Table of contents for Shoe Maintenance

  1. The Care and Maintenance of Running Shoes (or, how to enjoy your honeymoon by ignoring your websites)
  2. Keep your shoes dry, but not near heat
  3. Keep your shoes dry by pulling the insoles out
  4. Remove rocks and mud from your shoes after your run
  5. What should you do if your shoes are sopping wet?
  6. Rotating your shoes can prevent injuries and prolong shoe life
  7. Label your shoes to avoid mixing and matching
  8. When choosing shoes, seek the help of an expert.
  9. The Eight Categories of Shoes
  10. When you find shoes that work for you, stick with them!
  11. Replacing your insoles can really help you…or really hurt you!
  12. How to make sure your shoes fit correctly when you buy them
  13. A list of shoe care tips

Today, I am going to advocate having well maintained shoes by choosing the correct shoes in the first place. When you are new to running, or have been running for a while but never paid much attention to your shoes, you should seek out the help of somebody that knows what they are talking about. These sort of people are not usually difficult to find; if you have a running shoe specialty store near you, you have some local experts (in most situations). Everywhere that I have lived there has always been at least one or two running shoe stores within easy driving distance. Most of the time, the people who run those stores are accomplished runners who know how to fit people for the proper shoes.

You will hear words like pronation and supination, (the rolling of your foot towards the inside or outside as it strikes the ground), but you will not need to worry about it. They will watch you run around their store, or on a treadmill, or on the sidewalk outside. Then they will have you try some shoes on and make sure that you get a proper fit.

Be sure to ask questions if you are confused about anything. They are there to help you. By choosing the proper shoes, you will be less likely to hurt yourself and you will be much more comfortable while you are out training.

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