Spring Forward

Spring 2008 Road Shoe Buyer's Guide

March 3, 2008

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Springtime is the time to start doing faster workouts, the time to start planning for a summer of racing and, for most of us, the time to buy new shoes. Here's what you'll see at your running shop this spring:

More techy buzz

The running shoe business is a marketing guru's dream. For example, there must be 100 different names for the various forms of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and other foams found in the cushy midsole of a shoe. While there are very real differences among those materials and how they're used in the construction of a shoe, don't fall prey to glitzy terminology or hyper-analysis of lab data. Let fit, feel and function guide your purchases.

Eye candy

Several brands are pushing the envelope with brilliant hues and functional design tweaks--such as asymmetrical lacing, seamless uppers and fashion-forward mesh fabrics--and it's an Olympic year, so you're bound to see lots of red, white and blue, too. But color and unique aesthetics don't have much to do with performance--unless you're so averse to the bold new colors on the shoe wall that you decide to keep last fall's model for a few hundred more miles. (Don't make that mistake!)

Lighter weights

A lighter shoe isn't always a better shoe, but companies are constantly tinkering with new materials, so shoes are getting lighter across the board--from racing flats to motion control shoes. The slimming down is most evident in the lightweight stability category, where more brands are offering models for the mostly neutral runners who seek just a twinge of support without added bulk.

Higher prices

There are more than 20 running shoes priced at $120 or higher this spring. That's partly created by the societal trend that craves and embellishes gotta-have-it "luxe" gear, even if it costs 30 percent more than items that perform just as well. Other factors are increased manufacturing costs and fancy (and usually functional) technological tweaks. Would you be better off with one $180 pair of trainers or two pairs in the $90-$95 range? That depends on your running style, budget and, just maybe, your vanity.

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