Gadgets & Gear: April 2008

So as you know, Clark, the editor of this fine publication, has been requesting that I do more articles/reviews on things that don’t need to be plugged in or require batteries.  What fun is that?  I’m not truly happy unless the lights dim in a three state radius when I turn on one of my gadgets!  Anyway, I have wanted to do an article on running shoes for quite some time but it has been impossible to find any that need to be plugged in or take batteries, so I was at a loss.  So I turned to the guy who helped me get my fantastic pair of running shoes, my brother-in-law Brett Lamb, for help.

So what does he bring to the table other than hair that most women would die for and an air of laid-back coolness?  Well he happens to be the owner/operator of the San Francisco Fleet Feet store.  In case you have not heard of Fleet Feet, they are a national chain of specialty running stores (though there is not one here in Michigan) that takes care of runners from their feet all the way to the top of their heads.  When I visited him and his lovely wife Kim a couple of years ago, he about blew a gasket (so much for laid-back coolness) when he saw the pair of shoes that I was wearing.  I didn’t see any problem with them, they were my size, fit reasonably well, were a nice color, and they said ‘running shoe’ on the side of the box.

He insisted on fitting me for a ‘real’ pair of running shoes which I have to admit, after all was said and done, are a fabulous pair of shoes.  He hooked me up with a pair Mizunos and they feel just like extensions of my feet – that was when I really understood that there is both an art and a science to picking a fine pair of running shoes.  With this in mind, I asked if he would share his knowledge on getting the best running shoe.  He was more than happy to oblige, and even though there is not a Fleet Feet store here in Michigan, there are plenty of specialty running stores locally where you can put this knowledge to good use.  So, here is Brett’s collected wisdom on getting the best running shoe for you.

When Buying a Running Shoe…

The first and most important issue to think about when buying a running shoe, in my opinion, is to trust the store and employee who is fitting you for your shoes.  The vast majority of runners, walkers, and general shoe-wearers don’t know how their feet work and what makes them unique from everyone else’s feet.  The easiest thing you can do to remedy this is to find a shoe-fitter whom you trust, who will take the time to evaluate your foot-type and bio-mechanics, and who will let you exchange your shoes if you don’t absolutely love them after a few runs.

Running shoes are a very personal purchase.  They are designed with your foot’s personality in mind, so you shouldn’t think twice about whether or not you should LOVE them.  You will want to keep a few things in mind, once you have found that special someone who you trust with your feet and running or walking future.

1.  The shoes should be a natural fit.  Although they will not fit like your favorite pair of Uggs, they should feel like an extension of your foot.  The heel and mid-foot should be comfortably snug.  No heel lift and not too tight on the instep (top of your mid-foot).  They should also be pretty roomy in the forefoot.  You shouldn’t be able to feel the end of the shoe with your toes.  Make sure you have a little room at the end of the big and second toes, as well as on the sides of your big and pinky toes.

2.  An over-the-counter orthotic may make the whole package better.  Products like Sole orthotics or Superfeet are designed to stabilize your subtalar joint (the joint between your calcanius and talus bones…aka the engine of your foot).  This will make your foot work more efficiently, meaning that if you have some instability in your arch or a difference between the way your left and right foot work, your footwear will work harder for you.  These items should ALWAYS be comfortable, but again just like the shoes, they will feel different than what you are used to.  Different, yet comfortable is always the key with running shoes.

3.  Different people need different shoes, even if you have similar feet.  So let’s compare my sister and I…she is 5 feet tall standing on two copies of War and Peace and maybe weighs 105 pounds.  I am 5’11” and tip the scale around 165 on a light week.  Although we have the same genetic make up, the same parents, and very similarly functioning feet, we require different shoes for exercise.  Similarly, you and your ‘friend who runs’ will probably have different needs in footwear.  So if he/she says: “get the Brooks Adrenaline, I love them!” what you should ask is: “Where did you get fitted for the Brooks Adrenaline?” and then go there for your fitting.  Because I weigh 60 pounds more and because of my extra foot of height, my stride is much longer than my sister’s and I need a more durable, better cushioned shoe.  When I run, I also move faster than she does, meaning that my feet spend more time in the air and less time on the ground, so I require slightly less support than she does.

It is important to remember that there isn’t a shoe that is commonly known as “the best running or walking shoe,” there is only “the best running or walking shoe for you.”  That’s why running specialty stores carry so many different models – to accommodate everyone.

4.  The Joy of Sox!  There are certain things in life that everyone should spend a little extra money on.  Just like a great box of cereal isn’t that much more expensive than an off-brand, less tasty mixture of fruit and flakes; a GREAT pair of socks aren’t too much more than an awful pair of socks.  Socks for exercise should be made of a non-cotton based thread.  Every company calls their non-cotton fabric something unique, but keep in mind, cotton is, in fact, rotten!  There are a few companies out there that care more about socks than most of us care about our own puppy! (That’s love!)  Balega Sports is one such company.  They use a great fabric called DryNamix to make their socks, it wicks moisture and is very durable through the wash cycle.  Two other key points that they address with their socks that few other companies do: high thread count (think about those awesome bed sheets that you saved up for and love so much) and a deep heel pocket (these puppies aren’t going to slip under your foot ten minutes into your workout, they stay locked on to your foot for as long as you wear them).

The typical price of a great pair of socks is $10-$14 per pair.  They should last you a few years of regular use, if not longer and are well worth the investment.  Pick up one pair first to try it out, and I promise it will be the first pick out of the laundry every week!

5. Sports Bras.  Ladies, this is equally important to your shoe purchase.  Your breasts need some support, and if you haven’t heard yet, you do not have to wear three bras at a time when you workout.  Brands like Enell, Moving Comfort, and Champion are making running bras for every woman, not just the 1% of the population that comfortably wears an extra small in everything.  Running bras are no longer coming in small/medium/large…but in true bra sizes.  Enell and Moving Comfort make great products for women who typically wear 34C-44DDD and sometimes even higher.  Start at your local running specialty store and see what they offer.  Many running stores are evolving away from a couple of skinny guys with short shorts talking about how fast they are, into great retailers that understand the range of body sizes who consider themselves runners.  If you are not able to find someone in a running store who can fit you for a bra the way they would fit you for a shoe, you should first complain to the owner! Then march your butt over to Nordstrom or Victoria’s Secret and let them know what you need and that you want to go through a fitting.

So I hope you found Brett’s infinite wisdom on buying the right pair of running shoes for you as helpful as I have.  I really can’t say enough about how much better my feet feel in a true pair of fitted running shoes compared to what I thought were a good pair of shoes.  That’s it for this month and as usual if you have any questions for me (or for Brett for that matter), please feel free to contact me at jeff@healthandleisureonline.com.