The two most common mistakes made when choosing shoes are going for fashion over function, and not replacing your running shoes often enough! Shoes need to be replaced every 500-600 miles, which is normally every 8-10 months (for someone running 5 miles 3 times a week). The type of shoe you need will depend on a number of factors, such as your weight, natural running style, foot shape, and type of running you are doing. What’s my foot type? Foot type can be divided into three categories- overpronators (flat foot), neutral, and supinators (high arches). You can assess what type of foot you have by making a print on the floor or a piece of paper with your foot when it is wet. Neutral foot: This foot should leave a footprint which has a normal-sized arch, a widened flare across the base of the toes, and show the heel connected to the forefoot by a broad band. This is the foot of a runner who is using their foot in the most biomechanically efficient way and should not need a shoe that counteracts your natural foot-type. High arches: The print of your foot will show either very little, or no band between the heel and the forefoot, and you will have a high, pronounced arch on the foot. It is likely that your feet will roll outwards when you run, leaving you prone to “turning over” on the ankle and injuring it. High arches may gradually fall over time and therefore it is very important for high-arch runners to have both their feet and their shoe fit measured regularly. Flat foot: A wet footprint of a flat foot will look as though the majority of the running foot is in contact with the floor. Having a lower medial arch means that you may strike on the outside of the heel, rolling the foot inwards as you do. This can often lead to ankle instability and overuse injuries.
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