10/25/2019 1 Comment Shoes for winter runningRunning is a great sport. You know why? Of course you do. Running is great because all you need is a pair of shoes and a can-do attitude! That said, since shoes are the be-all and end-all of our chosen hobby, we runners can (and often do) talk about them for hours. This blog post will start with general running shoe considerations, like how to decide which type of shoes are right for you. If you’ve been running for a while and already have a handle on this, skip on down to the section called Special Winter Shoe Considerations.
General Running Shoe Considerations: 3 Types of Feet: Which Are You? Testing Methods From Low to High Tech
Which Shoe is Right for You?
Shoe Fit Make sure you have room (a centimetre or so) at the front of your big toe to allow for flexion of your arch during running.Your arch is compressed by forces between two to four times your weight while running, so your foot will be longer than when you’re just standing around in the store. Your feet will also swell during running. This may mean that you run in shoes a half size larger (or more) than your regular street shoes. In the winter, I like to go up a half size again to make sure I have room for my thick winter socks or multiple pairs of socks.Don’t buy shoes that are a little too small just because they’re on sale: this will lead to the dreaded Black Toenail of Death! (Not that I’ve ever done this, lol). Go shopping toward the end of the day when your feet may already be a little swollen and your arch flattened. If you shop in the morning you may underestimate the width and even the length of the shoe you’ll need. Make sure the arch profile of the shoe doesn’t feel too high or like there’s a rock in your shoe: you will get blisters. Also make sure that your feet fill out the shoe but don’t press into the sides of the shoe. When is a Shoe Through? Though there’s a certain amount of variation between people and shoes, 750K (500 miles) is the expected life of a modern running shoe. You can log your shoes’ mileage in a journal, some sports watches and apps will log it for you, or if you’re lazy like me, just be cognizant of when your shoes’ cushioning feels like it’s not so cushy anymore. You can also drop by a running store and try on a fresh pair of your model of shoe, if yours feels quite different it may be time to take it out of rotation. And watch out for any niggling pains: recurrent injuries that tend to crop up after roughly the same number of miles spent in your shoes may be due to wearing worn-out shoes. Special Winter Considerations: What to Look for in Specialty Winter Running Shoes (Psst: You’ll Also Find Many of These Features in Trail Running Shoes)
Tried and True Winter Shoe Brands Though a lot of folks simply wear their normal running shoes with thicker socks and additional traction aids (see below) during the winter, if you find yourself continually getting cold, wet feet, frostbitten toes, or have very poor circulation due to health issues such as diabetes or Raynaud's Syndrome (like me), you may want to consider shelling out for a pair of specialty winter running shoes. There are a lot more options on the market these days than there were twenty years ago when I first started running. Here are a few brands that I and others I know have used and found worked well.
Additional Traction Aids On icy days, the most important part of my running gear is a pair of traction devices that stretch over or attach to my shoes to give them extra grip. These range from the economical brand I prefer, to quite expensive thick and beefy pairs. I like the ones with short spikes attached to thin rubber straps: they’re easy to put on, take off, tuck away into a pocket when I’m not using them, are lightweight, give great traction, and if I lose one in the snow, it doesn’t cost me an arm and a leg to replace. Some runners prefer the more expensive, heftier ones that attach securely over shoes: they do stay on in deep snow much better, but they're more difficult to remove on days where the pavement is pretty dry, or for wear indoors at race brunches, etc. and I'm much too lazy and uncoordinated to fiddle with continually attaching and reattaching them. I’ve had bad experiences with the coiled variety of traction devices: the coils flattened as I ran, causing me to slip sideways, and the thick rubber toe strap kept slipping off my small, girly feet. You may come across heavy-duty brands made from chains and long spikes: I find these too much for road running, but are useful for mountain or trail running. There are also ice spikes that screw directly into the soles of your shoes: I haven’t tried these, but if you have, leave a comment below and let me know what you think. An important thing to note about traction devices: they can affect your gait, so if you try them and feel like you're running awkwardly, or develop any unusual joint pains, muscle aches, etc. while wearing them, consider trying a less aggressive pair or forgoing them entirely in favour of shoes with bigger lugs and/or ice-gripping rubber. Gaiters From the trail running world, gaiters are small pieces of fabric (often Spandex) that attach to your shoelaces and heel to cover the opening of your shoe and your ankle with the aim of keeping rocks and debris from getting inside. They also keep out snow when plowing through the mountains or even through your local park before the morning’s white dump has been packed down. I don’t personally wear them because I find them a pain to attach and not very breathable, but if you’re running in some seriously deep snow, you may want to give them a try. Socks Make sure you’re wearing socks made from wicking materials such as synthetics like polyester, or, if you’re a natural fabric fan, merino wool. In the winter we’re worried about more than just blisters: cold, wet feet can cause major problems like frostbite when the temperatures dip low! Thicker, higher socks will provide better insulation against the cold and wind than your normal all-purpose running socks. In temperatures below -30C (-22F) I wear two pairs of double-layered, wicking, synthetic socks.
1 Comment
3/16/2022 09:42:49 pm
I very much appreciate it. Thank you for this excellent article. Keep posting!
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AuthorKathy Istace runs and races in one of the coldest cities on earth. Archives
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