Shoes

Running shoes and pronation go together in one of the first pieces of advice you get when you walk into a running store: “you overpronate, you need stability” or “you have high arches, get something cushioned”. It sounds logical and has been repeated for decades, but research in recent years has called it into question….

Carbon plate, drop and cushioning are the three terms you see on every running shoe spec sheet. They are the factors that most change how a shoe feels when you run, and also the ones that cause the most confusion. Is a low drop better? How much cushioning do you need? Does a carbon plate…

When to replace running shoes is a question every runner asks sooner or later, usually when some aches start that don’t seem to come from anywhere. The answer you will hear everywhere is “between 500 and 800 kilometers”, but that number on its own is misleading. Real wear depends on your weight, your technique, the…

Training vs racing shoes: once you start taking running seriously, there comes a point when you wonder whether you need more than one pair and how they differ. The short answer is that they are designed for different jobs and you can’t swap them without paying a price. In this guide I explain what each…

Getting your running shoe size right is harder than it looks, and getting it wrong is behind a lot of the problems runners deal with: black toenails, blisters, numb toes and chafing. The most common mistake is buying the same size you wear in your everyday shoes. In this guide I explain how to measure…

Choosing the right trail running shoes decides whether you enjoy the mountains or spend every descent slipping and finish halfway through the route with wrecked feet. The mountains are unpredictable: mud, loose rock, roots, brutal climbs. Your shoes have to handle all of it. In this guide I focus on what defines a mountain shoe,…