Running a marathon with the right shoes makes a big difference, experts say
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Sunday is the big day for Honolulu marathon runners and there’s a good reason why they are so particular about their shoes.
Shoe experts say certain shoes could help you reach the finish line faster.
Hawaii News Now caught up with Gaston of Running Room in Kapahulu and asked him what’s the latest and greatest to help marathon runners get their best performance, he answered:
“Well, the new thing is Super Shoes. Shoes that have a carbon fiber plate to them. It acts like a springboard. It acts like a diving board that loads and unloads. So one of the better ones out there, though — the Hoka Cielos — that do that. If you want to get like a really fast time, the marathon world record time was produced in a Super Shoe. Yeah, but most of us will like a shoe that’s, like, massively cushioned. Hoka’s massively cushion, but it’s very dampening and it attenuates a lot of shock,” Gaston explained.
Gaston said a new shoe on the market is the Brooks Glycerin Max.
“It actually returns energy too. It’s a much more springy type of cushion,” Gaston said.
But he added that if people are opting for more comfort during their run, they may look toward getting New Balances.
“But you know a lot of local people, we just got wide feet, bro. Yeah, we just got wide feet. So you got your your New Balance, 4E widths. Those are gonna be the new, but also like an old-school type of shoe that will help a lot of people feel comfortable or perform the best they can to achieve their marathon,” Gaston said.
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Super shoes not only help you get to the finish line faster but it limits the amount of injuries you’ll encounter during the marathon.
“Think of it, this is your equipment for the sport that you’re doing and the sport right now is you’re pounding the ground for tens of thousands of steps. This is what’s going to keep your shins, your knees, your hips from absorbing all of the shock — the Super Shoe,” Gaston emphasized.
It’s a completely different world of shoes compared to years ago when many runners ran with flat shoes.
Gaston said at one point in time, Super Shoes were banned because it helped runners a little too much.
“It had too much return too much bounce. And then that’s why there’s, like, limitations on how high the stack height. So high as you can. But right now this is something that is legal,” he said.
HNN asked Gaston when someone could tell a shoe has “run out of its life?” He answered, “The mid-sole foam lasts about 500 miles.”
“I usually tell people go by how your knees feel go by how your shins feel, right? If you’re running that same course and you start to feel it. Like that’s when it’s time. For most people, that’s six months only.”
Gaston’s advice to Honolulu Marathon runns is to not wear new shoes.
He said it could hurt you more than help you, especially if you haven’t already been training with it.
“Hopefully if you get shoes now, it’s for next year’s race, it’s for the next race, the shoes that you’ve been wearing that should be for this year’s race.”
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