FMS | 2017 Fall Shoe Review

Forward Motion Sports

925.820.9966 | 432 Hartz Avenue Danville, CA 94526 | Mon-Sat 10am-7pm | Sun 10am-5pm

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2017 Fall Shoe Review

PROPER BIOMECHANICSJust about everyone goes from heel to toe during either the walking or running stride. This process is called the gait cycle. The gait cycle is comprised of two major phases:

THE STANCE PHASE (heel contact, mid-stance, and propulsion)
THE SWING PHASE (foot lift and recovery while the opposing foot is in the stance phase)

For runners, the STANCE PHASE is by far the most important. At this point, the force of up to 3.5 times your body's weight is absorbed by one leg. After heel contact, you pass through into the mid-stance phase. If your foot strikes on the outside heel and then pronates toward your body's center-line in a well-aligned fashion through the STANCE PHASE, you have a neutral foot strike. If, however, your foot collapses or overpronates toward your body's center-line excessively during midstance, then you are an overpronator and will need a specific type of running shoe. Overpronators are susceptible to over-use injuries such as plantar fasciitis, shin splints, IT band tightness, and other potential problems. For this type of foot, PRONATION CONTROL is a critical element for proper fitting and the prevention of these potential problems. If you are unsure about your foot type have any of our Forward Motion Sports Associates provide you with a foot analysis and some recommendations!

CUSHION SCORERates the softness and overall shock absorbency of the shoe. Neutral shoes are going to have the highest cushion rating of all of the categories.

PRONATION CONTROL RATING (PCR)This rating is crucial to the proper fit of a running shoe. After foot analysis, customers are assigned a PCR corresponding to the level of overpronation observed.

DROPDrop is the height difference between the back of the shoe and the front of the shoe. Example the back of the shoe your heel sits on the shoe at a height of 29mm, Your toes sit on the front of the shoe at a height of 25mm. That equals a 4mm drop. A "Zero" drop would be that your heel and toes are on the same plane. A traditional shoe might have a differential or drop of 10 – 14 mm. To be considered a "Minimal" or "Barefoot" shoe the drop needs to be somewhere between 7 and 0mm.

Forward Motion Sports takes considerable pride in helping you select the right shoe that will fulfill your athletic and casual footwear needs. We have a comprehensive understanding of the Running Footwear Industry along with footwear in general. Our staff is trained through a system that uses medical journals, athletic training reviews, technical product information, evaluation/wear testing of product, and years of personal experience. Our goal is to make you feel comfortable and confident about your personalized fitting and selection of footwear.

Neutral

Neutral shoes are designed for neutral pronators. They are built with a high arch and a considerable amount of cushioning to absorb the shock of the STANCE PHASE.

361 Meraki

Cushion: 8/10 | PCR: 3/10

Drop: 9 mm | Weight: 10.20 oz

$129.95

Adidas Supernova Boost

Cushion: 8/10 | PCR: 3/10

Drop: 12 mm | Weight: 11.30 oz

$129.95

Altra Torin 3.0

Cushion: 7/10 | PCR: 4/10

Drop: 0 mm | Weight: 8.60 oz

$124.95

Hoka Bondi 5

Cushion: 10/10 | PCR: 4/10

Drop: 4 mm | Weight: 10.00 oz

$149.95

Hoka Clayton 2

Cushion: 7/10 | PCR: 6/10

Drop: 4 mm | Weight: 8.30 oz

$149.95

Hoka Clifton 4

Cushion: 8/10 | PCR: 3/10

Drop: 5 mm | Weight: 8.60 oz

$129.95

New Balance Zante 3

Cushion: 6/10 | PCR: 3/10

Drop: 4 mm | Weight: 8.00 oz

$99.95

Stability

Stability shoes are designed for mild to substantial overpronators. These shoes are designed for runners with a medium to low arch structure. Stability shoes will have a pronation controlling mechanism, or a stability technology to correct overpronation.

Hoka Gaviota

Cushion: 9/10 | PCR: 7/10

Drop: 5 mm | Weight: 10.70 oz

$149.95

Motion Control

These are quite simply the most supportive type of running shoe. They combine the highest degree of PRONATION CONTROL along with a straighter last for additional stability. Motion Control shoes are designed for people with flatter feet who severely overpronate.

For this category, there are not any shoes in the system at this time.

Minimal/Barefoot

These shoes are designed to put your foot in a "natural" position by hitting more mid-foot. This position centers your hips over your knees and keeps you more in alignment throughout your footstrike and minimizing some of the pronation associated with a more traditional height shoe.

Altra Escalante

Cushion: 8/10 | PCR: 4/10

Drop: 0 mm | Weight: 7.50 oz

$129.95

Hoka Clayton 2

Cushion: 7/10 | PCR: 6/10

Drop: 4 mm | Weight: 8.30 oz

$149.95

Inov-8 F-Lite 195v2

Cushion: 5/10 | PCR: 6/10

Drop: 4 mm | Weight: 7.70 oz

$125.95

Inov-8 F-Lite 250

Cushion: 6/10 | PCR: 6/10

Drop: 4 mm | Weight: 8.60 oz

$124.95

New Balance Zante 3

Cushion: 6/10 | PCR: 3/10

Drop: 4 mm | Weight: 8.00 oz

$99.95

Nike Free RN Distance 2

Cushion: 7/10 | PCR: 4/10

Drop: 8 mm | Weight: 9.00 oz

$119.95

Nike Free RN Flyknit

Cushion: 8/10 | PCR: 3/10

Drop: 6 mm | Weight: 8.00 oz

$129.95

Nike Metcon 3

Cushion: 5/10 | PCR: 6/10

Drop: 4 mm | Weight: 10.40 oz

$129.95

Saucony Kinvara 8

Cushion: 8/10 | PCR: 4/10

Drop: 4 mm | Weight: 7.70 oz

$109.95

Trail

Trail shoes are designed to stabilize and protect the foot over varied terrain. A lower center of gravity (closer to the ground) gives better stability. Extra lugs help with traction and added protection against rocks and roots. These shoes need to also be flexible in order to go up, over and around the rocks and roots and inclines that make up the trails you may travel.