Running Shoe Advice – Lightweight running shoes versus one with more stability

I want to get a dress shoe. Could you give me recommendations on runner-friendly features to look out for?
Your dress shoes should fit properly; have a well-fitting supportive heel, a good feel through the arch area without any pinching effects. Wearing non supportive casual or dress shoes all day long may be injurious to you. You could get over the counter inserts for added support. And like running shoes, dress shoes also lose their cushioning and supportive feature overtime and as such you should replace them regularly.

After a recent foot surgery where some of the padding of my foot was removed, I now have a sizable indentation on the bottom of my feet. Could you pleased recommend shoe inserts to increase my cushioning?
You will have to see a running podiatrist or a sports medicine doctor for your case to determine the exact solution for your particular case with respect to what was removed from your foot. For added protection, you may very well receive a well cushioned orthotic or insert but be sure to carry along your running shoes when you pay your sports medicine doctor a visit. Additional pad(s) may be put in your shoes to improve cushioning, depending on where your indentation is.

Lightweight running shoes versus one with more stability. What are their pros and cons?
Any runner, whether you are a more or less efficient runner, can use lightweight training shoes when speed working or doing shorter distances and not have to worry. Also if you don’t overpronate, you’ll do well in lightweight trainers most often but for those who overpronate, training shoes with stability features which will help you control overpronation (the inward collapsing or rolling of the foot after it lands) will benefit you more than any other.

Do I have to lace up my shoes very tightly in order for them to perform the way they meant to?
Sure! For your shoes to wrap your arch properly and adequately provide the stability features they’re meant to, you should lace them relatively tight. Though once you begin to feel a tingling or binding or unease on top or in your forefoot, they’re too tight. When you try using one foot to push off the shoe on the other foot, if it comes out easily, they’re too loose.

How do I find running shoes that won’t cause me to lose my middle toenail every time I train for a marathon?
Next time you buy a pair of shoes double check to ensure that they’re not too small. You’re losing your toenail because your shoes are too small. Most runners use shoes that are at least a half size to short and this isn’t good. Ensure that there’s a thumb-nail’s space between your middle toe and the tip of your shoes and that your shoes fit your longer foot. It could also be that your toes are jamming against the front of your shoes because the ball of your foot rest too far forward into your shoes. So also double check this.

How do I get running shoes that contain no animal products? I need this because I am a vegan.
You don’t have to worry much about shoes containing animal product these days. There’s a heavy reliance on synthetic materials by most manufacturers for their high-end shoes and as such there’s little occasion for you to come across any natural products. But be sure to crosscheck with your retailer and, where necessary, the manufacturer. This is important because some of the adhesives and overlays used in low-end shoes may derive from animal products like pigskin, leather or suede.

Can I keep walking in my running shoes after retiring them from running after their life span (between 300-500 miles)?
Yes you can but that depends on the pattern of the wear of the shoes. If the wear is even maybe they can be used but if its uneven they’re not fit for walking. If the white midsole foam is showing through the black outsole material they’re unevenly worn. They should be recycled. Anyways, you don’t need as much protection when walking as you do when running because the forces produced when walking are about half of those produced when running. So you can move on after a total of about 600miles.

What is EVA and why do they make a lot of shoes from it?
A lot of shoes are made from EVA because it is a lighter rubber with better shock absorption since it’s a polymer containing tiny bubbles trapped inside the foam. EVA is an acronym for ‘ethylene vinyl acetate’. Nowadays many companies combine nonfoam technologies like Air, HydroFlow or GEL to EVA and the result is a combination that retains the cushioning a lot longer than foam can.

My feet are big with my right being a size 15 and my left being a size 16. What do I do?
You do not have to worry about this. A good number of companies produce men’s shoes up to size 15. Some others, which include Adidas and New Balance now even make some specific shoes that reach up to size 18 or even size 20. The only thing here is that since these sizes may not always be easy to find as the other sizes would, you may have to call your local specialty running shoes store before dropping by or go online to check out some of these online companies which, on many occasion, do attend to these larger sizes. Regarding the different sizes of your feet, check to know if your local running shoe store participates in the Brooks mis-mate program. If they do, you can actually order a pair of brooks in different sizes at an extra $25 dollars or so.

Am I risking injuries when I add Shoe Goo to the heels of my shoes to make them last longer or is it okay to do this? I do this basically for money reasons.
The only issue with Shoe Goo is that it is not a good shock absorber. This clear adhesive when applied dries into a waterproof, flexible rubber compound that is also relatively very durable. As a result, if your are applying large amounts of it in a certain area, you are actually giving up cushioning. Therefore it’s suggested that if you’re going to make use of it, you should apply thin layers of it more regularly. This will help in increasing or extending the life span of your shoes and at the same time not compromise the cushioning that they are meant to provide you with. In any case, the minute they reach that 500th-mile mark that is the critical mark in any pair, they lose their ability to provide you with considerable cushioning and hence they would have to be “fired” and replaced.

Is there anything I can do with my already retired shoes aside tossing them when I replace them with new ones? Because that’s what I do to the already retired pair when I get a new pair.
Most certainly yes! There will always be a million and one things to do to your already used pair of shoes. You just go online for all the options you have. Some companies even receive shoe donations. Just check to know the different options you have.

I just got myself a new pair of shoes I’m going to race in a half-marathon coming up in approximately two months from now. When is the right time to begin breaking them in?
What are you waiting for? Begin right now, yes, right away! The sock-liner of your shoes, which is the thin insert that your foot rests on, needs to start conforming to the shape of your shoes. You should do at least thirty (30) miles in them or about ten (10) runs before actual race day. But first, begin by walking around your house for some days, then, you can speed workout or run some shorter distances to get used to how your legs feel in your shoes. Of course, this is the right thing to do when preparing for a longer race anyway. Isn’t it?