How do I Select the Correct Running Shoe?

Jeffrey Rocco, M.D.

Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Surgeon

One of the most important pieces of equipment for endurance athletes is their running shoes.  While the correct shoes can’t do your workout for you, they can support you and protect you from injury in your quest for a PR.  The wrong running shoe can be an impediment to your training, and in some cases may even be the source of injury.  Ongoing biomechanical stresses perpetuated by the wrong running shoe may also prevent an injury from ever healing.

In addition to proper sizing, the correct running shoe should match an athlete’s foot morphology (shape).  With regards to sizing, the shoe should fit snugly in the heel and should have plenty of room to wiggle the toes.  Feet tend to swell when running, and if your toes are touching the end of the shoe, you will probably end up losing toenails.  To check the length of the shoe simply stand up and place your thumbnail at the end of the longest toe.  There should be about half of a thumbnails length between the tip of the toe and the end of the shoe.  In general most people end up with a running shoe that is sized one size larger than their street shoe.

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So who answers what? Expert Questions

When it comes to the questions that people ask the Expert Panel, as a UtahRunning.com team we decide who on our Expert Panel will be best able to answer the question based on their background and expertise.

Are you conducting any running study/ test groups? If you are I would like to participate.

We are not currently conducting any running study/test groups, but send me an email (Janae@utahrunning.com) with your contact information and I will let you know if we do something like this in the future.

Trever Ball – Exercise Physiologist | Epidemiologist | Local Elite Athlete

Trever is currently a PhD student in Exercise Physiology at the University of Utah, where he studies the effect of levels of physical activity on health outcomes; both on large-population, and individual scales. His current research projects involve assessing public health costs of physical inactivity, and implementing more physcial activity counseling in primary care settings. He received both his Bachelors and Masters degree of Science in exercise science from Utah State University.

Following graduation Trever taught as Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Health Promotion and Human Performance at Weber State University from 2008-2010. Trever has long-enjoyed distance running – He completed his competitive years training with a group of elite post-collegiate athletes under the direction of Paul Pilkington. He was a cross-country All-American at Utah State, where he was also a Big West and WAC conference cross-country and 5000 meters champion. While at Utah State, Trever was awarded the universities top achievment award as Athlete of the Year in 2006. Trever, his wife, and son currently live in North Salt Lake, Ut.

Steve Scharmann       MD, Sports Medicine, Family Practice

Competitive Runner/Triathlete

Dr. Scharmann practices Sports Medicine and Family Practice in Ogden, Utah.  He has a Bachelors Degree in Chemistry/Math from Weber State University.  He attended graduate school at Rice University and medical school at the University of California in San Francisco.  He completed his residency/fellowship in San Francisco and Santa Rosa California.  In addition to being an MD, Dr. Scharmann is also Board Certified through the American Board of Family Medicine and has received a Certificate of Added Qualifications in Sports Medicine.  Dr Scharmann, through his service, has earned a reputation as a highly qualified physician who sincerely cares about those he works with.

Career Highlights:

Assistant Residency Director, McKay-Dee Family Medicine Residency Program

Primary Care Sports Medicine, Calton-Harrison Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Clinic

Team Physician – Weber State University, Ogden Raptors, Australian National Ski Jumping Team,  Ben Lomond High School

Medical Director, Department of Athletic Training, Weber State University

Medical Director, Ogden Marathon

Venue Medical Officer, 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics – Curling

Medical Director Utah-Moscow Youth Games, Moscow, Russia – 2003

Dr. Scharmann uses his extensive medical background and his personal experiences in sports to advise people of all ages.  He had a successful running career while attending Weber State University and continues to compete competitively in both running races and triathlons.

Athletic Accomplishments:

Member 1973 & 1977 WSU Big Sky Conference Cross-Country Championship Teams

Big Sky Conference Scholar Athlete Award – 1977

WSU Track & Field/Cross-Country (1973, 1976, 1977): 3 mile – 14:06; 10,000m – 31:00

Utah Short Course Triathlon Series Champion – 1989

Ironman World Triathlon Championships, Kona, Hawaii – 2000 (finisher)

National Age-group Triathlon Championships, 4th place – 2002

USA Triathlon Age-group All-American – 2008

Dr. Scharmann and his wife Dana, who is also a former WSU Track & Field/Cross-Country athlete, currently reside in Ogden, Utah with their four children.

Roger Buhrley  High School Cross Country and Track and Field Coach / Runner

Roger Buhrley is the head Boys and Girls Cross Country and Track and Field coach at Syracuse High School where he continues to add to his 32 years of coaching experience.  He also teaches History and Body Conditioning at Syracuse High.  Roger has a Bachelors Degree in History from Weber State University and a Masters Degree in Physical Education from Brigham Young University.  He is a USA Track and Field Certified Level II Coach.  Coach Buhrley’s commitment to the sport of running, his ability to motivate young runners, and his legacy of building solid high school sports programs has earned him the reputation as one of Utah’s best high school coaches.

Career Highlights

Taught and coached:

32 years in Davis School District

Seven years at North Layton Junior High

Two years at Clearfield High

20 years at Davis High

Three years at Syracuse High

Awards:

UHSAA 5A Coach of the Year

NFHS Region 7 Coach of the Year

UHSTCA Coach of the Year

Championships:

Several Region and State Championships (he’s too humble to tell us the exact amount…one of his former athletes should count them up and let us know)

Roger grew up in Huntsville, Utah and attended Weber High School where he competed in Track and Field.  He has run a sub-3:00 marathon (he says, “not bad for an old sprinter”) and he continues to participate in local road races.  Coach Buhrley currently resides in Clearfield, UT.