Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Protect Your Feet With Quality Shoes, Not Nike Shox

By Chris Shearman, appeared in tigerweekly.com

Many people go into a shoe store looking for running shoes and buy the shoes that they think are cute or that look cool. And many novice runners believe that if a shoe is over $80 it must be a pretty good shoe. Perhaps the biggest gimmick in all of these misconceptions is the Nike Shox.

When running around the LSU lakes it is likely to see at least half of the people wearing these shoes. Without mentioning any of the statistics, reviews and truths, it should be known that these shoes are not just bad for feet during running, they are bad for feet in general.

There are very specific aspects that make up a good running shoe. Possibly the most important of which is that a running shoe should train the runner to run on the balls of the feet. This is done by producing a shoe that has just as much cushion on the front as in the back, therefore promoting the shift of the impact from the heels to the balls of the feet.

This simple technology has been utilized by many old school running brands. When browsing at the local shoe stores, take a look at the actual design and mechanics of the shoe. A shoe made by Brooks, Asics, or the upper level New Balance will have almost equal cushioning on the bottom throughout the shoe.

Runners World, who has been the number one source of quality and breakthrough information about running for years, has a shoe guide on their website. The shoes mentioned there are Asics, Brooks, and the upper priced New Balance. In the runner's world, Nike Shox are a joke. Whether at Happy's Running Club or the Reindeer Run, both of these races are laid back and even then the appearance of Nike Shox will not be on the feet of someone in the front of the pack, if at all.

Perhaps the most obvious flaw in the Shox is the fact that there are gaps in the shoe; the elusive Air technology. Though Nike markets this as the genius of the shoe, it is absolutely absurd have air where support could be. That is the equivalent of taking the sole of a shoe, cutting a piece of it out, and then convincing runners that it is a better shoe.

Though young people might think the Shox are like the shocks on a car and will give them more spring, it is actually a shoe that contradicts the necessary technology to support an injury-free runner.

LSU students and runners alike can receive similar information at local running stores. Usually these stores employ people who have some experience with running and will never offer you Nike Shox for your ideal trainer shoe. Do a favor and convert all Nike Shox into rainy day school shoes.

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