A guide to buying running shoes

Treating yourself to a brand new pair of running shoes can help kick your training up a notch.

However, choosing the right pair is not as easy as simple as walking into a store and picking the first running shoe that catches your eye.

Running shoes guide

To help runners find the right shoe for their needs, ASICS have compiled the ultimate running shoe shopping guide:

1. Clarify your needs

Identify what kind of shoe you need based on what it will be used for. Do you take part in more trail running, road running or hiking, for instance? Also consider what sort of mileage you are hoping to achieve and communicate this to the shop assistant.

2. Use past experience

Bring your old running shoes with you if possible. Be sure to explain the pros and cons you found with this shoe so the sales assistant can attempt to alleviate the cons and better the pros of the shoes you used before.

3. Consider your stance

Identify whether you are an over pronator or a neutral shoe runner. This can be done at one of ASICS’ ‘Foot ID’ events or through a gait analysis at a specialist store.

4. Take your time

Try on both a soft and firm shoe option and try spending at least five minutes walking in each shoe to get as good a feel as possible.

5. Size it right

Regarding size, you should normally have a thumb space between the end of your toe and the end of the shoe. This will help prevent the loss of toenails, and as long as you don’t feel an uncomfortable amount of pressure on the sides of the foot, it should be fine.

6. Be practical

Make peace with the fact that the right shoe isn’t always the right colour. Also bear in mind that while wearing a new pair of shoes is one of life’s simple pleasures, race day itself is not the right time to wear a brand new pair. Try to wear in your new running shoes well in advance of race day.

7. Focus on running

It’s true that you can run barefoot or even in theory – for the brave – in heels. You also probably already have some tennis or leisure shoes at home. All these shoes might be fine for an occasional run here and there, but if you plan to pick up running as a sport you’ll soon realise that a pair of shoes which were developed specifically for running will be the best investment you can make.

Running involves a very specific and repetitive movement of the foot, from heel to toe and repeatedly bouncing your whole body weight up and down. The right shoes need to have the right grip and traction, they need to allow your foot to breathe and they need to be comfortable over a long distance.

Follow this guide and you are sure to be race-ready.

ASICS are one of the official sponsors of the Pretoria SPAR Women’s Challenge. The Pretoria SPAR Women’s Challenge takes place on 5 August 2017 at SuperSport Park Stadium. Entries are available in participating SPAR stores and online. Visit for more information and online entries.

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