Running Shoes: Myth and Reality

When narrowing your choice for the right running shoes, there are still myths and false perceptions that stand in the way of an intelligent purchase.

Here are tips to distinguish between myths and reality:

MYTH:  The best time to buy your new shoes is late in the day, because your feet swell during the day (after walking all day in the office, doing field work) and you want shoes that will accommodate your feet at their largest.

REALITY:  The best time to buy your new shoes is immediately after a workout, because that’s when your feet are most swollen.

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MYTH:  It’s a waste of time to try on shoes for measure when buying new shoes because you already know your foot size.

REALITY:  Your feet get longer and wider as you age. Just because you wore a size 9 1/2 last year doesn’t mean a size 9 1/2 will still fit. Have your feet measured for length and width at least once a year or try-on shoe sizes of different brands, or the brand that a friend or relative is going to buy for you as a gift or from abroad so they would know what size to buy.

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MYTH:  The best running shoes are the most expensive ones.

REALITY:  The most expensive shoes have the most features and best materials but peso-for-peso, the highest value running shoes are the mid-priced (P3,500-P4,500) price range. Shoes in this range incorporate the most important cushioning and stability technologies. More importantly, the best running shoes are those that match your running and biomechanical needs, whether the shoes are expensive or not.

"I'm not sure if these are actually good running shoes,but they are the most expensive ones we carry."

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MYTH:  Running shoes are all very similar.

REALITY:  They may look the same and use many of the same materials, but they’re not the same. They have different constructions, different shapes and different midsole designs all intended to produce shoes with different characteristics for different runners. This is where shoe experts of specialty running stores are of great help.

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MYTH:  The best shoe for you is the lightest.

REALITY:  For most runners, the opposite is closer to the truth. The lighter the shoe, the less likely it will be supportive, durable or cushioned. If these characteristics are important to you, and they are for many runners, you shouldn’t choose a shoe for its lightness unless you use it for racing or if you are bio-mechanically efficient, for fast-paced training.

Lightest running shoe

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MYTH:  The best running shoes for women is a women’s running shoe.

REALITY:  Not necessarily. The best shoe for a women is the one that fits her best. This may or may not be a women’s shoe. If a woman has bigger or wider feet, a men’s shoe might fit her better.

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MYTH:  Men’s running shoes are built better than women’s.

REALITY:  Not true. However, many women do have trouble finding shoes that fit the way they’d like it. From this, they may conclude that the shoes are technically inferior to men’s shoes. Although some shoe companies have created shoes that contour the characteristics of most women’s feet, all midsoles, outsoles and upper materials are the same on men and women’s shoes.