Running Shoe Assessments: Our Experience
We see a lot of runners in clinic, and one of the most common questions we get is… “What running shoes should I buy?” And what works well for us, may not work for you. So instead of giving out advice blindly… we often send runners to get shoe assessments done by the professionals. That way, they can find out what really works for their feet and individual biomechanics.
If you’re in Adelaide, a great place to go is RunDNA (previously known as Sportitude). So we thought, why not try it our ourselves to ensure we are giving the best (and most accurate) recommendations possible to our patients. We made a reel about this on instagram, which you can view here if you would like a visual. But we thought we would make a blog post about our experience too, in case you wanted a bit more of an in-depth run-down.
What does it involve?
Well first and foremost, it starts off with a booking! I didn’t know this and tried to walk in for an assessment. So save yourself the hassle and book online via their website here before you go in.
I wore my running shoes in there and took along my second pair with me, in case they wanted to test both. We went into a little room to the side with a treadmill and computer screens and I was given a run down on how it all works.
We then put little sensors on my current running shoes and I ran on the treadmill for about 2 minutes. We picked a comfortable pace of about 5.45/km and I set off. This collected a whole heap of data on my running pattern, foot strike, how much I pronate etc.
Next we chatted through the data and determined that things look fairly good, there was a little bit of asymmetry (which was expected as I get some (L) sided tib post and calf pain), but nothing major to worry about.
Picking the shoes
Next I went out and selected some shoes I thought I would like to try. To be honest, I always pick shoes by what they look like, and I was slightly worried I was going to be told to wear ugly ones - but I was upfront about this! They also picked a few pairs they thought would suit my foot and running pattern.
Testing them out!
Then we tested them all! This involved running for 1-2 minutes in each pair and looking at not only the data, but more importantly what they felt like on. Surprise surprise, the nice looking ones I had chosen did not feel great to run in! They felt heavy to wear or I experienced calf pain and fatigue immediately. This is what happens when I buy them online for the looks - lesson learnt. The ones that were chosen to suit my running pattern felt instantly better to run in!
See below for our thoughts on some of the pairs we tried and the ones we bought.
The test run!
I ended up buying the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4s and tried them out the next day. I ran the last 6km of my long run (18km) in them as I didn’t want to do the whole thing, in case they weren’t comfortable. I was extremely happy with the result:
No calf or tib post pain at all
Minimal calf fatigue, even though it was the end of my run
Able to sustain a faster pace with less effort and lower heart rate
Summary
Overall, I was very happy with my experience at RunDNA. It just shows how important it is to try before you buy when it comes to running shoes, especially if you are feeling some niggles coming on. It also proves that fashion over function is not always the best way to go if you’re half serious about your running.
If you’re shoes are all good and you’re still getting some niggles, we offer Running Assessments at Sunny Side Physio. This involves an in-depth assessment of your body, identifying any weakness and imbalances. Complete with a plan going forwards to optimise your running and reduce injury! The session goes for 45 minutes and private health rebates apply. You can book online here!
We look forward to helping you improve running and get rid of any niggles!