Blisters Be Gone!
So your old running shoes have covered your feet in blisters. You’ve fixed the problem by purchasing new, better fitting running shoes, but you still have the blisters. Is there any way to treat the blisters and keep your workout schedule while the throbbing bubbles heal? Check out these products to relieve and prevent those horrible hotspots.
ENGO Performance Patches
4 Pack $9.95
ENGO Performance Patches are applied directly to the shoe, sock or insole. The patch creates a slick, chafe-free surface. I wore one patch through several long runs and it stayed in place. These are pricey, but I definitely got what I paid for — I’ve been blister free for as long as I’ve used ENGO.
Check out this link for instructions for use and to purchase ENGO Performance Patches .
ProFoot Corn Wrap
3 Pack $4.33
This product stretches over toes, aligning the gel padding on the blister to provide relief. My running partner uses these and finds that the gel squishes in between her toes and greatly minimizes her blister pain on impact. She says that this product makes her pain worse when she has big blisters, but works beautifully for smaller irritants.
Check out ProFoot Corn Wraps here.
SportShield Towlette
10 Pack $8
This lubricated towelette is rubbed on feet to prevent blister causing friction. The SportShield is simple to apply, there isn’t any mess and it’s usable on all chafe areas, not just feet. The biggest drawback of this product is that it’s only preventative and doesn’t provide relief on existing blisters.
Order SportShield Towlettes here
After Years of Injuries, I Finally Found the Asics GT 2040
If you’re an over-pronator, the Asics GT 2040 might just be for you. For long-distance over-pronators, especially those of us with narrow feet, the Asics GT 2040 puts up a solid fight.
As one Asics GT 2040 user put it:
“My over-pronation was causing my tendenitis and stress fractures. What I needed was the best narrow, motion control shoes that I could find. After years of injuries, and years of trying different shoes, I finally got it right! I trained and ran with the Asics GT 2040. I had a wonderful training experience and ran a very respectable marathon.”
In fact, this runner gives the Asics GT 2040 5 out of 5 stars. Check out her review.
Nike Shox R4 Earns a Solid 5 Stars
The Nike Shox R4 is engineered for the distance runner who yearns for a resilient yet lightweight shoe. The upper is made of engineered mesh to provide support where needed and breathability where it counts. The most noticable, but not necessarily notable, feature of the shoe is the shok cushioning. Nike boasts that Shok cushioning is engineered for the long run with a Zoom Air unit that delivers its own responsive cushioning during propulsion.
NikeFreak doats on the NikeShox R4:
I have run in this shoe for quite a while now and it is so durable. The columns have been mechanically tested for at least 2000 miles. I haven’t run that much in these, due to my other comfortable shoe, the Shox TL, but it has been quite durable in about 500-600 miles, I am guessing. Plus, the beauty of this shoe is awesome. I personally think that it is one of the best-designed running shoes ever. I love the Alpha Project dots in clear plastic at the heel of the shoe, the five dots by the forefoot mesh, the clean, sophisticated lines of the upper. It is just wonderfully constructed and has the performance to match.
This is a shoe for neutral runners who seek maximum responsive cushioning. If you have arch problems or are big for your size, this is probably not it.
The Nike Shox R4 retails for about $150.
Nimbus Earns 5 Stars
Runners adore the ASICS Gel Nimbus VI Cushion Running Shoes. Featuring the Asics Impact Guidance System (IGS) this cushioned trainer enhances a foot’s natural gait. Providing superior fit, it offers increased absorption and midsole durability.
Reviewers universally give Nimbus five stars. Check out the review highlighted below:
When I started running 2 years ago, I made the mistake of running in cheap shoes, and began to experience awful pain in my left heel while running. I have since wised up, and will only purchase running shoes at a “running store”. The chain sporting goods stores you find in every mall don’t count as their selection of high quality shoes are limited, and staff experience is equally limited. I needed a great cushioning shoe for my heel problem. I tried on 3 pair of shoes based on the running store recommendation. Asics Gel Nimbus VI, Brooks Glycerin 3, Saucony 3D Grid Triumph2. For me, the Nimbus VI felt most comfortable in the store (half size above my foot measurement). I’ve been on my treadmill running in my Nimbus VI for the past month, and I feel like royalty. I’ve never owned such a good pair of running shoes, and most important, my heel pain has diminished.
Rack Up the Miles in the New Balance 850 Series
Here at Running Shoes Research, we go straight to the runner to get the best word on sneakers. Today, we’ve profiled one runner has been loyal to the 850 Series by New Balance.
Name: Maureen
Age: 22
Location: Washington, DC
Biggest Running Feat: A 32 km run through Pavia, Italy
Shoes of the Moment: New Balance 856
Why she loves these shoes:
“I’ve been with this model since it was the 851…I like it because it’s a sturdy shoe and really controls my landing to minimize injury. It’s not designed for speed and it’s not particularly light or cushioned, but its sturdiness and rollbar support make it perfect for a distance runner who wants to pound a lot without making her knees and shins suffer the consequences. I run particularly heavy on my feet and need to watch out for shin splints and runner’s knee when I start upping my mileage - so the New Balance 856 has been a good model for me because it seems to have minimized those injuries.”
The New Balance 857, New Balance’s newest shoe, features a TS2 dual density medial post and an ABZORB SBS cushioning system that may make this version softer than the last. This stability shoe weighs in at 11.3 oz for women, and 13.7 oz for men. It runs about about $90-$95. More information on the 857 and other shoes can be found on the New Balance website.
Light Done Right
With all the hype about lightweight running shoes this year, it can be a project to determine if lightweight’s right for you. The Diadora Mythos Samurai, retailing for about $80, is a great shoe for trying light. This hyrbid racer/trainer offers more support and cushioning than many lightweight running shoes, but is significantly lighter than most trainers, namely the Mythos Axeler Trainer. The shoe features a minimalist upper and a substantial dual-density mid-sole. It’s heralded as both a great shoe for fast paced runs while serving larger runners and those with inefficient bio-metrics especially well.
For a great deal, check out the Diadora Mythos Samurai at
Bugs for Winter and Spring Running
The fairly new IceBug Multi-Run Dry Shoe is hailed by SNEWS as the best waterproof shoe of the year. Useful for both running on ice and running through a wet spring, the IceBug Multi-Run Dry Shoe leaves no excuses for avoiding a rainy day. For $145, you can get the shoe SNEWS gives 4 out of 5 clapping hands:
The relatively new Icebug Multi Run shoes are unquestionably the best option for winter running yet. Their most notable feature is a set of 17 carbide steel studs that protrude from lugs on an otherwise conventional trail running sole. The metal studs are designed to recess into the lugs when they strike hard ground, yet provide traction on ice.
While wearing Icebugs, you can dash confidently across ice that would have you tiptoeing in any other running shoes; even dogs don’t grip as well. The model tested has a waterproof/breathable lining so puddles and slush are no problem either — just charge on through. They are fantastic winter shoes, even for walking on sidewalks!
Check out the new IceBugs!
Reading Tea Leaves: What You Can Learn from your Worn-Out Running Shoes
You can learn a lot about your gait and foot shape by understanding what your worn-out running shoes tell you. While visiting a specialty running shoe store or podiatrist is often the best way to learn about your foot and gait, how your running shoes wear down can reveal common biomechanical inefficiencies such as:
- Differences in the length of your legs
- A foot that pronates more than the other
- Where muscles are tighter or weaker
- A rotational deformity
Dr. Pribut , who specializes in Podiatric Sports Medicine, Biomechanics and Foot Surgery, outlines what you should look for in your worn out running shoes.
Sole Wear
Outer Heel - Rearfoot striker. The point of initial contact with the ground is usually the place showing the most wear. This could be normal wear. Most people have wear here. This can occur with a slight outtoe and the increase in the varus foot position that occurs in running because of the narrower base of gait (the distance from the midline that the foot strikes the ground).Inner Heel Rearfoot striker. Possibly intoe gait, which would make this area the initial point of contact with the ground. Could also be severe pronation, if the heel counter is bent inward and the medial part of much of the sole shoes wear. The best way to tell is really looking at the foot in addition to the shoe.
Forefoot Wear
Much forefoot wear and little heel wear, usually indicates forefoot strike, which the shoes of many faster short and middle distance runner’s will show. Uneven wear, or wear below a second or third metatarsal area may indicate a Morton’s foot (short first metatarsal) and excess pronation. The indicated metatarsal may be at higher risk for a stress fracture. Middle of theSole
Lateral sole wear in general, may reflect a high arch, excessively supinating foot. Medial sole wear, with a bent counter and a medial shift of the upper, probably indicates severe excessive pronation.Heel Counter
The heel counter may be bent inward with excessive pronation and tilted to the outside by a high arched foot.Upper
The upper may likewise tilt inward with a hyperpronating foot and tilt outward with a supinated (under pronating) foot. It may exhibit holes by the toes, or by the big toe alone. This means it may be too shallow or too short at the front of the foot. There should be a fingers width at the front of the shoe in front of the toes. If the toes make a big bump in the shoe less than 1/2 inch from the tip of the shoe, the shoe is probably too short.
Winning the War on Water: How to Keep Feet Dry this Spring
If you’re like me, you think running through puddles after ice melts is as miserable as running on ice. Unfortunately, the only waterproof running shoes I can find are trail runners, and I don’t need so much shoe for my spring road running. What’s a runner to do?
Gear Guy at Outside Magazine has the answer. If waterproof trail runners are more gear than you want, don’t waterproof your shoe, waterproof your foot. Gear Guy says:
“One way to do this is with a Gore-Tex sock, such as the Rocky Gore-Tex Oversock ($50). It has stretchy upper panels for a snug fit, while the part that goes into your shoe is non-stretch for better durability. Put on a pair of these and you can wear any shoe you want in wet weather. For fewer bucks, I also recommend the SealSkinz All-Season Socks ($29), which use waterproof-breathable technology developed by DuPont. A little bulky, but these will work very well too.”
Keep on running!
Winterize Your Running Shoes on the Cheap
There isn’t any reason for winter to inhibit your running program. With a few simple tools, you can winterize your current running shoes by transforming them into Screw Shoes. Huh? Read on.
Make your own Screw Shoes
If you’re running on packed snow and ice, or even if your running in early spring when snow melts during the day and freezes on pavement at night creating a disaster for your early morning run, Screw Shoes are for you.
The name says it all. By inserting screws into the treads of your running shoes, you create a snow and ice gripping monster without threatening the stability, comfort or fit of your current running shoe or trail runner. First, get the tools. You’ll need:
- a screw driver (a drill is superior)
- some 1/4 to 1/2 inch screws
- you running shoes
If you’re inserting screws into shoes with gel or air pockets, you’ll have to be strategic about where you insert screws. If not, insert them where you think they’ll work best for you. Placing them on treads makes the most sense as placing them between threads is fruitless. I prefer to place the majority of screws under the ball of my foot; my running partner likes a lot at the heel. She’s known to fall coming down an icy hill, and the heel placement of the screws supports her quest to remain upright.
One of the best parts about screw shoes is that when winter ice is gone for the season, you need not purchase new shoes. Simply remove the screws and hit the road.
