Monday April 6th 2009 Best Buy

I am frequently asked, ?what are the best running shoes I can buy?? my reply is usually ?I don?t know because there is no such thing?, there is no shoe on the market that suits every individual?s needs. My preference in running shoes are, a lightish neutral shoe and at the moment I run in New Balance 757?s and Saucony Trigon Rides, but not at the same time. I would never say that these are the best on the market, they are the best for me at this present time (my opinion) but they may not suit you.

When buying running shoes, especially if you are new to running, it can be quite confusing and the last thing you need to consider is the colour (though I would never buy black running shoes, it?s just not me).

One of the things you need to consider is, do you pronate (your foot rolls excessively inwards) or do you over pronate? (everyone pronates to a certain extent) and is it slightly or excessively, there are shoes to accommodate your level of pronation - allegedly.

If you are a big built runner or have just started running to lose weight you could need extra support and cushioning. You may benefit from a make of shoes that includes width fittings.

There are numerous things to consider and if you don?t know what you are looking for it can be confusing. My suggestion is go to a specialist running shop, not a sports shop/store (they seem more interested in selling you cleaner for the shoes, rather than the right shoes) but a real running shop where they can watch you run on a treadmill and analyses your running style. From this they should be able to supply you with the correct shoes to suit your running style and compensate for any bio-machanical problems you may have.

Don?t be afraid to ring them and ask if they can analyses your running, if you happen to live in the Swindon area I have found Run Swindon a very helpful and knowledgeable shop. Ask for Liam and, no, I am not on commission.

Posted by Lynn Ferris at 19:16 GMT