Heal drop in running shoes can provide added cushioning and balance to your running gait. Please use the following tips below to help select the appropriate shoe for your running style and distance goals. Note, you may need to buy more than one shoe and that is a good thing ; ).
● High running drop in the shoe, 9+ millimeters; This type of shoe design is ideal for longer distance and slower distance runs. The extra higher heal will help you to land flat footed and with more cushioning. Slow runs will be aided by this type of shoe typically 9+millimeters of drop or more.
● Medium running drop in the shoe, ~3-6 millimeters of drop; This type of shoe design is ideal for middle distance runs (30-60minutes duration) and approximately 5-10miles in distance. While many runners can go longer in this type of shoe, it does tend to be an all around type of shoe design. Meaning, you can run middle and up to longer distances and therefore it is a very common drop to use. Max distances this type of shoe is suited for are up to half marathons in triathlon or stand alone running events.
● Low running drop in the shoe, 3-0 millimeters of drop; This type of shoe design is ideal for faster short distance races where you need to “get up on the balls of the foot” and race. Without a prominent heal beneath you, form needs to be right on the mid foot when pushing off. These shoes are great for faster runners up to 10K and for slower athletes at the 5K distance. They are not recommended in our opinion at Tristar for longer distance racing athletes due to the fact that slower runs need to be supported throughout the entire foot.
● Injury and drop; Using a shoe that has low running drop or zero drop will place added stress on the Achilles and calf of the leg.
● Advantages of the low drop - can help to improve speed and overall performance.
● Advantages of the high drop - great for longer runs and up to faster runs, however these shoes may have added weight in the heal.
