Approximate dates are given to give and receive gifts , and surely more than one runner expect to see a box with flying shoes , those that help you improve your career times and improve your beats, under the Christmas tree.

The running shoes are a recurring gift every Christmas: so, if you are thinking about giving a pair to a relative or a friend, or if you expect them to give them to you, we give you all the keys you must take into account before of the purchase to make it a success.

Where are you going to go jogging

The land for which you are going to spend the sole of those shoes that you are going to buy or that you are going to give away is one of the most important things to take into account when buying new shoes. Give a running shoe from town to a mountain runner and you will see how his face changes from surprise to tears in a matter of seconds.

The shoes trail or shoes mountain usually have a taqueada whose sole function is to grip the ground and may vary depending on the technical grade of the route to which they are intended. Thus, a sole of a trail shoe for a very technical terrain, with steep climbs and descents or loose pebbles will have a hard sole with multidirectional studs so that the grip is good we have better traction.

The running shoes on asphalt or city have drawing on the sole but not tacked. Generally the most interesting thing in some shoes for asphalt is that they are lightweight and that they have good cushioning . The sole is not so important, since we are going to find smooth terrain and we do not need an extra grip.

How is the runner’s footstep going to use them

Do you know what kind of runner you are according to your footprint? To know this information you can simply take a look at your old running shoes and check where they are worn : is there less sole on the outside of the foot, on the insideor wear more or less equally? Obviously you can also do a tread test , where besides telling you what kind of runner you are, they will also offer you valuable information to avoid injuries and improve your career technique.

Many shoes are specifically designed for runners pronators or supinators , placing reinforcements in the sole or midsole in places that are necessary to correct the runner’s footprint and avoid possible pathologies. For this reason it is advisable that before buying a pair of running shoes we should know what type of footprint should correspond.

There are also neutral sneakers , which are not only for runners who are not pronators or supiners: this type of sneakers are the ones that we must choose if we go running with templates . The templates, specifically designed for us after a study of the footprint, already correct us in each stride, so no extra stabilization is necessary in the shoe.

How is the runner physically going to use the shoes

Those running shoes, are they for you? Are they to give to a friend? It is necessary that we know certain physical details about the person who is going to travel kilometers with these new zapillas to make sure that we are correct in our choice.

The first question is very simple: is it a man or a woman? It may seem that the running shoes for men and for women only differ in models and ranges of colors, but the reality is that there are more things that differentiate them . The feet of the woman are usually, as a rule, narrower and smaller than those of men, and with the instep more pronounced. The women’s running shoes are designed with these and other small details in mind.

Another of the physical characteristics that interest us of the runner is his weight , since it also influences when choosing the right shoes. A heavier runner will surely need extra cushioning to adequately protect the joints from the amount of micro-impacts they receive during the race. Cushioning, stability and response are the three key concepts to consider in this case.

Finding the right number of footwear in a shoe can also mean more than a headache, even if we buy the shoes for ourselves, since the different brands differ between them and some brands can be more or less than others. Here the best thing will always be to try them in the store so that there is no possible failure. Generally, taking half a number more than we usually use in street shoes also works.

What training will those shoes be for?

Another aspect to consider is the type of training we will do with those running shoes that we are going to buy, since some models are specially designed for shorter but intense training , such as series or fartlek , and others to run more distances long

The shoes for trainings of series are usually lighter than the others, with less cushioning and greater stability in the tread. These are the basic characteristics of the commonly known as “flying shoes”, which can help us improve our rhythms and times in this type of training.

However, the shoes intended for long shootings such as long runs before a marathon or half marathon will be shoes that have more cushioning, more interesting to protect the joints with the passage of kilometers. We must take into account, in addition, that in the longer runs it is usual that the technique of race is getting worse as we progress due to fatigue, so a better cushioning (even though the shoes are somewhat heavier) will come well in that sense.

Is it necessary to have a different shoe for each type of training? It is not necessary, but if you are going to have several pairs of shoes “active” it can be interesting that they are of different types to make the most of them.

So, what is all I have to know?

A quick summary so we do not forget anything:

• Who will use the shoes? Sex, weight and experience of the runner are key to consider.
• Where are we going to run? Important when choosing urban running shoes or trail running.
• How is the runner’s footprint? Pronator, supinator or neutral. Important to know also if it runs with templates and the exact footnote.
• What kind of use are we going to give to that footwear? Knowing if you are a runner who only runs short distances or if you are preparing a long test also helps.

If the shoes that you are going to buy are for you, the best thing you can do is go to a multi-brand store and try several models and brands within those that suit your needs. If the shoes are to give to someone, the best advice is to always keep the gift ticket so you can change them if necessary (a gift voucher from a sports store can also be a gift).

Have you included running shoes in your letter to the kings?