How many pairs of shoes do you need?
Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.
Remember that pair of new running shoes you were looking at recently and that you stopped yourself from buying? Well, maybe you should think again, as I’m a big advocate of having multiple pairs of trainers to run in. There are a couple of great reasons to do this – and not just because it’s fun to buy shoes!
Adapt to the terrain
Firstly, having more than one pair of shoes to run in means that you can match your footwear to the terrain you’re going to be running on. While this probably isn’t so important if you run exclusively on just one kind of surface, it’s absolutely essential if you run on routes that take you across rough terrain as well as roads. Trail shoes will give you the extra grip and stability you need off-road, while road shoes will have the support and impact protection you need to make sure the tarmac doesn’t take too much of a toll.
Reduced injury
There is also some scientific evidence that suggests that wearing different pairs of running shoes as you train on different days can actually reduce your chances of injury. The idea is that different shoes will distribute the impact of your foot hitting the ground in subtly different ways – meaning that no one area will take sustained punishment if you swap your footwear regularly. The researchers – based in Luxembourg – suggested that multiple-shoe wearers were 39% less likely to get injured than runners who only use one pair.
Recovery time
Finally, just as your body needs rest between runs, so do your shoes. Repeated daily use of the same pair of running shoes means that the protective foam in the soles has no opportunity to recover its shape. So, give your old trainers a rest, and treat yourself to a new pair of running shoes. You deserve it!
Until the next time,
Mohsin Salya.
