{"id":18361,"date":"2022-10-17T12:30:20","date_gmt":"2022-10-17T10:30:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.220triathlon.com\/?p=4500"},"modified":"2022-10-17T13:19:16","modified_gmt":"2022-10-17T11:19:16","slug":"how-to-choose-trail-running-shoes","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/rss_feed\/how-to-choose-trail-running-shoes\/","title":{"rendered":"How to choose trail running shoes"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>
By Andy Blow\n \t\t<\/p>
Published: Monday, 17 October 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>
\n\n
Triathlon coach Andy Blow gives his advice on the key things to look out for when buying off-road running shoes.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
You need different shoes for trail running as opposed to flat, hard road running. But what to look for in a trail running shoe can seem like a bit of a minefield, that\u2019s why it\u2019s essential to pick a trail shoe that suits the conditions you normally run in and that\u2019s optimised for the terrain you frequent.<\/p>\n
How to choose the right shoes for trail running<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Consider whether your local trails are often soft and muddy or more hard-packed, as this will affect the length of the lugs (grip) you\u2019ll need for stabilisation on the go.<\/p>\n
If your chosen trails are full of rocks or roots, you\u2019ll want to consider some extra protection along the toes in the form of an overlay or bumper.<\/p>\n
Lastly, remember that all feet are different and will need different amounts of cushioning and arch support, so get to know the geometry of your own feet and what construction works best for them.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s more from coach Andy Blow on the key features you need to be aware about to make sure your trail running shoes make a difference to your off-road adventures\u2026<\/p>\n
Trail shoes have specific features to stabilise and protect the feet (Credit: Greg Rosenke \/ Unsplash)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n
Choosing the right off-road shoe means getting the correct level of grip for the conditions.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re going to be running on dry, hard-packed trails, you probably only need a moderate level of grip (and may even get away with using a road shoe in some instances).<\/p>\n
But if the ground\u2019s likely to be very wet, muddy or steep, you\u2019ll want a far more aggressive outsole offered by fell-running shoes or mud-specific studded versions.<\/p>\n
2. Drop<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Then, it\u2019s a matter of the \u2018drop\u2019 \u2013 or ride height \u2013 of the shoe. \u2018Drop\u2019 refers to the difference in height between the heel and toe.<\/p>\n
A bigger drop indicates a more padded shoe (more like a traditional road shoe), while zero drop aims to promote a \u2018barefoot\u2019 and low-profile running style.<\/p>\n
The supposed advantage a smaller drop is balance and stability, as well as increasing feel for the terrain while reducing the likelihood of turning an ankle as you\u2019re lower to the ground.<\/p>\n
While opting for a larger drop can support the arches of the foot for those that need an extra bit of support, or can help correct gait discrepancies like overpronation.<\/p>\n
3. Cushioning<\/strong><\/h3>\n
What\u2019s most important is finding a shoe that suits your style and needs, as you would with a road shoe.<\/p>\n
So if you tend to run in a very well-cushioned road shoe, don\u2019t jump straight into a zero-drop, minimalist shoe; it\u2019s unlikely your mechanics will be well-adapted to them and you may suffer calf or Achilles injuries.<\/p>\n
If, though, you routinely run in racing flats or minimalist road shoes, it may be worth going for a similarly low-profile off-road shoe and see how you get on.<\/p>\n
4. Toe protection<\/strong><\/h3>\n
If you\u2019re running on very rocky terrain where you can easily stub your toe, looking for a shoe with good toe-box protection or a thick toe overlay is vital \u2013 it\u2019s amazing just how easy it is to trip yourself up when running on rough ground with tired legs.<\/p>\n
Top image credit:<\/strong> Brian Erickson \/ Unsplash<\/p><\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Andy Blow Published: Monday, 17 October 2022 at 12:00 am Triathlon coach Andy Blow gives his advice on the key things to look out for when buying off-road running shoes.\u00a0 You need different shoes for trail running as opposed to flat, hard road running. But what to look for in a trail running shoe […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":18362,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"3"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2022\/10\/how-to-choose-trail-running-shoes-scaled.jpg",2560,1533,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2022\/10\/how-to-choose-trail-running-shoes-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2022\/10\/how-to-choose-trail-running-shoes-300x180.jpg",300,180,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2022\/10\/how-to-choose-trail-running-shoes-768x460.jpg",768,460,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2022\/10\/how-to-choose-trail-running-shoes-1024x613.jpg",800,479,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2022\/10\/how-to-choose-trail-running-shoes-1536x920.jpg",1536,920,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2022\/10\/how-to-choose-trail-running-shoes-2048x1226.jpg",2048,1226,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Andy Blow Published: Monday, 17 October 2022 at 12:00 am Triathlon coach Andy Blow gives his advice on the key things to look out for when buying off-road running shoes.\u00a0 You need different shoes for trail running as opposed to flat, hard road running. But what to look for in a trail running shoe…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/18361"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18362"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18361"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18361"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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