RACE cars may only be as good as their tires, but this may not necessarily be true of runners and their running shoes. Still, finding the right shoe is a step in the right direction.

The main reason you should choose you shoes carefully is to avoid injury. Style and price should be last on your list. These days, there are running shoes for every budget in so many styles that your head will spin just selecting one to match your favorite outfit.

Runner?s World has the simplest explanation on shoe selection. Let me walk you through the process.

Running shoes are divided into four main categories: neutral, cushioned, stability and motion control. These categories describe features that address basic biomechanical needs.
For your first pair, it?s advisable to limit your choice to any one of these types that you?re bound to find in most sports shoe stores (Nike, Adidas, Runnr, Planet Sports, etc.).

In addition to the four major types, there are three more specialized categories: performance training, racing, and off-road, that you might want to consider when you get your second pair of running shoes.

But before dashing off to the nearest shoe store for the perfect pair to run in, you have to know the kind of feet you?ll be running with. That is actually-- and literally -- the first step.

To do this, you can either visit a biomechanics expert or an experienced shoe retailer. Runnr in HIgh Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, offers shoe fitting as a free service. Aside from the usual right and left foot measurement, they check your footprint and will have you run on a treadmill to video your running style, basically to see how you take off and land on the ground.

Or, you can do this yourself, through the ?Wet Test.? Plant a wet foot on a dry floor or a sheet of absorbent paper, making sure you get the full shape of your footprint. Knowing your foot pattern will guide you in the choice of shoes that will fit you and work best for running.

There are three general foot patterns - the normal foot, the flat foot and high-arched foot.

The Normal Foot leaves a footprint that has a flare but shows the forefoot and heel connected by a curved band that is a little less than half the width of the foot. This type of foot lands on the outside of the heel and rolls inward slightly to absorb the shock. It?s the foot of a runner who is biomechanically efficient and requires neutral or stability running shoes, which offer a good blend of cushioning, support and durability without controlling foot motion as strictly as motion-control shoes.

The Flat Foot shows a low arch and leaves a print which looks like the whole sole of the foot, with hardly any curved band between the forefoot and heel. It indicates an overpronated foot, one that strikes on the outside of the heel and rolls inwards excessively. Over time, this can cause different types of over-use injuries. For this type of foot, get motion-control shoes or high stability shoes with firm midsoles and control features that reduce the degree of pronation. This prevents the foot from rolling in too far, and gives maximum support for the foot. Stay away from highly cushioned, highly curved shoes which lack stability features.

The High Arched Foot leaves a print showing a very narrow band or no band at all between the forefoot and the heel. A highly arched foot does not pronate enough, so it?s not usually an effective shock absorber. This type should get cushioned shoes with soft midsole, to provide flexibility and encourage foot motion, especially allowing the feet to roll inward and absorb shock. Stay away from motion control or stability shoes, which reduce foot mobility.

The next step is to find out your Gait Type or, as experts refer to it, the degree of pronation. This means the area and position of the foot as it first strikes the ground, and its movement inward.

With a Neutral Gait, the middle to slightly outward part of the heel strikes the ground first and the foot rolls inward slightly, absorbing the shock more effectively. This allows the foot and ankle to properly support the body. The best running shoes for this type are neutral cushioning shoes.

Mild Overpronation is the most common foot type. In this case, the outside of the heel strikes the ground first. The foot also rolls inward slightly, absorbing the shock and enabling the foot and ankle to properly support the body. The best running shoes for this type are stability shoes.

Severe Overpronation is present when the outside of the heel strikes the ground first and the foot rolls inward excessively. This is present in the flat or low-arched foot, and means that the foot and ankle cannot properly stabilize the body. The type of running shoes that work best in this case are stability shoes or motion control shoes, depending on the severity of the pronation.

In Supination, which is the usually the gait of the high-arched foot, the outside of the heel strikes the ground first but the foot does not roll inward during the gait cycle. Instead, it stays on the outside causing the impact to be concen-trated on a smaller portion of the lateral side of the foot. The best running shoes for supinators are more flexible Neutral Cushioning Shoes.

Once you have determined your foot type and degree of pronation, check out the shoe shape. You can see the shape more clearly by looking at the bottom of the shoe. Typically, running shoes come in three shapes?straight, semi-curved and curved?which correspond to the three types of footprints revealed by the ?wet test.? In general, flat feet (overpronators) need running shoes with a straight shape; high arched feet (underpronators) should go for a curved shape; and nornal feet (neutral pronators) should get shoes with a semi-curved shape.

Here are some more tips to get the most of shopping for running shoes:

1. Shop in the late afternoon when your feet are at their largest. Your feet will expand while running.

2. Bring your old shoes when you go shopping. By assessing shoe wear, the salesperson will be able to determine your degree of pronation.
3. Wear or buy the socks you?ll wear when you run.

4. If you wear orthotics (artificial support or braces for the limb or spine), bring them too. You need to see how the shoe fits with the orthotic inside.

5. Do not make the most common mistake new runners make by buying the latest fad shoe. It is highly likely that this is not the ideal shoe for you.

6. Make sure the salesperson measures both of your feet. Often, one foot is slightly larger than the other. You should be fitted for the larger foot.

7. Before you try on any shoes, the salesperson should (at least) ask you the following questions to help you select the right running shoe model. And if he or she doesn't, provide the information anyway.

How long have you been running?
How much mileage are you doing per week?
Are you training for a particular event?
Where do you do most of your running?
How much do you weigh?
Are you aware of any foot problems (i.e. flat feet, over- or underpronation)?

8. Once you've found running shoes that feel right, walk/jog/run in them as much as you can. Some stores have a treadmill, others allow a run around the parking lot and some don't let you do anything other than bounce up and down. You need to feel the shoes in action.

So, if you really want to get on track, get off the couch and find yourself that perfect running shoe. ?