What Are Running Shoes?
Running shoes are comfortable and light footwear designed specifically to help you run in a way that will prevent injury and increase your athletic performance as a runner. They come in all sorts of styles and sizes—from minimalist shoes without many extra features to tricked-out types that help you as a runner.
How to Choose a Pair of Running Shoes
Finding the right running shoes for your particular body is essential to good running form. Here are three tips for choosing new shoes for running:
- Select ideal cushioning. Running shoes almost always include cushioning. You can even supplement the extra cushioning with insoles and orthotics (medical devices designed to correct biomechanical foot problems). The stack height of your shoes—the distance your shoes put between your feet and the ground—is determined by the amount of cushioning in your shoe.
- Ensure shock absorption. Runners need to withstand the shock of constant high-impact exercise on their feet and legs, so choosing a pair of shoes with good shock absorption is essential.
- Encourage energy return. The foam in the soles of running shoes doesn’t just cushion your feet, it can actively help push and propel you forward as you run. If you’re planning on running long distances, this sort of energy return is a must.
Below are selected top brands you can choose from.
New Balance SC Pacer v2
New Balance knew it needed to see some improvements, so they worked directly with Emily Sisson to develop the v2, using data from her races to help inform their decisions during the development process. The end result is a shoe with a 100% Peba midsole, a lightweight carbon fiber plate, and a stack of 32.8 mm stack height (yes, for some reason we’re doing tenths of millimeters now). And it still stays plenty light.
Reebok Floatzig 1
The upper on the shoe is one of those that just fits exactly right, providing a perfectly snug and secure fit. Now, there have been some durability issues with Floatride Energy in the past, but the good news is that if it deadens out on the run, you can always rock it as a casual shoe in its afterlife.
Nike Alphafly 3
The continuous ZoomX midsole provides a smooth transition, while the Air Zoom units have more space around them to compress and expand. So yes, the bounce we craved is back in spades. The Atomknit 3.0 upper is secure and ultra-breathable and provides a solid lockdown, while the upgraded Fast Shot rubber beneath the pods gives puncture protection and extra grip.
The best part of all? This is the lightest Alphafly yet.
Salomon S/Lab Spectur
With a top layer of EnergyFoam+ (Salomon’s bounciest Peba-based foam), a bottom layer of EnergySurge, and a carbon-infused EnergyBlade in between the two, the shoe is designed to give a propulsive-yet-stable ride. We’ve run in this shoe a lot the past month and all agree it’s the best Salomon road shoe yet. Something about the winged plate working with the Peba foam makes it a fast and fun shoe that we keep coming back to.
The upper on the shoe is extremely comfortable as well, providing a great lockdown with plenty of comfort around the ankle.
Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 3
Hit turbo speed in the lightweight super shoe made for the fastest athletes and weekend road racers. Redesigned and re-energized to be the ultimate race day shoe, the Deviate Elite 3 weighs 17g less than its predecessor and features a greater stack height with new and improved NITROFOAM™ ELITE. The race day go-to is built on a stiffer carbon fiber PWRPLATE for a more powerfully responsive ride that makes racing fast feel even easier.
New Balance Rebel v4
Rebel by name, rebel by nature, the FuelCell Rebel v4 will change the way you look at an everyday trainer. The propulsive feel of FuelCell technology creates a remarkably responsive underfoot that can quickly adapt from long, steady runs to something shorter and more spontaneous. Additional details like a streamlined mesh upper add race-inspired accents to a dynamic upbeat trainer, designed to bring an element of fun back into your run.
Asics Metaspeed Edge+
The METASPEED™ EDGE+ racing shoes are designed for cadence-style runners who are looking to start fast and finish faster. Runners wearing these shoes will be able to take longer strides while conserving energy with each step.
Thanks to an energetic midsole foam and a propulsive carbon plate, runners wearing these shoes will be able to conserve more energy while maintaining their pace at the later stages of the race. Jacquard mesh upper improves breathability. FF BLAST™ TURBO cushioning improves compression and creates a responsive feel underfoot. Curved sole design helps runners conserve more energy in each step. Carbon plate guides your foot throughout your step and propels your foot forward. ASICSGRIP™ outsole rubber improves durability and grip.
Additional info: MASTERCLASS
