Shoe Types

Running Shoes have many different types for different purposes. Some of the types overlap each other in purpose. For example, a speed trainer can be used as a racer. The table below summarizes the type of running shoes available in the market:

Type	Weight Range (g)	Cushioning
Daily Trainer	>250	High
Speed Trainer	200-250	Moderate-Low
Racer	<200	Low
Do-it-All	230-290	Moderate

A Daily Trainer is a running shoe that you use for most of your running mileage. The cushioning is usually thick and the shoe has a high stack. More cushioning helps to protect your feet from the stress of repeated pounding on the ground while running. A trade off for this amount of cushion would be the high weight scores. Generally, the thicker and more cushioned the shoe is, the heavier it will be (with the exception of the newer midsole foams in carbon plated shoes e.g. Nike ZoomX which can stay light whilst being thick). Heavy shoes also help to strengthen the feet as you carry more weight on your legs while running.

A Speed Trainer is commonly a shoe with lower cushioning and weight than a Daily Trainer. This type of shoe is used for faster sessions such as tempo runs and track intervals. Having a lighter shoe helps with faster leg turnover. It also helps the runner to focus on the workout at hand without worrying about feeling the heavy weight of Daily Trainers at faster paces. These shoes are usually lower in cushion and more responsive and firmer in nature.

A Racer is a very lightweight shoe that is often below 200grams in weight (Marathon Racers are heavier at roughly 200-220grams). Racers are meant to enable the runner to run his/her fastest timing possible with zero distractions. These shoes have the same properties as a Speed Trainer but are lighter. Research has shown that a 100grams of weight removed from a shoe can result in around a 1% difference in race times. These shoes are meant to be extremely light to shave off those precious seconds in a race.

The preference of firmness and thickness of a shoe also varies from person to person. Some may prefer a low to the ground and firm ride while others may prefer a more cushioned and softer ride.

For Most Runners, it is recommended to have two shoes in a rotation, mainly a Daily Trainer and Speed Trainer. 

However, if you are on a budget, you could buy a ‘Do-it-all’ shoe. This type of shoe is cushioned enough for your daily runs but is also fast enough for speed sessions and races. Do take into consideration that these shoes are not as light as Speed Trainers and Racers. An example of a ‘Do-it-all’ shoe is the Nike Pegasus. It is moderately cushioned; protective for longer runs but responsive enough for picking up the pace.