Forrest Gump has come to be a symbol of running in recent years. The image of Forrest running across America made many people rethink the power and entertainment value of running as a sport. Other people may run to keep in shape, and for them, Forrest Gump added to this image. Running cannot be discussed, however, without thinking about the shoes needed for the sport.

When I was in high school, I was less active in sports but i had different shoes in my room mostly from Divisoria at Quiapo. I had one shoe for every event that we had for the school month. I even ran in these shoes. They didn't cost much, especially in comparison to the big name brands that were out there. I used them because I could afford them, and they would let me hone my body.

It was a time when I started to hear the name of the big producers of sport shoes like: Puma, Nike, Adidas, Reebok, and so on. Of course I couldn't afford any of these shoes, and I always wondered what is so special about them that make them be so expensive. Why most athletes prefer this type and prefer that type.

New runners often ask what the perfect running shoes are. Most receive various answers from different runners. A lot of enthusiasts will side with Nike, others will be die-hard devotees of Mizuno. This confuses many a maiden runner. The bad thing is that when the new runner finally resolves which shoe to bring home they often find that it irrirates their foot or does not fit well at all.

So coach, how do we know what type of shoe to buy? The two most important points are:

1. You must know your own foot type. how? go to http://www.runnr.com.ph/
   
2. You MUST buy you first pair of shoes from a specialised retailer, once you know the shoe is for you . This also goes if you change Brands - they are not all the same - even sizes differ!

What are the benefits of getting the right shoe/foot alignment?

- Better shock absorption

- Less fatigue/ stress on joints

- More efficient and powerful strides

- Relieves and prevents injuries

Running is a very simple pastime and not a very expensive one in that the biggest and by far the most important investment you will make is buying your running shoes - go wrong you will not just have wasted your money but are also quite likely to get injury.

Till the next time guys ....

keep on runnin'

DagulRunner