# Running Shoe Finder

By Patrick Oberstadt

Topic: Sport

[Open the interactive Jig](https://ask.jig.com/j/CVsAjCmw75BJ)

## Guide

### 1. Hi\! I'm your shoe finder

Tell me how you like to run, and I'll suggest the right kind of running shoe\. Watch this shoe change as you answer\. Drag the scene to turn it\.

There is no single best running shoe, only the best one for you\.

### 2. Where will you run most?

The outsole is the rubber bottom of a shoe, like a tyre's tread\. Smooth pavement needs only shallow grip, while muddy trails need deep, chunky lugs that bite into the ground\.

Trail lugs for mud are about 4 to 6 mm deep\. Road treads are much flatter\.

### 3. What kind of runs do you enjoy?

Easy jogs, long distances and fast races ask different things of a shoe\. Long\-run shoes curve up at the toe to help you roll forward\. Racing shoes are light and can hide a stiff plate in the foam\.

Some racing shoes weigh only about 140 grams\.

### 4. Soft or firm?

The midsole is the foam layer between your foot and the ground\. Thick, soft foam feels plush on long runs\. Thinner foam feels firmer and closer to the ground\.

Most everyday shoes have 20 to 30 mm of foam\. Max\-cushion shoes have more than 30 mm\.

### 5. Peek at your old shoes

Look at the soles of shoes you have worn a lot\. Even wear is common\. If the inside edge is worn much more, your foot may roll inward, and a stability shoe with firmer foam on the inner side may feel better\.

Comfort comes first: studies have not shown that matching shoes to foot type prevents injuries\.

### 6. Room for your toes

Feet swell as you run and later in the day, so try shoes on in the afternoon\. Leave about a thumb's width between your longest toe and the front, marked by the glowing line, with a snug heel\.

Many shoes also come in narrow and wide versions\.

### 7. Your match\!

Here is the kind of shoe that fits your answers, named at the top of the screen\. Try it on with the socks you run in, and jog a few steps before you decide\.

Go back and change any answer to see a different match\.

### 8. Keep it running

Foam slowly squashes flat with use, so most running shoes need replacing after about 480 to 800 km\. A pricier shoe is not always better: the right fit and feel matter most\.

That is about 300 to 500 miles\.