Shoe of the Week 5/11

I wanted to start this to acknowledge shoes that I feel have exceeded my expectations in a running shoe.

For this week I choose the Brooks Infinity 2 as Shoe of the Week

Type: Light Stability

Cost: $124

The infinity goes over and beyond my expectations in a running shoe. It is considered apart of the guidance group of shoes. This means that it has a slight stability post under the arch, low enough to where a neutral runner can wear this shoe and be unaffected, and where a slight pronator can be made neutral. The shoe uses Brooks BIOMOGO technology which is a fully degradable and this shoes will turn to dirt after 20 years (50 times faster than regular shoes). But don't take this the wrong way. This shoe will get you a full 400 miles It has superior cushioning compared to any other shoe in its category. The fit of the shoe is as snug as a sock and is less abrasive to avoid any rubbing between the material and the skin.

I would have to rate the Brooks Infinity 2 a perfect 10

Why You Should Go A Full Size Larger

(Courtesy of Luke's Locker Shopper)

If you look at each 3rd toe, they are black. In most cases this is caused by running in shoes that are too small for you feet. What happens is one each step of running when you toe off on one foot, all your weight and force is put on your toes and they are forced forward. If there is not enough room for you toes, they will butt up against the edge of you shoes. When this happens after every step, you toes will start to form blisters on the edge of the toes or right under the nail. After awhile they will form into blood blisters that are built up under the nail. This will cause the nails to appear black from the blood. After about a 3 month time period, the black nail will fall off. It is best to try to keep it on as long as possible because a new nail is forming underneath.

In most cases this can easily be fixed by going another half to full size up. Black toenails usually are not painful, but are not fun to have. Save yourself the issue and make sure you are in the right size. In a proper running shoe you want to have a full thumbnails length from your longest toe to the edge of the shoe.

This will keep you toes from hitting the edge of the shoe when running.

If you heels start to slip because of going up to a larger size, then try the Runner's Loop

Product Review: Newton Running Shoes

Don't be fooled by the flashy colors, Newton Running Shoes are serious about performance.

Never hear of them? Don't worry, they're relatively new to the market. Its a company that started out in Boulder, Co (a large running community) that got the name from Sir Isaac Newton and his Laws of Motion. The company was launched in 2002 and just recently started selling their shoes in stores across the nation and sales have just skyrocketed since then.

The entire shoe is designed to transition you from a heel striker into a forefoot runner (check it out here). This means that it makes you land on you forefoot and
keeps you off your heels. It does this because of the red lugs(the long raised bars under the forefoot), which compress into cavities under a membrane materiel and act as the cushioning system. Because the cushioning system is all under the forefoot, the rest of the shoe can be made with less foam, and thus making the shoe very lightweight. One of the best things about this shoe is that they last for about 600 miles, opposed to regular shoes which last for around 400. What is interesting about these shoes is that the lugs are meant to wear down quickly to form to your own unique running style. This will take about a 40 mile break in period but after this is feels like your running in a shoe specifically designed for you.

Some negative things about these shoes. If you use them too much immediately then your calf muscles will be sore and fatigued for quite awhile. The proper way to work yourself into a newton is to wear them once a week, then the next week twice a week, and so on till you are running in them full time. There have also been complaints about metatarsal stress fractures and other injuries, but most of this is caused by using the newtons improperly; heel striking, taking to long of a stride, ex... One other thing is the cost. These are not cheap shoes. The trainers cost $175 and the racers cost $155. Yet as I said before, they can get up to 600 miles, so if you pay per mile then you are paying about the same cost for a regular high millage shoe.

I myself have used the newtons and loved them. I got the full 600 miles out of them and still wear them today as a casual shoe. I would definitely recommend these shoes to someone who is wanting to make the transition to forefoot running.

Heel Slipping?

Having problems with your heel slipping even though your in the right shoes size?

Lacing your shoes differently can help. First try going into the back eye hole

If this does not work, then try the Runner's Loop


1. First take each lace out of the top eye hole



2. Take each shoe lace and put it through the back eye hole on the same side it is already on. This will form a loop on each side.



3. Then take the right shoe lace and cross over to the left loop and thread the lace through the loop. Do this with the left lace to the right loop hole as well.



4. Then tighten the laces, and tie a regular knot.


What the Runner's Loop does is pull the heel of the shoe closer to the foot and intern keeps the heel from slipping.

Random Tips, Tricks, and Facts about Running

Here are some random Tips and Tricks that I find useful

1. If you are having problems with blistering, put ducktape over the blister before you run.

2. When training make sure not to increase you training for the next week more than 10%
(If you run 10 miles a week, your next week should not exceed 11 miles)

3. After a run make sure to get a good some sort of nutrition, like a banana, protein bar, smoothie, or recovery drink, within 30 min. after the workout ended. In this time period the body will soak up the most nutrients and will speed up recovery.

4. Most injuries can be avoided by staying hydrated. When the body is hydrated, it is less likely to pull a muscle, have soreness, and even can prevent injuries like shin splints and knee pain.

5. Your actual running shoe size is a full size larger than you casual shoe size. You should have a full thumbnail length space at the end of you shoes.

6. When running, you impact on you legs will be anywhere from 5-8 x your body weight.

7. Most quality Running shoes will last, on average, for 400 miles.

8. It is best not to stretch before a run. First warm up for about 5 min. then take a break to stretch. It is especially important to stretch well after a long distance run. This will decrease soreness.

9. Wearing synthetic material socks, opposed to cotton socks (cotton = bad), will keep your feet dry and will keep your shoes from smelling as bad.

10. A runner needs to consume around 120 ounces of water, or water-like fluids ( gatoraid, poweraid, teas, and so on (Not sodas or milk)). This will keep the body functioning optimally.

Shoes I Recommend

Shoes that I find great for Runners:

What type of runner are you? Find out here

Neutral Runners:

Heavy Cushion:
Asics Nimbus $125
Nike Vomero $130
Saucony Triumph $125
Brooks Glycerin $125 **
Adidas Ride $125
Mizuno Creation $130 **


Moderate Cushion:
Asics Cumulus $99 **
Asics Landreth $95
Saucony Ride $95
Brooks Defyance $99 **
Mizuno Wave Rider $99 **
Nike Max Motto $99
Nike Air Pegasus $85 **

Shoes For Pronation:

Mild Pronation:
Brooks Infinity $124
Saucony Paramount $164
Adidas Sequence $99
Nike Zoom Elite $99

Moderate Pronation:
Asics 2140 $99
Nike Structure Triax $99
Saucony Guide $99
Mizuno Inspire $99

Heavy Pronation:
Brooks Adrenaline $105
Asics Kayano $140
Brooks Trance $135
Nike Equalon $135
Saucony Hurricane $135
Mizuno Nirvana $135

Motion Control (most amount of support)
Brooks Beast $129
Mizuno Alchemy $99
Asics Evolution $109
Nike Nucleus $114

** Good for Supinators
(Prices are according to MSRP and increase every year)

Breakdown of Running Shoes

What type of shoe is best for me? It all depends on the amount of pronation of your own feet. Running shoes can be broken down into two different types; Neutral shoes(also called cushioned) and Stability shoes.

Neutral shoes are designed for the "ideal" foot. This means for a person with generally high arches that do not collapse when standing and when the ankles does not fold inward or outward when walking. Being neutral is the ideal, but only about 30 % of people are considered neutral. A neutral shoe basically means that it does not have any added support under the arch.

A stability shoes is designed for a person who pronates, meaning a person whose arches collapse and ankles turn inward. This type of arch can range from a person who has a high arch, yet still collapses, to a person who has entirely flat feet, to a person who has a strong neutral arch, yet the ankle turns inward. About 60% percent of people pronate. What makes a stability shoe optimum for a pronator is the Stability Post (shown in picture). A stability post is going to be a harder piece of foam that is placed under the arch to support the arch and keep it from collapsing. This will intern keep the ankle from turning inward as well. What does this mean to a person who pronates? A more natural alignment which will take away most back pain, hip pain, knee pain, and inward shin splints.

The left over 10% of people do what is called supinate. This is when a person generally has a very high rigid arch that does not collapse, an ankle that leans outward or remains neutral, and walks on the outsides of their feet. Since there is such a small market for supinators, most companies will not make a shoe that makes a supinator land neutral. What a supinator should look for is a neutral shoe that is more rigid. Most Asics, Saucony, Brooks, and Mizuno shoes will do fine. Stay away from Nike because they are too soft on the sides and will make you lean further out.

Over all, being in the proper type of shoe will keep your body aligned and pain free.


Shoes I recommend

Proper Running Shoes

Proper running shoes are a must-have to protect your body from the impact from the ground. In comparison, a runner's shoes are like a football player's helmet. To keep your body healthy and up and running, you need a good pair of shoes.

Now to start off, get an actual running shoe. Not a cross trainer, walking shoe, or anything else. Only a true running shoe will do. Get a good name brand. Some good brands are Asics, Nike(Bowerman Series ONLY), Saucony, Brooks, and Mizuno. If you need a wide or narrow make sure to check into Asics and Brooks.

Now just because a shoe is from one of these companies does not always meen that it is a great quality running shoe. Many of the larger companies like Nike, Asics, and New Balance will make thousands of diffrent types of shoes, much of which are cheap shoes that are made to be found at your local discount shoe store. These shoes will be priced very cheap and will look great but are not made well enough to protect your body from impact. On another note it is best to shop at a specilty running store if there is one in your area. If you do not have a running store in your area then pay attention.

A Good quality shoe generaly starts at around $90 and can go all the way up to $200. For most runners a shoe around $100 will be fine. What do you get for your money? A good qualtiy runnin shoe will last up to 400 miles of running on average. A cheaper quality shoe usually will bearly squeek out 100 miles and can cause injuries. Its much better to go with the more expensive shoe. Your feet will thank you.