6 Reasons Why Professional Runners Choose Comfort over Style When Choosing Shoes
Running leggings and comfortable shoes are essential for every professional runner to perform better. Different shoe manufacturers produce shoes with styles and fancy features. For professional athletes, especially experienced runners, these fancy features that make up the shoe style are of little consideration when choosing the right footwear for their fitness training or competitions. The fancy features will not necessarily contribute to better performance or, in any way, leads to the prevention of injury.
The assertions that certain shoe brands and models work best for all runners aren’t accurate. Various runners find comfort in multiple brands having their reasons, which are discussed in this article.
- For improved performance
Various shoes offer additional support to the athlete, ranging from minimal to high. Since professional runners are highly focused on better performance, choosing shoes that provide comfort is key to their success.
Various technologies have led to the production of shoes with diverse functionality. Road running athletes would prefer wearing shoes that will provide comfort in their field, while trail runners will perform better wearing running shoes that provide comfort in their field.
Professional runners would not prefer slippery plastic shoes, which will offer discomfort, thus low performance. However, they will go for cushioned midsoles which reduce the shoe’s forces and lower the body’s deceleration, resulting in better performance.
- Prevention of Blisters and proper Cushioning.
Blisters are mostly caused by friction between the skin and the surface. Shoes that have the right midsole thickness provide better experience during the various foot striking patterns. Attractive shoes may not have the right cushioning. Therefore the runner would prefer comfort over style. Comfortable shoes will reduce the stress on the ankles, toes, and heels.
- Reducing Injuries
The comfort provided by running shoes influences the risk of exposure to the various injuries associated with running. In a study byMuendermann et al., runners who wore comfortable runner shoes during their fitness training had a 53% lower risk of extreme injuries compared to those whose shoes were not comfortable.
Improper footwear can cause various injuries ranging from burtons and corns to fractures. At extreme, it may cause Metatarsalgia; a condition in which the foot’s ball is inflamed and becomes painful. This condition is caused by wearing too tight shoes or too loose ones.
- Economy of energy
Professional runners desire to attain the economy of energy for proper performance. Less muscle work is essential for the provision of the economy of energy. Since muscles contract to help absorb and return power, runners always wear shoes that provide comfort to attain the economy of energy.
Since running requires endurance to attain the best performance, even the minimal change in oxygen used in respiration is meaningful.
- Arch support
Flat-footed runners and Pes Cavus, those with a high arch, would not be comfortable with the same brand shapes. Runners with high arches would suffer arch pains if given shoes that are not comfortable for their wear. Shoes that don’t provide the right arch support may lead to overpronation or may cause natural over-pronators to experience difficulty running.
Overpronation
Over-pronation is a condition where by the foot turns inward towards the arch. This condition may occur naturally or as a result wrong footwear. Over-pronation may cause shin and ankle pain may occur in some athletes. Comfortable shoes are required in the prevention of shin pain and ankle pain resulting from over-pronation during running.
Stability in a running shoe means a maximum construction that corrects the over-pronator’s stride.
- Over-supination
Supination occurs when most of the body’s weight lies outside the foot. Some professional runners may suffer from excessive supination due to previous injuries or overwork of muscles, tendons, or the ligaments that make the ankle stable. This may have developed from the use of uncomfortable running shoes. Over-supination shoes will provide comfort to the runner’s stride and prevent further injury.
How to choose the right comfortable shoes
The choice of running shoes may sometimes prove very difficult, especially where there is a variety to choose from. Where comfort of the shoes is considered choosing the right shoe becomes easy.
Proper fit.Comfortable shoes include the right width and length. To prevent blisters, the runner should not pick too tight or too loose shoes.
The shoes should not be pinching or sloppy, and the foot should be centered.
- Consider the place you will be running
Those who run on the roads would be comfortable with road running shoes, which would provide cushion and stabilize their feet through their strides on both hard and even surfaces.
Runner shoes with bigger lugs than road-running shoes provide a better grip on uneven terrains giving comfort to the trail-runners. These types of shoes are fortified with plates underfoot to protect the trail-runner from sharp objects and rocks.
- Right arch support
Various runners’ feet have various arch levels. The comfort of the shoe varies depending on the arch level of the runner’s foot. Runners with high arch would be more comfortable with shoes that provide total support to their arch.
- How would you like to feel?
The thickness of the cushioning and the foam’s firmness makes the cushioning provide different “rides.” Some runners would be comfortable with a soft ride, while others would not like the thick cushioning. The best way to make the right decision on the comfortable shoe is to try various pairs and determine if the “ride” is right for you.
Conclusion
Comfortable shoes help reduce injuries, improve performance, reduce the risk of blisters and help the athlete to attain the economy of energy. In a bid to attain this, all professional runners prefer choosing comfortable shoes over attractive shoes.