The 6 Best Running shoes

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Running is more popular today than ever before. Many recreational athletes choose running or jogging as a balance to career or family. But the circle of ambitious runners is also growing, as the record number of participants at national and international running events shows. With all this enthusiasm for running, the question of the right equipment naturally arises. At the latest after the first few running units, the athlete asks himself which running shoe is the right one and whether a pair of running shoes is sufficient at all.

Our Top Running shoes Pick

Women’s fashion: Running shoes Video Guide

But first of all to the beginnings. If you consider the fact that people have certainly been able to walk for more than 60 or 70 years, it is relatively amazing that the first running shoes came onto the market around this time. The adidas Achill or Trimm Trab, which also comes from the sporting goods manufacturer with the three stripes, is one of the first shoes designed and produced for endurance running. Other models in the sixties were the Puma Mile and the New Balance Trackster. Nike joined at the end of the seventies with the Tailwind, in which the American sporting goods manufacturer installed air cushions for damping. Since then, many innovations in running shoe construction have taken over the reins. Leading manufacturers such as Asics, adidas, Nike, New Balance and Brooks have contributed to the further development of the running shoe. The inventions mostly revolved around improved damping behaviour, but technical gimmicks such as pedometers were also devised to offer the runner added value. Milestones are the adidas 1, with the first intelligent cushioning that adapted to the external conditions, the asics Gel Kayano with gel cushioning, one of the most popular stable shoes in running shoe history, the Nike Free, with the flexible midsole or the adidas Ultra Boost, which comes with a completely new technology for cushioning in the midsole.

In principle, the running shoe is divided into outsole, midsole and upper. The outsole is relatively thin and serves as protection, provides grip and is also intended to increase the longevity of a product. The midsole is mainly responsible for damping. Usually this part of the running shoe consists of a foam-based material, often known as EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate). The material is characterised by air inclusions. Under load, such as impact forces during running, this structure can absorb some of the forces. After a short time the material returns to its original state. Most innovations in running shoe construction are found in the midsole, with manufacturers trying to improve cushioning by using air cushions or gel pads or other technologies. Recently a new material called Boost has come onto the market which is not EVA based. It is TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), which is foamed and then baked into an intermediate sole. This material should be much more durable and does not lose its reactivity over time. Exactly these two points usually decide when it is time to dispose of a running shoe, because the EVA material becomes brittle with the kilometres run (from approx. 500-600) and no longer has optimum damping properties. The upper surrounds and protects the foot from external influences. It should above all provide support and can also have reflectors for safety in night-time road traffic.

For some time now, running shoes have been divided into the categories “stable” or “control” and “not stable” or “neutral”. This division into two areas is based on the construction of the respective running shoes. A Stabil shoe has a reinforcement in the midsole on the medial, i.e. inner side. Runners who have an overpronation should benefit most from this support. The term “overpronation” is used colloquially when the athlete bends too much inwards during the rolling movement of the foot. This reinforcement is intended to counteract this excessive movement and thus prevent injuries. All well-known manufacturers have developed technologies with this objective in mind. The neutral shoes do without such reinforcement and thus target runners without the tendency to bend inwards. Recently, the running scene has deviated a little from this strict division and thus follows findings that above all the training of the foot is decisive for low-injury running. A stable shoe can possibly counteract this.

The running shoe industry has brought many other innovations and ideas to the market in the course of time in addition to stabilizing the media side. With the need to walk off the beaten track on mountain paths or simply in the woods, the first trail shoes have developed. This variant of the running shoe is characterised by a particularly profiled outsole. For a while, minimalist running shoes were en vogue. In so-called Natural Running or barefoot-like running, the running shoes have an extremely thin midsole and low damping values. The philosophy behind this is to be as natural a running movement as possible, which optimally trains the foot. There are many other trends which should not all be listed here. In recent years, shoes with a very flexible midsole, such as the Nike Free, or a new type of cushioning, such as the adidas Ultra Boost, have excelled.

Anyone who has ever wanted to buy a running shoe knows the situation. Whether in a shop or online, you are faced with an almost endless selection and are quite overwhelmed. A comprehensive and professional consultation is crucial, especially for beginners who have not yet been able to get the optimal shoe over time. Besides the fit itself, one should be careful to buy the running shoes a little bigger. Never toast with your toes. Good dealers offer running analyses, either with pressure measuring plates or on the treadmill, and can thus draw conclusions about the customer’s running style. This helps to choose the right product. In addition to fit and functionality, the appearance also plays an important role for many runners. The manufacturers have also developed further in this area and it is not uncommon for running shoes to cause a sensation in the sneaker scene. In addition to optimal advice, it should also be noted when buying that quality has its price. Cheap models sometimes have flaws in damping, workmanship, durability and can even cause injuries more quickly. It is therefore worthwhile to invest in a running shoe from the middle price range up to the upper price range.

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