frequent questions about running shoes, even from seasoned runners. Initially, this surprised me. However, given how frequently shoe technology changes and how much manufacturers tinker with their designs, it’s not uncommon for runners to change brands from time to time when their go-to model doesn’t work any longer. When that happens to me, I’ll be curious about what other shoe models are out there and how they compare to what I’ve been wearing. The shoe types that were similar to yours in the past may not be any more and when you’re brought out brands or models you’ve never considered, naturally you want to know more. Since I’m not a shoe engineering expert, I’ll rely on the product knowledge of the folks working at the store.

I’ve written on shoes<\/a> in the past and much of that information still holds true. The main difference now from four years ago, besides the technology, is price–currently standard models are in the $140-180 range. But, as the most important piece of gear for running, it’s good to invest in something that will work well.

There are many different vendors, models, and shoe shapes. Many companies have, in varying degrees, stayed with the traditional higher drop, where the sole at the heel is taller than at the forefoot. Following the barefoot running trend from several years ago, some shoe companies have focused on creating zero drop soles and still others have gone to more extreme cushioning. The best way to know where you fit on this scale is to go and try several on.

My decisions are based on comfort and feel. If I go to a local running store and buy something in the aforementioned price range, I’m confident that the cushioning and stability is well-designed and that the shoe will last within the standard range of 400-500 miles.

How do you know whether you’re a 400, 450, or 500 mile person? I’ve not seen a formula and I’ve gone with the assumption it’s something learned. One subtle way to determine this it to recognize how you’re feeling during and after the run. Setting aside outlier factors like long runs or high-intensity speed workouts that will wear you down more than a standard run, if you’re feeling more muscle strain or fatigue than normal, it’s possible a new pair of shoes will help.

You can also test it in reverse. Once you’ve gotten a new pair, after a couple weeks take a run in the former pair. I did this the other day and when I started the run, I could tell the cushion and support were shot. Not only did I feel it during the run, I felt it the next day, too. Clearly I had switched in time, and I’d possibly stretched the old pair a little too long. Had it been the opposite feeling, I would have planned to alternate them with my new pair for a couple of weeks until I’d fully worn them out.

Often you can use a model of a shoe for a long period of time and just switch out for the latest model when you’re done. It’s likely you’ll need to change at some point. When that occurs, there are plenty of options to keep yourself logging miles.


<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I get frequent questions about running shoes, even from seasoned runners. Initially, this surprised me. However, given how frequently shoe technology changes and how much manufacturers tinker with their designs, it’s not uncommon for runners to change brands from time to time when their go-to model doesn’t work any longer. When that happens to me, … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “A few shoe bits…”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9W0ku-ni","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":132,"url":"https:\/\/untamedrunner.com\/index.php\/2018\/05\/24\/the-wonderful-and-comfortable-world-of-shoes\/","url_meta":{"origin":1444,"position":0},"title":"The wonderful and comfortable world of shoes","author":"36jonraessler50","date":"May 24, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"(The shoe in the photo is not the shoe being described in the first paragraph. It--and its right shoe counterpart--work well for me.) These shoes look phenomenal, like I've been gifted a pair of custom-made racing flats from a company who used their extensive resources to pour in the latest,\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/untamedrunner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Shoe-small.jpg?fit=467%2C273&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":725,"url":"https:\/\/untamedrunner.com\/index.php\/2019\/08\/08\/shoe-choices\/","url_meta":{"origin":1444,"position":1},"title":"Shoe choices…","author":"36jonraessler50","date":"August 8, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Contrary to last week's post, there are some parts of running where I eagerly embrace the newest developments in the industry. One of these is shoes. Over the years they have become lighter and better at protecting runners' feet from impact. While it would be difficult to keep getting older\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1915,"url":"https:\/\/untamedrunner.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/22\/shoe-wow\/","url_meta":{"origin":1444,"position":2},"title":"Shoe Wow…","author":"36jonraessler50","date":"April 22, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Aside from the shoe choices mentioned in one of the first posts on this blog, every time I've purchased a new pair of running shoes, they feel good to great. Three times in 30+ years of running I've come away with a pair of shoes thinking, \"Wow. These feel phenomenal.\"The\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1667,"url":"https:\/\/untamedrunner.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/30\/when-an-innovative-product-becomes-more-commonplace\/","url_meta":{"origin":1444,"position":3},"title":"When an innovative product becomes more commonplace…","author":"36jonraessler50","date":"August 30, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"At the recent track events I ran, I noticed that more runners than I would have predicted were wearing Nike Vaporflys or other brands' carbon-plated shoes. These offer much higher energy return than the shoes without plates. The most recent version of the Nikes indicate they can drop up to\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1709,"url":"https:\/\/untamedrunner.com\/index.php\/2023\/11\/17\/the-super-shoe-debate-surges-again\/","url_meta":{"origin":1444,"position":4},"title":"The super shoe debate surges again…","author":"36jonraessler50","date":"November 17, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Following the new world records at Berlin and Chicago, the partial credit of these new times and all the other recent world records to super-shoes was expected and now, the debate over their merits and downsides has experienced some persistence in the media. 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