How to choose running shoes
Need running shoes? We talk to Chris Chapman (better known as 'Chicken' courtesy of his lovely slender legs!) of Bondi’s The Running Company to bring you our comprehensive running shoe review, so you can find the best sneakers for you. If you’re stuck, we HIGHLY recommend popping into Chris’ store on Gould Street to get fitted out with the right pair, expertly matched to your foot.
This Year's Trends
BUF Girls: In recent years, we've seen a rise in popularity in lots of fad-type shoes (eg barefoot style, finger/toe style shoes, lightweight, heavy weight etc etc). For this year's running season, what are the latest trends you are seeing and which trends do you think are here to stay?Chicken: Yup, barefoot running has well and truly hit the world! With the book 'Born to Run' and the internet being the vehicles for it! I've always been a fan of barefoot running but a bigger fan of "progressive adaptation" and "natural motion". Every brand is now coming out with their own take on "natural motion" and Nike were the first over 5 years ago with the Nike FREE.What I think is here to stay are these "natural motion" shoes and it's important for a store to stock a spectrum of these to ensure that every person can be catered for and have the opportunity to run in lighter running shoes in order to help them learn how to run with natural form. Shoes will more often than not, dictate to your body how you run.
Beginner's Shoes
BUF Girls: What's the best, versatile trainer for beginners?Chicken: This actually depends on the runner, as it will be different for different runners and their relative degrees of pronation.
Everyday Shoes
BUF Girls: What is the best well-cushioned everyday trainer for light or medium-weight runners.Chicken: The Nike Zoom Elite has really stolen the show with this one. It's light enough to not feel like a brick but has great cushioning and the zoom air unit in the forefoot gives a great deal of "spring" at toe-off. I think it feels great.
All Round Running Shoes
BUF Girls: What is the best all-rounder running shoe (i.e. suitable for all except the lightest and fastest runners)Chicken: The Brooks Glycerine 10 is the go-to shoe.
Multi-purpose Shoes
BUF Girls: What's the best double duty shoe (ie. everyday trainer and high mileage running)Chicken: The Adidas Supernova Sequence, which has just hit the market is really good - it's dropped weight, has great cushioning, particularly in the forefoot and offers some mild stability with little chance of getting blisters through the arch with their "pro moderator" support bar helping to give the midsole some integrity.
Fashion Shoes
BUF Girls: What is the best running shoe for fashion conscious Bondi BUFFers when image rather than price is the top concern?Chicken: That's a dirty word at the running company!!! BUT for those who want to combine fashion with function, there's a lot of colour coming out from all the brands now, which is great. It's still got to be the Nike FREE taking the fashionista stakes though. As the Bondi BUF team will know, it's great to use as a training tool to help develop balance and intrinsic foot muscle strength... and they're so comfy it's not funny!
Lightweight Shoes
BUF Girls: What is the best budget lightweight shoe?Chicken: New Balance 890 is a cracker! The geometry of the midsole makes it surprisingly more stable than it looks, seamless upper from the midfoot, very light and with a RRP of $160, I think they've done well.
Injury Prone or Heavier Runners
BUF Girls: What's the best go-to shoe for injury-prone or heavier runners needing solid footing?Chicken: This depends on each runner’s degree of pronation, as every runner is different. For those runners who are neutral, the Brooks Glycerine 10 is a cracker. Designed and built by Andre Krewit (ex Nike designer), very forward thinking, resilient cushioning and the best thing, inherently stable through not having any exposed or softer lateral (outside) rear foot zones.For those that are over pronating moderately, Saucony Hurricane with it's new 8mm offset (height difference from the rear foot to the forefoot, normal offset is 12mm) will not only help control your degree of pronation but help those runners who want to learn how to run more midfoot.
Long Distance Shoes
BUF Girls: What's the best supportive shoe for high-mileage runners?Chicken: This also depends on the degree of support required as too much support is just as bad as too little. I had a customer come in a few days ago with a 5th metatarsal fracture (small toe) as a result of being in a too-supportive shoe. In saying this though, the Asics 3030 is a very intelligent shoe, particularly for those who over pronate through the forefoot. It's lighter, more flexible and cheaper than the Kayano.
Long Distance for Women or Lighter Men
BUF Girls: What is the best supportive, high-mileage option for women or lighter and faster men.Chicken: The Saucony Mirage is a very good option for the above. The good thing about this shoe is that it has good support through the midfoot but it's also built on the 4mm offset, meaning that it can help make it easier for the runner to learn to run more naturally (mid-fore foot).
Heel versus Fore-foot Strikers
BUF Girls: What is the best shoe for heavy heel-strikers vs fore-foot strikers?Chicken: Heavy heel strikers will do well with the Adidas Adistar Ride if they are neutral, or Supernova Sequence if they over-pronate. Both have Adidas's "formation" pad at the rear foot to not only take the vertical shock and impact but also adapt and adjust to the ground to help slow the rate of pronation, so it acts a bit like a car’s crumple zone. For the fore foot strikers, the new Brooks Pure Flow is great.
High Arches
BUF Girls: What is the best trainer for normal to high arched runners?Chicken: High arched feet (generally called a "cavus" foot type) have issues in dealing with shock and force so they would normally need a good stable neutral option. The Nike Zoom Atlas is a great stable neutral option with excellent cushioning in the rear and fore foot.
Overpronators
BUF Girls: What is the best shoe for over-pronators?Chicken: This depends on the degree but a great option is the Brooks Adrenaline, you always need to make sure that it's not too supportive though.
Barefoot Running
BUF Girls: What is the best shoe for those transitioning to barefoot running or wanting a minimalist footwear?Chicken: Some great options are the new Brooks Pure range of shoes or the Nike FREE's.
Top Tips For Buying Shoes
BUF Girls: What are your top tips when selecting a new running shoe?Chicken: Go to a store that does gait analysis (filming you run), not only barefoot but then also in every shoe that you try. Make sure that they slow down the footage and explain to you frame by frame what's happening. If you can't see what's going on with your feet and also can't see the effect of the shoe on the foot, how do you know if it's giving you the right level of support?Don't be afraid to ask as many questions as you want, it's your money and it's an investment in your health and wellbeing.The staff in the store should be able to justify why they've chosen each shoe for you to try, as opposed to them bringing out a shoe because it's the latest marketing campaign from the brand being advertised in the front window as you walked in the store. Chances are that if they only bring out that one brand being advertised, the staff member is being paid an incentive to sell that brand. Trust me, it happens more often than you think.Finally, make sure you can run in them, if you're just walking around in them how do you know what they'll feel like when you're running?