What happens when you go to a running specialty store?
Posted by Ray Gill
Filed under Running Answers
I’m going to a running specialty store to buy a new pair of running shoes, which I’ve never done before. I don’t like feet and I don’t want the employees to be looking at the structure of my feet and how I run and stuff, but I need a good pair of shoes that work for me because I’m starting to get shin splints. What should I do?
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well, at my local running store, i walk in, the employees normally greet me and ask if i need any help, then they take me to the shoes section. then they ask me if i know what kind of a runner i am (well they actually look in the computer at the previous shoes i bought so they can get the right type of shoes) then they bring out like 5-10 shoes. i try each one on, and we walk outside to the sidewalk and i run 25 -50 m and they observe the way i run (when i first came in) and then they tell me what kind of a runner i am. then they will basically ask me which shoes feel better on my feet (cushion, space, weight, etc). then i’ll try on one shoe at one foot and a different shoe on the other foot and compare
another store i went to evaluated the way i run on a treadmill with a video in the back (i took my shoes off) and photographed the pressure points of my feet, etc, with all these technological stuff, but you could just ask them to not do that becuase you’re not comfortable with feet.
there is no getting around that stuff. there is a place near where i live called if the shoe fits. and they do that and they choose the best for you so stuff like shin splints don’t happen.
When I went, I just ran for 30 seconds on a treadmill and then the salesperson looked at my gait on a laptop (it just filmed your feet from behind). She then brought out shoes suitable for my gait for me to try on. It was all over very quickly but worth it… I love my running shoes.
The running store people have seen it all before, so if you think you have bad feet, chances are that they have seen worse.
However it is important to get your runnign style analysed properly and to get the correct trainers for you and your running style. OK so a couple of minutes with an expert watching you run is nothing really compared to either trouble free running or runnignwith shin splints.
Yup just got to suck it up. The employees have probably seen worse feet than yours, just be considerate to them and listen to what they have to say.
As a near olympic runner, I can tell you that you won’t need people specifically looking at your feet. The workers there will probably be excellent runners and know what they’re talking about.
They’ll probably ask you what distances you run and based on that they’ll give you a selection of shoes. They probably won’t get into the pronation or supination of your feet unless you specifically bring up that your feet are dramatically pronating or supinating.
The process of getting rid of shin splints will be greatly aided in getting new shoes (as you obviously already know), but you can do a few other things for them too. One really small and seemingly stupid exercise is to draw each letter of the alphabet with your foot (you can do this in class, waiting for a doctor appointment, working in the office, etc.). Keep your legs relatively stationary and move your toes and foot to "draw" one letter at a time. That will help build muscles around your shins and reduce the shock your bones absorb.
Happy Running!