When To Use Which Shoe

You may have heard from fellow runners about the multitudes of shoes they have on the go at the same time. They must be crazy right? Right??? In fact, having a shoe rotation provides several benefits for your body, your training goals, and even your wallet! Through the design and product testing of each shoe, the development team will have a specific use in mind; some running shoes give that comfy effortless feeling for miles and miles, while others push to help you through your fastest race yet. “But how will I know what shoes to put on before I head out the door?” I hear you asking. Well then you’re in the perfect place.

First, a bit more on shoe rotations. Having several pairs of shoes ensures that each time you head out the door, the shoes on your feet are the pair best designed for that type of run. Be it something grippy and warm on those long cold winter days, or light and snappy for pushing the pace on speed days. Changing up what’s on your feet has the added benefit of slightly changing the way in which your body moves, varying the training stimulus your body receives, and ensuring more widespread muscular and bone adaptations. When those smaller, sometimes neglected muscles get a workout as well, your body becomes more resilient, helping you stay healthier with fewer aches and pains. Rotating between a couple different pairs is also the smarter investment! During each run, the foam cushioning compresses under impact. Giving your shoe 24-36 hours between uses allows that foam to re-expand, helping maintain their performance and extending its lifespan. Just like your body, your shoes also need rest and recovery!

“So then what shoes do I pick for my rotation?”

For those steadier long runs, something with both a bit more cushioning, and some extra “pop” tends to be the best course of action. These shoes you might hear categorized as a daily trainer and can include the New Balance 1080, Saucony Triumph, Asics Novablast, Salomon Aero Glide, and Mizuno Wave Rider, for example. This is also a great place to start if you’re only lacing up for a run once or twice a week, and only looking at having one or two pairs of shoes to rotate with. Since they’re designed mostly for comfort, and can still provide a bit more liveliness to go with you on those harder workouts, these shoes have the added versatility that makes it a true workhorse.

For the shorter speed and tempo focused workouts, having a lighter, often slightly firmer shoe is the way to go. The Brooks Hyperion, Saucony Kinvara, Asics Hyperspeed, Hoka Mach, and Salomon Aero Blaze can be good examples, providing a spring to each step, and preventing the heavy feeling that can happen when picking the pace up in something squishy. For these days, nylon-plated (but not carbon-plated) shoes are also a good option, like the Saucony Endorphin Speed or Brooks Hyperion Max. Nylon tends to be slightly more flexible than carbon, which, yes, means not as much energy return, but also allows for the muscles in your feet to still get the benefit of a workout.

One of the most important, and often overlooked, parts of training is the recovery run. For these a more cushioned, rockered sole helps take load off of your body while still getting the legs moving and getting improved blood flow to sore muscles. For a run like this, the Asics Superblast, Hoka Bondi, New Balance 880, Mizuno Neo Vista, or Altra FWD VIA can all be good options, and fall into the newer “Max” cushioning range.

Now that the training is done, race day approaches. This is where the fun and flashy shoes take their mark. Here we can go for the full carbon-plated shoes with groundbreaking superfoams, providing the extra energy return designed to guide you to your fastest race yet! Shoes like the On Cloudboom Max, Saucony Endorphin Elite, Asics Metaspeed Tokyo, and New Balance SuperComp Elite all fall into this category. While they will feel amazing to run in, these are not ideal as a training shoe, and are best saved until the final prep weeks, and the race itself. Using these shoes regularly may weaken the muscles in your feet and ankles, and with the added stiffness can put extra strain on the bones of your feet, leading to higher injury risk. Not to mention carbon plated shoes do not last as long as a daily trainer, and at their higher price point, are best to be saved until they have the chance to really show their worth.

Moving beyond the pavement (don’t worry trail runners, I haven’t forgotten about you!), Calgary and the surrounding areas have some of the best trail diversity in the country. From a quick jaunt in the singletracks of Fish Creek, to the full scrambles up Lady Mac in Canmore, the ideal shoes will differ drastically from your typical road runner. Here we want some grippier, more rugged shoes to keep you protected from the extra environmental demands. With the added grip, these outsoles are more susceptible to wear on harder surfaces such as sidewalks and asphalt, and are best kept to the more natural ground, although more is available to tackle a mixture of surfaces. For more inner city trails, shoes such as the Salomon GRVL line, the Hoka Challenger, or the Brooks Ghost Trail gives you the best of both worlds, acting a bit like an all season tire. On the other hand, for more technical conditions, you’ll likely find these not providing grip to the needed extent as compared to a more aggressive trail shoe. So when heading out to the mountains, a shoe with deeper lugs and sometimes even a rockplate is much preferable. These would include shoes such as the Salomon Ultra Glide, Hoka Speedgoat, Altra Lone Peak +, or Brooks Cascadia. These shoes also provide extra protection through a tougher upper material, keeping your feet safe from branches, scree and other debris.

As we’ve all learned well from this year, a Calgary winter (which is hopefully now behind us) remains as unpredictable as ever, and having the right footwear is imperative to keep moving through the darker months. For those days where braving the conditions is possible, running on snow and ice provides a unique challenge of staying upright. Wearing a pair of shoes with spikes (often tungsten for durability) is often the only way to keep grip with the ground. The Salomon Spikecross and Hoka Speedgoat Spike are there for you to get through anything Canadian weather can throw your way. Both of which, along with GTX versions available in many other trail shoes, come with the added benefit of a GORETEX upper, keeping your feet both dry and warm from the outside snow and wind.

First and foremost, the shoes which will work best are those which feel the most comfortable. There is significant overlap between some of these categories, especially when it comes to the daily trainers and recovery run shoes. By popping into your local Strides, our knowledgeable staff can help you pick out your next rotation based on your individual training goals, and with the right fit for your feet and biomechanics.

Martin Undheim is the Inventory Manager for Strides and holds a B.Sc in Kinesiology. With over a decade of experience (more than half his life) from the track to the roads and beyond, and nearly ten years with the Strides team, he brings a deep, practical understanding of the sport. Whether you’re training for your first 5k, your next marathon PB, or just to keep moving, he has the knowledge and experience to help with everything from shoes to training and beyond.