A girl can never have too many shoes.

I personally feel it is crucial to have a good pair of trainers on your feet when you are running. No matter what sort of run you are doing, be it track, road, or trail, you need to be well supported. Considering the amount of running we do; our feet and legs get put through their paces. Therefore, we need a good pair of trainers to help reduce the shock and impact going through our feet and legs with every stride. The right pair of trainers differs for every individual. We all have a different gait and need different levels of cushioning and support. The trainers I wear, suit me, but they may not suit you. It is so important to go to a shop and get a gait analysis, to ensure your trainers are right for you. 

What do I wear for what?
 
Training 
 
In training I tend to wear the same trainers for everything I do. This is because the shoe I use is so versatile. I wear the Mizuno Wave Ride 22 as it is so comfortable and caters for all distances and terrains! It’s light enough to be worn for speed, comfortable and cushioned enough to wear on long runs, and robust enough to wear off road. I also tend to have a pair I don’t mind getting muddy, which I wear for my grass sessions, and a fresher pair which gets used on the road and track. It depends what works for you, but some people find it helpful to have a few pairs in rotation to avoid wearing them out too quickly. 

​Racing
 
The shoes I wear for cross country, road, and track are very important. These are the shoes that put you in your race mindset. I know, as soon as I put on my racing shoes, whatever the race, I automatically feel more focused and raring to go. This is because these shoes don’t tend to get worn outside of races. My lightweight racing shoes may occasionally be worn for strides, so I get used to them, but outside of this, they are exclusively for race day. It’s like putting on your racing vest, it gets you in the zone. 

On the road…
 
On the road I wear the Mizuno Wave Hitogami 4. You can’t get this model anymore, but the Wave Emperor is a similarly light shoe that I am transitioning towards. These shoes are incredibly light, that they allow you to be light on your feet and pick the pace up an extra notch. The shoe’s lightweight is also why I enjoy training in the regular wave rider, because as soon as I put on my light racing flats I feel as though a weight has been lifted and I can run so much faster than I can in training! Although they are very light, they still have some cushioning in them- perfect for protecting your feet from the harsh impact the road creates. I don’t train in these, as I prefer to have the extra cushioning provided by the wave rider for day to day training to provide a little bit more protection from the impact of sessions. 

​Off the road…
 
Off the road, on come the spikes. Whether it be on the track or for cross country, spikes are always the way forward. On the track they offer you that little bit of extra grip to allow you to push yourself to the limit, whilst the offer you the extra stability and grip you need to get through the thick, slippery mud in cross country. Spikes are also incredibly lightweight, so they don’t weigh you down. I have recently switched my spikes to the Mizuno Geo splash 7. I wasn’t sure how I would get on with these, but they are fabulous! They are incredibly lightweight and surprisingly comfortable, so much so, I even ran a PB in them last weekend!
 
This truly shoes, you can never have too many pairs of trainers! They all have a different purpose and you will never regret buying them! What are your favourite trainers?