Shoe basics and lingo
Outsole
The part of the shoe that actually touches the ground. It’s usually a combination of blown rubber and carbon rubber. More blown, and it’s softer, more carbon, and it’s more responsive.
Midsole
The cushion part. It’s the bulk of the shoe’s sole.
Insole
The (usually removable) part inside the shoe that your foot touches.
Upper
The (derp) top of the shoe, made of mesh, laces, and overlays
Heel Counter
The (usually) firm part that wraps behind your heel.
Stack Height
The amount of cushioning material under your foot. Measured in millimeters (mm)
Heel-to-Toe Drop
Plush/Responsive
Plush refers to the shoe being soft, think “cloud-like”. A responsive shoe feels faster; you rebound instead of sink in.
Orthotic
These are very similar to insoles, but are sold separately from the shoes themselves. Still, they provide a little more cushion and support and can last anywhere between one and four pairs of shoes. They also come in a range of levels: generic, semi-custom, and prescription.
- Generic: Think Dr. Scholls. It’s that sort of one-size-fits-all deal, but they’re usually still a little better than the original insoles.
- Semi-custom: Spenco, Aetrex, and Super Feet are options here, and they have a range available for different foot types, like if you have flat feet or a lot of pressure in your forefoot.
- Prescription: get these from your pediatrist, they’re generally made specifically for your foot.
You pretty much get what you pay for as you go down the line. Generic stuff might cost $20, and prescription ones can be hundreds of dollars.
The Brands
This is the most popular running shoe brand out there, and their Adrenaline GTS is the best-selling model. They originally used gel, too, but they began blending the gel with the foam to make it more even and cut down on weight. It’s now called DNA or SuperDNA. That said, their shoes are all very traditional. With the exception of their Pure series (which are very minimal), you can expect 12mm heel-to-toe drops, stiffer midsoles, and sort of an overall “clunkiness.” Then again, they do work great for a lot of people.
The king of the athletic market unfortunately has some backlash from “serious” runners, that they don’t make “real running shoes.” I’m sure the United States Olympic team would beg to differ. Nike uses a couple cushioning technologies, mostly Zoom Air or Lunarlon foam. The Zoom is responsive, while Lunarlon is a little softer. Zoom gets put in a lot of their performance shoes, especially those aimed at the competitive and/or shorter-distance demographic. Some gripes about Nike are legitimate: they are generally more narrow and less cushioned. Again, they’re mostly build for speed.
Others
Let’s get this straight: Sketchers and Reebok are just shit. Meb Kheflizigi won Boston in Sketchers? That’s probably because he could’ve won it if he wore cardboard strapped to his feet. Reebok… Jesus. Just stick with your Crossfit stuff, alright? That Z-Pump is like partially dicing up a burned steak and sticking a novelty upper on it. No, honestly, Sketchers, if you have no other affordable options and no foot problems, will get you through a season, but they aren’t amazing. Reebok obviously has that Crossfit following, and we’ll talk about their Nano shoe in an upcoming post.
In terms of other brands, Puma just kind of steals their ideas from everyone else… Sorry, “pays homage”. Mizuno is just very responsive in general and if you have experience with their volleyball or baseball stuff, you might give them a shot. The other big brands are mostly trail shoes, which may be covered sometime in the future.
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