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Shoes and You

Shoes (The easy part)

Shoes are pieces of rubber, plastic, synthetics, EVA, foams of different densities and thicknesses. They DO NOT adapt, they DO wear down. They are an unnatural addition to a human body and they affect the way a body moves profoundly. Manufacturers reinvent the wheel (or the shoe) continuously, some a lot more than others. Different gadgets, whizz bang fits, material, carbon plates and so on.

They change the last shape, the fit, the feel, the bounciness, the stretchiness, the geometry, the stiffness or the bendiness in different parts of the shoes. Nitrogen bubbles, carbon plates with different cut outs, polyurethane…The list goes on and on and will continue to evolve.

Human Beings (Never simple)

We are all runners. We were all born as runners and will die as runners. We have been running ever since we evolved to have an Achilles Tendon, 2 million years ago. As a species we continue to evolve and as far as understanding how we are made and how we will continue to adapt and change we are yet to touch the surface.

Our tendons adapt, our bones adapt, our minds adapt, our heart and lungs adapt and our attitudes and thinking mechanisms (auto and controlled) all adapt continuously as we age.

How our bodies adapt to running is equally complex and far from well understood. We know we ran everywhere in the past and had to rely on our bodies to get around. We did that without all these whizz bang gadgets and as human beings we were very strong.

When it comes to shoes we believe there are a significant number of factors to consider to help you chose the right shoe. At Running Science we have a combination of Physio students, Podiatrists, Exercise Physiologists, experienced runners and coaches. We have a significant Podiatry input into all our shoe selections and further provide regular ongoing training for our staff.

How we match the two together: (Where we do our magic)

What to expect from a comprehensive Shoe Fit at Running Science

We will spend the first 5 minutes discussing your running behaviour with you. When, how often and for how long you have been running.

We will delve into your shoe wearing history and what happens to your shoes when you run in them (this is important)

We will spend a little bit of time understanding your injury history or lack thereof along with any injury propensity or predisposition. We will go through your running goals

We will try to get to you know just a little bit too as that makes things easy and enjoyable.

Then based on that information we will select some shoes that will fit the bill and go through a fitting process with you. In this process we will assess Fit, Feel, Comfort, how you move in the different shoes and how they have compared to previous shoes you have worn. We use a vast amount of combined clinical and running experience to do this and 17 years experience performing this process.

The rest is up to you. How you feel in a shoe is very important to help us complete the picture. We will ask you that a lot during the process to help us evaluate the suitability and help help you feel comfortable in what we decide is right for you.

The service is include with the intention of purchase and and the price of our footwear is approximately recommended retail price.

We do offer a booking service should you wish to guarantee one on one attention for the end to end process. This comes at no extra cost. Book here to select your time or just come in during our opening hours.

The price of the service is included along with the intention of purchase. If you do not want to buy shoes but would like some advice about something please give us a call first …

“If you think you need something a bit more involved (advice about an injury, running technique or anything else) then please with call us or book in to see Phil. “