It was around the time I was in college and I was running 20 miles a week, that Nike first came out with its Air series, and Reebok with its Pump. I loved the feeling that I was running with pneumatic cushioning; the support was excellent, and it seemed as high-tech as shoe engineering could possibly get at the time. Shoe design has progressed in all kinds of ways since then though. There are new design philosophies (as in minimalism), new materials that are lighter and stronger, and a complete rethink on high-tech stuff like springs, ventilation and motion control. Let's run down a list of all the latest in the world of high-tech athletic running shoes, and try to identify the best ones.
MBT makes athletic running shoes that are purportedly designed in a way that'll help you burn extra calories as you run; White Sport is what they call the model, and the theory behind their design is that the they are supposed to make your legs think that they are running on uneven ground. This makes the body work harder, and it helps you spend more calories on a given amount of running. So do they really work? Taking these shoes out on a run certainly seems to work parts of your legs out that you never knew existed. There is a healthy active aching all over the calves, that does the give you the idea that there is some pretty good training going on. These shoes are pricey though at about $200 a pair.
If the White Sports try to get your feet thinking that your flat running track is all bumpy and rutted, our next pair of all-Star athletic running shoes are ones that try to get your bumpy and rutted track to appear all nice and even. They are the Adidas 1.1 Intelligence. Now this is no ordinary shoe - it is microchip controlled (and hence, the "intelligence"). In the soles of these shoes are little digital sensors that try to gauge how much your feet are pressing down on the soles. And then, as you run, motors in the soles adjust the amount of cushioning you get. Does it actually work? People who complain of pain when they switch between turfs, do report that the dynamic cushioning takes the pain out of training on different surfaces.
For the athletic who look to athletic running shoes for - well, running, Nike's latest iteration of the Air Max series, the 369, is a great addition to the line. The shoes are as light as cotton candy, and the carbon rubber soles have their trademark air pockets to give you speed and comfort.
And finally, for those who often come down with achy heels, the Natural Sport Medusa shoes come with Dr.Scholl's gel heel pads. If aches, pains and injuries are the most important reasons why people are irregular with their running, products like these should easily lend a hand.
