Trainers….. Black ones, white ones, ones with go faster stripes…

It’s a question we often get asked. What trainers should I wear? Which is often followed by, I’ve been to a Trainer shop and they watched me walk around in different shoes and I’m even more confused now….

Well, to start with, every event, and every type of training can require different footwear. So tennis requires different shoes to long distance running, which requires different shoes to a long distance race, and again different shoes to track running.

So, when you ask this question, remember what you have in mind, training wise. If you’re a long distance runner who races and your looking for improvements in your times, then you will need your normal training shoes as well as a race pair, which are usually slightly lighter in weight.

Then, you have to know if you pronate, supinate, or are just neutral. In the old days they used to take a look at your barefoot print after you got out the shower. This really doesn’t tell you much. You must be assessed moving in bare feet to get a true picture of what your foot actually does.

Although it sounds really complicated, the correct footwear is essential, not only for improvements in training, but also to keep you injury free.