Now I know most people have never given thought to what kind of shoes actually fit them best, but having the right set of kicks is important because it will help you keep from injuring yourself.

I used to think about my running shoes and I wanted the coolest looking pair I could find, until one summer I was running in my custom pair of Nike Shox and ended up injured. This led me to a specialized running store to help me find a pair of shoes that actually fit my foot type.

There are three kinds of feet in general:

Those that are neutral while walking (don’t roll inward or outward)

Those that turn inward while walking (pronate)

Those that turn outward while walking (supinate)

If you want to know what kind of feet you have, take your shoes and socks off and walk in a straight line towards someone. This should give you an idea, although it will not necessarily be correct as it is best to have someone who is trained in looking for this to tell you.

Because I have feet that pronate, the Nike Shox were not the shoe for me because they are for neutral feet.

People who have feet that pronate need extra support on the inside edge of your shoes seen here on these Asics GT-2120’s (these are a really popular and comfortable shoe for people whose feet pronate)

The opposite is true for people whose feet supinate, you need support on the outside

There are also other things to consider when purchasing shoes like if you have fallen arches and need extra arch support and just the overall comfort of the shoes.

My personal suggestion is to not purchase shoes online unless you have tried them on in a store and walked or jogged around in them to see how comfortable they are.

I hope this guide has helped you figure out where to start when choosing a pair of running shoes.

Happy Running