Shoes

What you put on your feet is the single most important thing to consider. The wrong shoes — too small, too big, designed for another sport — can ruin your experience and lead to injury.

• Shoes should be specifically designed for running. Women should consider choosing a brand made especially for women’s feet. Many shoe manufacturers use a man’s foot as a mold. 

• Consider going to a store that will evaluate how your foot behaves when it strikes the ground, also known as pronation. You will either overpronate (your ankle will rotate down and in), normal pronate (your ankle rolls down and in to a satisfactory degree) or supinate (your ankle rolls down and out). Generally, you will be asked to walk across a pad that’s linked to a computer. It will record the places where your foot strikes the ground. If the line between your heel and toes is thin that most likely means you supinate. If the print is normal with a thick band between the toes and heel, you are a normal pronator. If your print is flat footed with little indentation for the curvature of your foot, you are most likely an overpronator. You can take this test at home by dampening your foot and walking across a paper bag. The best place on the Peninsula to get fitted isRoad Runner Sports.

• The shoe should fit snugly, preventing your foot from wiggling. It should not, however, press or pinch any part of your foot. You should have about a thumb’s width between your toe and the edge of the shoe when you stand up.

• Make sure you buy running shoes for the right activity. If you plan to do trail running, you need a trail running shoe, typically designed with more ankle support, stability and in darker, more durable fabrics.

• You need to replace your running shoes every 400-500 miles.