If the shoe fits ..

If you want to avoid injury, it’s important to have a good pair of runners, which are suited to your type of foot and running style,

Things to consider include
• Your foot shape
• How your foot moves (gait analysis)
• Your weight
• Your budget

If you go to a specialist running store, they will firstly look at your foot shape i.e. if you have a normal foot, are flat footed or have high arches. They will then look at the way you run and recommend a shoe that is designed for your running style.

If you are overweight then be sure that you have a good pair of shoes with extra cushioning from the very start of your training programme. The extra cushioning will help protect your joints when running.

In general, the more technical the shoe, the more expensive it will be. If you’re a beginner and your mileage is quite low, you shouldn’t need a particularly advanced shoe. Remember though that it can be worth paying a bit more for the right shoe or else you might end up injured and spending the money on medical bills. Worse still, you may not be able to run the race at all.

Specialist running stores in Dublin where you can get good advice on the right shoe for you, include Amphibian King in Bray and Runways on Parnell St.

You can also check out About.com: Running & Jogging. We subscribe to Christine's blog from the site and she has written some really interesting stuff on how to figure out if the shoe really fits or not!

Happy Running!