getfit
Sole
patrol
Check out our shoe-lingo decoder below and you
won’t have to rely on the sales guy (or gal) to get a
Cinderella fit from your new sneaks.
Insole
Also called a sock liner, the
insole is a removable foam
insert that sits under—
and often conforms to the
shape of—your foot to help
the shoe fit better. Many
manufacturers also sandwich
extra devices (with proprietary
technologies) between the insole
and midsole in the heel and
forefoo t areas to add cushioning
and shock absorption.
Upper
“The top part of your sneaker, aka the upper, is all
about comfort and style,” says Garrett Sheehan, a
customer experience coach at Road Runner Sports
in San Diego. “Look for one that allows your toes to
move around freely and doesn’t have seams that rub
against your skin.” While the upper can be made of
any material, from leather to plastic, the more mesh
there is, the more breathable your shoe will be.
Outsole
Sneaker treads, or outsoles,
typically come in two forms:
carbon rubber (usually all black)
Midsole
or a combination of colorful blown
This layer is typically made of foam, which gives
rubber and black carbon rubber
the shoe its cushioning and support system.
(like that of Mizuno’s Wave Inspire
(Manufacturers may also add other patented
5 running shoe, shown here).
materials, such as plastic inserts, within.) “The more
“Carbon rubber is more durable
gray-colored material, or dual-density foam, you
and can provide more traction,
see by the arch, the more stability the shoe usually
while blown rubber is softer and
offers,” Sheehan says. If there’s no gray, it’s probably
lighter for more flexibility and less
a neutral/cushioning shoe (good for high arches);
weight in your stride,” Sheehan
if the gray is mostly limited to under the arch, it’s a
says. Trail-shoe outsoles are
stability shoe (good for runners with normal arches);
almost always carbon rubber, and
if the gray wraps from the arch to around to the heel,
the deeper their lugs, the better
it’s a motion-control shoe (good for flat arches).
they are for rocky terrain.
Cover
IFC
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