Running shoes have come a long way from when the activity was first introduced in these days there are many different styles and types to choose from. However, picking a good shoe is more than just finding one in a color you like. Choosing a good shoe is important because the right shoe can help avert problems and injury down the road.

One thing you need to know before you go shopping for running shoes is how your foot moves when you run. This is called pronation and it refers to how the foot rolls from heel to toe when you walk, jog or run. Some people run with the stress on the outside of their feet (underpronation) others rool too much from the outside to the inside (overpronation) and still others hit from the heel to the ball of the foot evenly (neutral pronation).

So how do you tell what you're pronation is?

One way is to look at the wear on the shoes that you're currently using to run it. If the waiter is on the inside and then you over probably, if it is on the outside you underpronation and if the winner is even throughout the 4 foot you have neutral pronation.

Okay, so now if you're sitting there staring at the bottom of your shoes and you have no idea because they are so worn to begin with, you might try the wet foot test. Wet the bottom of your feet and stand on a piece of cardboard or a paper bag for about a minute. When you step off you'll see the wet imprint left by your feet.

If the imprint shows a normal arch shaped to your flight then you have neutral pronation if the arch is not pronounced it all (i.e. you have a low arch) then you are an overpronation if it shows that you have a high arch then you are an underpronator.

So what does all this have to do with choosing running shoes?

You want to pick a shoe that coincides with your foot type. Running shoes are made specifically for this, and wearing the right show will help keep your foot comfortable as well as prevent injury. If you have neutral pronation then you want to wear a running shoe that has a semi-curved shape. Overpronators should wear shoes that are straight in shape and underpronator's should wear shoes that have a curved shape.

No matter what shape your foot is, you want to think about a few things when choosing running shoes. First of all, you want to make sure that the shoe fits well and in order to do this you need to wear the socks that you typically wear while running. Try the shoe on in the store and walk around for awhile in them. Be sure that there is a half inch of space between your toe and the toe of the shoe and that your heel does not slip out of the shoe. Keep all these things in mind and you be running at a much better pace with your new shoes.