The Monday Shakeout: How Do I Know If I Can Use a Shoe for a Marathon?
By Matthew Klein
This week Matt talks about how to choose a racing shoe for longer distance events. While shoes may feel good for a few miles, half and full marathon veterans (and beyond) will tell you how comfort can drastically change in the later miles.
One of our awesome listeners/readers reached out (who is also a fellow DPT) asking about how to determine if a shoe is a good option for a marathon. The individual in question initially hated the shoe during the first run (it is a currently available super shoe) and it caused him foot pain within the first mile. A second run, during which he used them for a tempo workout, felt amazing to him. He stated that they felt bouncy, his heart rate was low and his pace was way faster than normal. The next effort, a 5-mile run, left him with aching feet and knees afterward. His primary question was, "Do I try to break these in more for a marathon part of an Ironman, or give up and send them back?"
Choosing a shoe for a race can be challenging. Shoes also need time to break in and sometimes it can be tough to tell if you and the shoes will adapt to each other. Learning the early signs of what will and will not work is key. If a shoe is causing you discomfort even on normal distance runs, then it may not work over a marathon distance. However, it is not uncommon that super shoes only feel good during faster runs, as they are designed for faster paces. That may explain why they felt good during the tempo and not during the break-in or easy 5-miler. Shoes are tools, and racing shoes are designed for specific paces. The stiffness and transition that occur during an easy run is not the same as a faster run. The question is, can you maintain that pace for an entire marathon? If you can test out a shoe at the pace you plan to run for that race distance and it feels great, then you may be cleared to take it for the next step.
The most important step in testing a shoe to determine if you should use it for a distance race is using it for a long run. We often suggest that racing shoes be used for at least one if not more long runs to get used to them and determine whether your body can tolerate them over longer distances. Even if it isn't a full marathon distance, you will get to find out how the shoe feels when you really start to fatigue, when your form inevitably changes and when things get tough. If the shoe still feels good through at least one long run, there is a better chance that it will do well over the half to full marathon distance.
So to answer the original question, if the tempo pace, when the shoe felt great, is the pace you plan to use the shoe for and you can successfully use them on a longer run, then I would keep the shoe. If you do not plan to do that pace in the shoe (slower) and are not comfortable using them for a long run, then I would encourage you to look for a different shoe. If you want to keep using them for tempo runs and workouts, it may be worth keeping them. If you want something more versatile, then I would send them back. While minor discomfort is not abnormal when breaking in a shoe, major discomfort and pain is a red flag. So my gut instinct is to send them back, but the above information hopefully helps you more with that decision.
PAST MONDAY SHAKEOUTS
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Can I Run in Neutral Shoes?
Super Shoes and Running Economy?
Super Shoes are Placebos?
Transitioning Out of Stability Shoes?
Who Does Best in What Types of Shoes?
Matt's Favorite Shoes of 2024
Andrea's Favorite Shoes of 2024
David's Favorite Shoes of 2024
Nathan's Favorite Shoes of 2024
Value of a Simple Daily Trainer
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Skratch Recovery, Coffee Flavor: Mental and physical boost post run. Coffee flavor is excellent and goes great straight into a fresh brewed cup
goodr Sunglases: Run in style with goodr's super fun sunglasses.
Feetures Socks: Massively grippy socks that will make you feel more one with the shoe
Amphipod Hydraform Handheld Water Bottle: Perfect for long runs when you need hydration in the summer
Trigger Point Foam Roller: Help get those knots out post-run and feel better for tomorrow
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NEXT: Downhill Race Shoes?
