How do I know If I need a neutral running shoe, and what is one? If you’ve not heard of the different types of running shoe, let’s break it down, and do the free at home test to find out what you are!
What are neutral running shoes? And who are they for?
Neutral running shoes are for most people who run. They have full cushioning, with a little extra in the heel. They’re often quite light because you don’t need extra support so there’s enough material and cushioning across the whole shoe.
They’re for people who run whereby their whole foot covers the ground equally. Ie your foot doesn’t overturn and end up pushing off with your toes. That would be overpronating.
What’s overpronation?
It’s to do with how your foot rolls when you walk or run. So when your foot lands on the ground, the outside of your foot touches the ground first and then your inner part of the foot, so you’re flat on the ground. And then your whole foot leaves the ground again.
If you overpronate, your foot rolls into the ground even further, so your inside of your foot is the bit that touches the ground, and you’re not actually flat. You’ll push off with your toes. According to Asicas, 30-40% of runners overpronate.
If you over or underpronat, stability running shoes can help you more. They can help you to counter how your foot lands when it contacts the floor.
How do you know if you need them?
Do a running gait test
You can go to a running store and get a gait test. It’s a test where a professional will put you on a treadmill and use specific running technology to measure how your feet and legs move when you run. It’s a very cool way of then saying exactly which type of running shoe you need. Everyone has different running form. For example, I’ve always slightly kicked my legs out to the side a little.
Google “running gait analysis near me” to find one locally. It’s usually a very fascinating experience, and you learn a bit more about you as a runner.
Test it at home:
Stand up and look at your feet.
- Do they point straight ahead? You’re probably a neutral runner.
- Do they curve inwards a little? You probably underpronate.
- Do they curve outwards (like a V)? You probably overpronate.
Do an at-home arch test
We all have arches in our feet. It’s how we can stand up. The arch test can show you what type of feet you have and what type of running shoe you need!
Put some newspaper on the ground, then dampen your bare feet. Briefly stand on the newspaper then step off. Now, look at the imprint your feet have left:
- Almost the whole foot’s outline is visible – you have flat feet
- The heel and front foot are visible but none of the middle is visible – you have high arches
- The heel and front foot are visible and some but not all of the middle is visible – you are neutral
How to tell if a running shoe is a neutral or stability shoe
- Check the manufacturer label – it might say ‘neutral’ or ‘support’.
- Most the cushioning is in the heel (because your whole foot touches the ground)
- Ask the staff if you’re really stuck!
What happens if I wear neutral running shoes and I overpronate or underpronate?
Your feet might get painful. You’re wearing the wrong shoes for your running style. It’s really important to be equipped properly. You wouldn’t wear clothes that are too small, so don’t wear neutral running shoes if your perfect fit is the stability ones.
