Breaking in running shoes?

Whats the best way to break in a new pair of running shoes? I just bought myself a new pair and when I did my work out i ended up with blisters an inch or so below both my inner ankles. Its just that one spot thats bothering me. Any suggestions?

Breaking in running shoes?
sondra,





Are you sure that the answer is breaking in your shoes?





Running shoes don%26#039;t have to be broken in. Made of their soft, pliable synthetic materials, they are good for running right out of the box. I%26#039;ve run for years and never had to break in a pair. None of my friends have, either.





Might the problem be the fit or your socks?





They are the right size, aren%26#039;t they? About half a size up from your regular shoes, maybe a full size in the winter if you wear thicker socks? Here in the Seattle area we don%26#039;t have to worry about that, but when I lived in Wisconsin and ran in 25-below-zero winters, I wore thicker socks to keep my toes on my feet. When the snow wasn%26#039;t three feet deep, that is.





How about you?





Make sure that your shoes are good ones. You don%26#039;t say which brand they are, how much they cost, nor for what kind of foot they are.





Good shoes: good ones start at about $90, at least around here. Less expensive ones can be a bit stiff or less well cushioned, and they can cause blisters.





Good brand: Brooks, Saucony, Nike, Asics, New Balance, or Reebok are good shoes with a good line of different shoes for different feet.





Right Kind: feet come in three basic styles of arch: high, medium, and low, and they make the foot roll (%26#039;pronate%26#039; in runner%26#039;s jargon) different ways, and therefore need different kinds of shoes. Here%26#039;s an easy way to tell what kind of arch you have:





Put a brown paper bag on the floor of your bathroom before you bathe or shower. When you are finished with the tub or shower, step on the bag and then quickly step off it again and look at your footprint. If it%26#039;s like two ovals or a funny question mark, you have high arches. If it looks like a stereotypical footprint, you have medium arches, and if it looks like an oval, you have low arches. For the first foot you need a %26quot;neutral%26quot; shoe, for the second you need a %26quot;stability%26quot; shoe, and for the last you need a %26quot;motion control%26quot; shoe.





Go to Runnersworld.com, click on %26quot;shoes and gear%26quot; at the top, click on %26quot;Spring Shoe Guide%26quot; and follow the page(s) as they talk about the various shoes on the market. You%26#039;ll learn quite a lot about shoes.





Now, assuming that you have the right shoe, you might need different socks. There are really soft socks made just for runners. If there is a runners section in your favorite department store, or better if there is a store near you that specializes in running, get your socks there. %26quot;Ultimax%26quot; makes some really good ones, as does %26quot;Wright Running%26quot; (%26#039;the wright sock.%26#039; Clever). Try one of those.





Now, assuming that you have the right sock, you might just have to tape your ankles for a while. Plain old adhesive sports tape works really well for somehting like this. It spreads the pressure around and keeps your skin from moving in different directions, which causes blisters.





You%26#039;re lacing them correctly, right? A recent issue of Runner%26#039;s World (no, I don%26#039;t work for them. I just like them a lot) said that some runners have blister problems from just not lacing their shoes right.





Some runners just get blisters.





However, if you%26#039;ve not been getting them but now do with these new shoes, I would first suspect the shoes themselves, then the socks, then lacing.





In the meantime, tape around (not just on, depending on how far you run) the ankle will allow the blisters to heal. Nasty things, blisters. Never met one I liked.
Reply:Did you get them from a place like Body and Sole? (they%26#039;re amazing).





They might not fit right, and that%26#039;s really important for running shoes. If you think they are fine, just wear them. A lot. Wear them around the house, when you go shopping, every time you move basically.
Reply:well really the only thing you can do is run in them
Reply:Sounds like you didn%26#039;t get the right pair of shoes. Even if the shoes are new, they shouldn%26#039;t give you blisters. Go to a store that specializes in running. Typically, they will have you try on about 5 pairs of shoes and analyze how you run in each and how each pair feels to decide which type of shoe is best for you.



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