新聞新知~運動鞋常識
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買跑步鞋時，先考量適穿性、接著才是價格，並非越貴越好穿。
By LESLEY ALDERMAN
Published: October 22, 2010
New York Times
SHARON TANENBAUM是一位將跑步視為認真休閒的人，跑步習慣已經養成六年。她住在紐約布魯克林，今年30歲，已經完成三項馬拉松賽和一些小型賽跑。每星期她會固定跑20英哩。
問到她最喜歡的教練？她會回答是一雙從Target公司買來的25塊美金Champion廠牌跑步鞋。
她說：我喜歡穿簡單的跑步鞋，花越多錢買貴的鞋子，會得到更多不必要的東西。
她說的沒錯，高價位通常可以買到高品質的東西，但除了跑步鞋之外。
在過去30年間，跑步已經成為一項休閒運動。2009年美國有47萬人完成馬拉松賽跑。而在1976年時，這個數字僅2萬5000人。跑步鞋的銷售在2009年是23億美金，比過去10年成長60%。
但這些錢可能並沒有花得很正確。2007年一位蘇格蘭研究者對跑步鞋進行研究，將之分類為3個價位層級(從80美金到150美金)，發現相同廠牌低價位和中價位的鞋子，對腳部所產生的保護、緩衝作用，跟高價位的鞋子一樣，有些甚至更好。
蘇格蘭Dundee大學運動分析與研究所所長Rami J. Abboud表示，一般人的想法為，花越多錢，會買到越好的鞋子，但我們的研究結果卻非如此。Abboud教授與他的同事剛完成一個類似上述2007年運動鞋的研究，還沒出版，但結果相近。
鞋類製造商不斷添加具緩衝作用的凝膠物質進鞋子裡，並且還有微處理和所謂的推力改進器，但這些升級似乎不會使跑者更安全。2009年一項關於跑步鞋的研究評論發現，沒有任何一個實證研究顯示跑步鞋能夠預防受傷。事實上，受傷率並沒有下降。
專家表示，花式跑鞋甚至會導致傷害。一些研究顯示，當運動員穿上昂貴的跑鞋(承諾有優越的緩衝能力)，他們將比便宜的跑步鞋遭受更多的傷害。這些研究的其中一位作者做出結論：當人們在使用不確定它帶來的效益的新設備時，會過於樂觀面對這些新技術和設備。
紐約聯合廣場JackRabbit運動用品店店長Mark Montgomery表示，假如你想跑得舒服而安全，要確認適穿性優於價格(fit first and price last)。你所需要的是一雙幫你保持平衡狀態的鞋子，昂貴的鞋子不是唯一的解決辦法。ING將在11月7日舉行紐約市馬拉松比賽，這裡有一些guideline提供給你，做為買鞋的指引。
合適的鞋子：
假如你是跑步新手，或是之前沒媒合過的人，首先前往一間標準的跑步鞋店。一位經過標準訓練的店員會分析你的步伐和跑步習慣，再建議你適合的鞋子。在JackRabbit運動用品店，一位銷售員會先錄下顧客在跑步機上跑步的影帶，找出他們的步伐類型。舉例來說，腿部旋前肌拱起向內者，可能需要動作控制的跑鞋，價位會比普通鞋子稍高。第一次媒合是重要的，因為經過這次經驗，你就會知道哪些鞋子對你較合適。一但了解之後，你就可前往低價市場殺價去。
Tanenbaum女士表示，我剛開始跑步時，我前往一家專業的鞋店。而現在我能在任何一家店買鞋了，在Target公司也行，因為我知道最適合我的鞋子。最好能每隔幾年重新媒合一次，隨著時間演進，你的腳部拱型會下降、腳會變長。你在40歲所適合的腳型，可能到50歲已經不適合。
評估：
什麼才是合適的尺寸？買跑步鞋必須比你一般鞋子尺寸大上半個型號，腳拇指和鞋子頂部需有一個手拇指空間。不用太在意廠商的尺寸，因為每家廠商尺寸、鞋型各不相同。Tanenbaum買的跑鞋比她一般鞋大上兩個型號。
Abboud教授表示：現在大部分的鞋子都是被大量製造的，沒有真正注意細節和品質。假如你拿兩雙同品牌的鞋子比較，你將不能保證兩雙鞋都是完全一個尺寸，它的尺寸可能相差到一個型號。
49歲的Gordon Bakoulis，已經參加過4次紐約市的美國奧林匹克馬拉松賽，他表示：確保鞋子穿在腳上不會太緊，而且腳後根是舒服的。必須是立刻感到舒適，而非還需移動調整。鞋子必須感覺是附屬在腳上。假如你打算跑長跑，應該在比賽前花兩星期習慣你的新鞋。
越少越好?
想了解最便宜的解決方案？完全放棄鞋子加入赤腳的行列。
這不只是一頭熱的行為。一些研究表示，在長跑上赤腳跑步比穿鞋跑步好。2009年一項研究發現，相較於赤腳跑步，穿跑鞋跑步會使髖關節，膝關節，踝關節承受較大壓力。並且研究結論為：跑鞋會使運動員膝蓋曝露在骨關節炎的風險上。更早的研究顯示，跑鞋會增加足底筋膜炎和腳踝扭傷的風險。足科醫師呼籲不穿鞋跑步要謹慎。紐約南安普敦運動健身足科醫師Karen Langone表示，我告訴我的客戶，嘗試赤腳跑步是一件大事。不適合每個人，且應該慢慢納入跑步計畫中，非立即全面採行。有些人依靠跑鞋所產生的機械支持。今年夏天我看過一些病人，因為習慣球鞋跑步，突然赤腳跑步而受傷，而在外小腿裝上了夾板。
對於喜歡簡單風格但又不想赤腳跑的跑者而言，極簡的鞋子是個不錯的選擇。假如你想有相關的經驗，可以嘗試 Nike Free跑鞋(85美金)，或是Saucony Kinvara跑鞋(90美金)。若想更接觸地面，Vibram’s Five Fingers shoe(五指鞋，75-125美金)，這鞋子有較少的支撐，比較像雨鞋而非運動鞋。
馬拉松選手Bakoulis表示，把鞋子想得越簡單，越好。(The less you think about a shoe, the better)
英文原文：
SHARON TANENBAUM has been a serious runner for six years. The Brooklyn resident, 30, has completed three marathons and several shorter races. Each week she logs about 20 miles.
Her favorite trainers? A $25 pair of Champion shoes she bought at Target.
“I like running in simple shoes,” she said. “The more you pay, the more unnecessary stuff you get.”
She is right. Money often buys higher-quality goods, but not when it comes to running shoes.
Over the last three decades, running has exploded as a leisure sport. In 2009, 476,000 runners completed a marathon. In 1976, the number was just 25,000. Sales of running shoes reached a record $2.36 billion in 2009, 60 percent more than a decade earlier.
But some of those dollars may not have been well spent. In 2007, Scottish researchers tested running shoes at three price levels, ranging from $80 to $150, and found that low- and midcost shoes within the same brand cushioned runners’ feet just as well as high-cost ones — sometimes even better.
“The perception is that if you pay more, you will get better shoes,” said Rami J. Abboud, director of the Institute of Motion Analysis and Research at the University of Dundee in Scotland. “Our research did not show that.” Professor Abboud and his colleagues have just completed a similar study, as yet unpublished, with nearly identical results.
Shoe manufacturers keep adding improvements to shoes in the form of cushioning gel pods, microprocessors and so-called thrust enhancers, but these upgrades don’t seem to make runners safer. A review of current studies on running shoes published in 2009 found that there were no evidence-based studies that showed running shoes actually helped prevent injury. Indeed, injury rates have not gone down.
Fancy running shoes may even lead to injury, experts say. Some studies show that when runners don expensive running shoes that promise superior cushioning, they incur more injuries than runners using cheaper shoes.
The authors of one such study concluded that there was a “tendency in humans to be less cautious when using new devices of unknown benefit because of overly positive attitudes associated with new technology and novel devices.”
If you want to run well and run safely, consider fit first and price last. “You want a shoe that helps you maintain a balanced position,” said Mark Montgomery, manager of the JackRabbit Sports store in Union Square in New York. “A more expensive shoe is not always the solution.” With the ING New York City Marathon approaching on Nov. 7, here are some guidelines for buying the best shoe for you.
A SHOE THAT FITS If you are new to running, or have not been fitted in a few years, go first to a reputable store that specializes in running shoes. A well-trained salesperson should analyze your gait and inquire about your running habits before recommending a shoe.
At JackRabbit Sports, a salesperson typically videotapes customers running on a treadmill to figure out what type of stride they have. Pronators, those whose arches roll inward, for instance, may need a shoe with motion control, which may be a bit more expensive than neutral shoes.
That first fitting is important, because it will give you a sense of what type of shoe is best for you. Once you know, you can head down-market for the bargains.
“When I first started running, I went to a specialty store,” said Ms. Tanenbaum. “Now I can shop anywhere, even Target, because I know what works for me.”
It is wise, though, to get refitted every few years. Over time, your arches tend to fall and your feet become longer. The model or type that worked well for you in your 40s may not be the best one for you in your 50s.
SIZE IT UP What is a good fit? Buy a running shoe that is a half size or so larger than your regular shoe. There should be a thumb’s width between the tip of your big toe and the top of the shoe.
Don’t get too hung up on the official size. Sizes vary from brand to brand and model to model. Ms. Tanenbaum buys shoes that are two sizes larger than her regular shoes.
“Most shoes are mass-produced these days, with no real attention to detail or quality,” said Professor Abboud. “If you take two pairs of shoes from the same brand, you will not be guaranteed the same size shoes. It may vary by up to one size in length.”
Make sure the shoes are not too tight across the arch and that your heel is snug. They should feel comfortable right away. “The shoes should feel like they belong on your feet,” said Gordon Bakoulis, 49, a running coach in New York City who has competed in four United States Olympic Marathon Trials.
If you are planning to run a long race, spend at least two weeks breaking in your new shoes before start day.
LESS IS MORE The cheapest solution? Forgo shoes altogether and join the legions of runners who have embraced the barefoot trend.
It is not just a fad. A few studies have suggested that running barefoot might be better for your body over the, ahem, long run than running in shoes. A 2009 study found that compared to going barefoot, running shoes put more pressure on the hip, knee and ankle joints and concluded that running shoes could put athletes at greater risk for osteoarthritis of the knee. Earlier studies found that running shoes could increase the risk for plantar fasciitis and ankle sprains.
But podiatrists urge caution before running without shoes. “I tell my clients it’s great thing to try,” said Dr. Karen Langone, a sports fitness podiatrist in Southampton, N.Y. “But it’s not for everyone, and it should be gradually incorporated into your running program.”
Some people require the mechanical support that a running shoe offers. “I saw quite a few patients this summer who had developed shin splints from running barefoot,” she said.
Minimalist shoes are a good hedge for runners who favor simplicity, but who do not want to fully embrace the barefoot trend. If you want to approximate the experience, look into the Nike Free (about $85) or the Saucony Kinvara (about $90). To get even closer to the ground, try Vibram’s Five Fingers shoe ($75 to $125), which has very little support and is more akin to a water shoe than a running sneaker.
“The less you think about a shoe, the better,” said Ms. Bakoulis, the marathoner.
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資料來源：
NEW YORK TIMES website：
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/23/health/23patient.html?_r=1&ref=health |
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