Boogie Shoes

Okay, so do you really need more than one pair of shoes for running?

The not so straight answer - “it depends”.

Running is a sport where you don’t need much to get started. A pair of shoes, shorts and a t-shirt are really all you need. 

It’s not uncommon for a new runner to train and race in one pair of shoes. For many years I had one pair of daily trainers and did all my running and racing in them.  Here's the thing. At the time, running was very seasonal for me. Usually, I would run for 2-3 months ahead of a spring 5 or 10k, 2-3 times a week, and again in the fall. The shoe would be a go-to for gym sessions, walking, or running errands otherwise.

It really wasn’t until after my first marathon that the idea of using a second pair of shoes won me over. Mostly because the pair of Brooks I used to train for and race the marathon were absolutely flat and hurt my feet.

Some benefits of having a shoe rotation are reduced risk of injury, prolonged life of shoes (your wallet will thank you), and improving your movement pattern.

When we talk about a shoe rotation, to be clear, we’re not talking about running in a couple of pairs of the same model, you don’t want to do that if at all possible.

Ideally, you would want to get two different pairs, with different cushioning, and different heel drops (the difference in height between the heel and forefoot of the shoe, measured in millimeters. This impacts the way your foot hits the ground, influences your stride).  Most running shoe specialty stores can help you find the right shoe, and at the end of the day, it’s what feels best on your feet. (Even if it isn’t an On shoe).

As I mentioned before, adding a second pair of shoes did not happen until the volume of running started to increase and back-to-back days of running became more frequent.  If you’re just starting out, or you schedule your runs every other day, a second pair may not be necessary. But as your shoes start to get up there in mileage, not waiting until the shoes are absolutely done to replace them is an effective way to stretch their life out a bit longer, and slow down the use of a new pair.  When you get a new pair of shoes, use the current pair for shorter runs and the new pair for your longer runs or workouts.

Shoes are a necessary expense when it comes to running, and if you do decide to incorporate a shoe rotation, a couple of pairs that have different use cases (max cushion, daily trainer, tempo shoe, etc) will be just fine.

WORKOUT OF THE WEEK

Since it’s race season here in Toronto, we’ll do a little race week type of workout.

4 x 400m @ goal race pace, 4 x 200m a little faster than race pace.

A workout like this during race week serves two purposes

1. Keep the intensity feeling familiar with some work at goal race pace 

2. Practice starting a little slower and finishing faster - first rep can be a little slower than race pace, and when you get to the 200’s, you’re warmed up and ready to push it a little faster.