Why You Should Rotate Your Running Shoes!
At Sunnybank Hills Podiatry I have been recommending for my patients to have a couple of different pairs of running shoes on the go at any one time to avoid injuries.
So why should you be rotating your shoes regularly? Basically, running is a very repetitive activity, we constantly place loading on the same structures time and time again as we run. Overtime, this repetitive loading can stress or over-load our bones and soft tissue structures which may lead to injury.
Every running shoe is slightly different in terms of cushioning, support and fit. Then when we also consider that we all have our own unique running patterns which may even slightly vary from our left and right sides, it can then be very difficult to find the perfect or ideal shoe. For most people there is enough variety across different brands and different models within those brands to find a few comfortable shoe options.
Another important point to also consider, is that most running shoe manufacturers also suggest that your running shoes need at least 24 hours after a run to fully bounce back to their original shape, structure and density.
If you are rotating between at least 2 or more different types of running shoes, all which have slightly different characteristics in terms of cushioning, support and fit, then you are also placing different repetitive loads on your bones and soft tissue structures. This practice in turn will also help reduce your risk if running related injuries.
