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Gait analysis- Nike Edition

If you want to start running the best piece of advice I can give you is to go and get a “Gait Analysis” at a specialist retailer like Sweatshop or Runners Need.

Over my next few posts I will be analysing my gait analysis in various brands of running shoes looking at all categories, from Neutral to Support so you can see the difference a shoe really can make.

Unless you have the bizarre and freaky ability to be able to watch what your feet do when you run then this could be a useful eye opener for you to help and understand why it’s so important to get the right running shoes.

If like me you over pronate and didn’t know then getting a gait analysis done could possibly explain why you might have pain when you run! If you remember my piece on “Finding the right running shoe” I often look at peoples faces when I run and if they look in pain I quickly look at their feet to see what they are running in and more often than not these people are in a piece of footwear unsuitable for running. Do not think that just because you are running that you should be in pain.  Too many people think this and do not attribute that it has anything to do with their shoes!

So, with that in mind I took myself through a series of Nike shoes the Free Flyknit 4.0, Pegasus 31, Lunarglide 6 and the Structure 18. Below  I will show you the difference between barefoot, neutral and support shoes.

 

Nike Free Flyknit 4.0 – Barefoot Feel

First up is the Free Run, I suggest you sit down for this one. I  over pronate quite badly so used the Free Flyknit 4.0 to exaggerate the amount of inwards rotation due to the flexibility of the shoe. You will see that when my weight comes over my foot just how much my feet pronate, I couldn’t run a bath in these but happily wear them all day at work, you will be amazed/shocked at what your feet do when high levels of force are put through them.

 

Nike Pegasus 31 – Neutral Ride

Next up is the Nike Pegasus 31, a neutral shoe so no added support but with it being firmer and stiffer in comparison to the Free you will see that my foot does not rotate in as much.

 

Nike Lunarglide 6 – Stability

For the 3rd shoe I am now in the Nike Lunarglide 6 which uses the dynamic support system and sits in the support silo. Still not as good as it could be but you will see that I am more aligned that the previous 2 shoes.

 

Nike Structure 18 – Stability 

Finally I am in  the latest edition of the long standing Structure series, the model being the Structure 18. As you will again see the improvements are much better as my foot doesn’t rotate in as much as previously seen, these could be the most suitable shoe from the Nike range.

 

Comparisons 

For my final video I have all 4 shoes on the same screen so you can see the differences all together and I sure that you can see what difference a support device in a  shoe can have for a person that pronates to the degree I do.

Now after all the analysis there is no better way to see if a shoe is good for your needs than actually running in it, I have run up to 10k in the Lunarglide 6 and had no negative effects, even with it possibly not giving me the amount of support I need. Ideally you want to be able to draw a line up the back of the shoe, follow that straight line through your achilles tendon and straight up your leg. As we all work and run differently it will be very hard to get the perfect shoe for everyone but with some advice you can make running fun and safe, the way it should be!

For me there isn’t a best shoe on the market that will work for everyone BUT there is a shoe for YOUR needs and your needs must be taken into account when buying a pair of running shoes, there are some great and expensive shoes on the market but that doesn’t mean that they will be what you need.

Next time on my gait list i’ll be looking at the Ghost, Racer ST5, Adrenalin 15 and Vapor 2, all from Brooks Running,