Do Not Run In Converse-Why You Should Invest In Legit Running Shoes

Let’s get straight to the point! Do you like most people run in converse shoes or other types of non-running shoes? If yes, you continuously make a mistake because these shoes are not legit and do not cushion your foot, especially the midsole area.

Sketches, converse, and other shoes can cause injuries, decrease running performance, and increase strain on your toes, heels, and ankles. These shoes can increase the risk of swelling and inflammation in your feet and may elevate pain in your back, hips, and knees.

Why is running in Converse, sketchers, and other casual shoes bad? Why should you invest in legit running shoes? What are the best running shoe brands? Why is it essential to buy from a reputable online store?

We will answer these questions to help you make an informed decision and choose running shoes that increase your running performance and reduce the risk of injuries. Read on! 

Why Running In Converse Is A Bad Idea?

Converse shoes are versatile, and most people wear them for various purposes, including exercise and sports. According to Sneakersopedia, Converse shoes are durable, sturdy, reliable, comfortable, lightweight, and long-lasting. 

However, these shoes are not suitable for runners. Whether you are a beginner or professional runner, running in Converse can lead to various problems, affecting your overall performance and increasing the risk of injuries. Here are a few reasons why “Run in Converse” can take a toll on your running regimen. 

Lack of Arch Support

According to Africana Fashion, shoes with excellent arch support are crucial for runners because they have cushioning that aligns with your feet’s bottom. The purpose is to support your feet muscles and streamline your running. 

Therefore, wearing shoes with arch support is crucial to staying comfortable throughout your running. However, most Converse shoes do not provide arch support to runners. The reason is that these shoes have thick rubber soles that affect your feet’s arch. So if you are a long-distance runner, you must not run in Converse. 

Research shows that wearing shoes without arch support can take a massive toll on a runner’s feet, increasing the risk of plantar fasciitis. It may also cause ankle and lower back pain.

Flat Rubber Soles

Most Converse shoes people buy for running have flat rubber soles. While you may feel comfortable initially, they won’t offer much support after a few days because rubber soles are heavier, causing your feet and legs to overwork. So you may find it challenging to maintain optimal speed during a running session. 

Evidence shows that runners wearing Converse, Sketchers, or other casual shoes experience various problems, including blisters, toenail damage, hallux rigidus, plantar fasciitis, and stress fractures. 

When you run in Converse shoes, your toes will rub against the front, and your feet may slide forward. The problem occurs when you run downhill. Therefore, wearing Converse shoes for running is not a good idea. 

Cause Blisters

Sports Med Today highlights that blisters affect a runner’s performance, concentration, and leisure. Blisters cause severe discomfort and pain, preventing runners from participating in regular running sessions or professional competitions. 

Converse shoes impart more friction and pressure on your feet, increasing the risk of blisters. You will start to feel snug even if your shoes do not feel tight, especially when you lace up. Remember, a minor wound caused by your shoes can lead to infections. 

Similarly, if you have blisters, you won’t make a quick recovery due to delayed healing. At the same time, you will feel increased discomfort and pain. So these shoes can cause you to take a break of 4-5 weeks from running and negatively impact your running regimen. 

Therefore, you must not run in Converse shoes to avoid blisters, discomfort, inflammation, and pain. Moreover, Converse shoes are made of canvas, a less flexible material that causes your feet to rub and lead to the formation of blisters. 

Poor Ventilation

A pair of well-ventilated shoes prevent your feet from feeling sticky and sweaty. Quality shoes from brands like Nike and Adidas have excellent breathability that drains excess sweat even if you wear socks. So you remain lighter and more comfortable throughout a running session. 

On the other hand, Converse shoes do not have an optimal breathability mechanism due to the canvas material. Confining your feet (with over 250,000 sweat glands) in shoes made of canvas with no breathability can create a favorable breeding environment for bacteria. 

Not only do bacteria cause your feet to smell bad, a condition called Bromodosis, but they also lead to the formation of Pitted Keratolysis characterized by small holes on the skin’s top layer. 

May Cause Posture Problems

According to Posture Info Hub, runners require proper body alignment to achieve optimal performance, but this is impossible without maintaining a good posture. You can reduce injury risks and move more efficiently by improving your posture, but you can’t achieve your goals if you run in Converse shoes. 

Casual running shoes, including Converse and Sketchers, have flat footbeds and do not provide your feet with enough cushioning and arch support. As a result, you experience increased stress on your lower limbs, altering your gait patterns and balance required for muscle activation. 

So when you continue running in casual shoes, you will experience muscle imbalances, poor posture, and increased injury risk over time. Converse shoes also do not have a heel counter, leading to instability by hindering your feet’s natural motion. Thus, this affects your overall running performance. 

Why You Should Invest In Legit Running Shoes?

Good running shoes promote comfort and optimal performance and prevent injury. Legit running shoes like Nike, Adidas, and others provide support and cushioning. These shoes offer stability to your feet based on your needs, such as arch support and pronation control. 

Besides, wearing legit running shoes is an excellent way to improve shock absorption and reduce the impact on your muscles and joints. You must choose running shoes with breathable materials to regulate temperature and wick away moisture. 

The purpose is to keep your feet comfortable and dry and achieve better traction and safety on various surfaces. Let me discuss the benefits of legit running shoes in detail so you understand why they are essential for different types of running.

Injury Reduction

Instead of running in Converse, you must wear quality running shoes to achieve stability, support, and cushioning. Premium-quality shoes like Nike absorb impact from shock, distribute pressure, and provide arch support, preventing stress on your muscles and joints. You can reduce the risk of Achilles tendon, hips, knees, and other injuries, including stress fractures, plantar fasciitis, and shin splints

Running Comfort

Legit running shoes from brands like Nike, Saucony, and Hoka one-one improve comfort during a running session thanks to their well-fitted design, breathability, and lightweight construction. 

Similarly, proper cushioning reduces discomfort and fatigue, and moisture-wicking fabrics regulate your feet’s temperature, preventing excessive sweating and overheating. Wearing these shoes can minimize friction and slippage due to good toe room, allowing you to improve your performance.

Gait Correction

Most runners experience supination and overpronation due to poor gait, but you can avoid this problem by investing in legit running shoes. Unlike Converse, legit shoes designed for running support your midsoles and stabilize your feet, ensuring optimal motion and alignment. As a result, you stay comfortable without experiencing strain on your muscles, joints, and tendons. 

As mentioned earlier, Converse shoes lack proper fit, breathability, and cushioning, which may cause blisters and dead toenails. However, this is not the case with legit running shoes. Not only do quality shoes minimize friction, but they also provide enough room for your toes to protect them from pressure and impact.

Why Buy From Legit Running Shoe Brands and Stores?

You can find dozens of brands and hundreds of products on the market, including online stores. However, not all stores are legit and may sell counterfeited shoes, costing you a lot of money and preventing you from achieving your running goals. 

Therefore, buying running shoes from a reputable store, whether a local or online shop, is essential; for example, Running Warehouse is one of the best online shops for running shoes. Running Warehouse has an extensive selection of different models and sizes of running shoes. 

The online store has something for every runner based on their needs, preferences, and styles. One thing we like the most about Running Warehouse is its competitive pricing. It offers shoes at affordable prices, and you can also leverage discounts. 

Another thing we like about this legit online shop is its detailed information about each product with specifications and user reviews. So this helps you make an informed decision about purchasing a pair of comfortable running shoes that align with your needs. 

Moreover, buying running shoes from a local store in your area brings a personal touch. The store staff are often experts in running, eager to share their knowledge. Local stores also give you a chance to try shoes on before buying. 

So this allows you to experience the comfort and support each shoe offers. Knowing you have found the ideal match for your feet, you will feel more confident in your choice. 

Furthermore, local stores often carry unique, specialized brands that generic stores might not have, allowing you to find shoes better suited to your needs and stand out from the crowd in style and performance.

Recommended Brands To Buy From

Nike Running Shoes

According to GQ, Nike’s running shoes offer excellent durability, cushioning, breathability, and energy return. Whether a trail, road, track, or cross-country runner, you can use Nike shoes to keep your feet comfortable. Nike’s shoes are also reliable for people who practice tempo and interval runs. 

Besides, Nike’s running shoes are suitable for speed workouts and racing because they have a light construction weighing no more than 9-10 ounces. You can also wear these shoes for long and recovery runs. 

According to Nike’s official website, the Zoom Pegasus 33 is a pair of high-quality shoes for runners that offer flexibility, breathability, and arch support. Pegasus 33 are made of premium-quality Flyknit materials with high-stretch fibers, providing your feet with optimal stretches, moisture-wicking capabilities, and gait correction. 

Saucony Running Shoes

Saucony is another legit brand that offers a wide range of running shoes. Research highlights that Saucony shoes are famous for their optimal performance, whether you wear them for tempo, long-distance, interval, or recovery runs. 

However, you must choose Saucony shoes with optimal cushioning, stability, and support. We always advise readers to invest in shoes catering to their feet and running styles. 

Saucony has made substantial efforts to design shoes that offer stability, comfort, and support to feet and prevent the risk of blisters, foul odors, strains, and injuries. These shoes offer cushioning through their PWRRUN and PWRRUN+ materials, providing support to a runner’s midsole. 

Moreover, most Saucony shoes designed for runners have ISOFIT + FORMFIT mechanisms, ensuring a comfortable and secure fit by adapting to your feet’s shape and motion. These shoes have a reliable TRI-FLEX design with XT-900 carbon rubber, increasing durability, comfort, and traction on various terrains. 

Adidas Running Shoes

Adidas is a well-known brand featuring various shoes that cater to different running styles. The company has made significant efforts to develop and incorporate cutting-edge technologies in its products. 

For instance, technologies like Boost, Lightstrike, and Bounce enhance a runner’s performance by ensuring responsiveness, energy return, and cushioning, making Adidas shoes suitable for all running types. 

Besides, Adidas’s Primeknit and meshed uppers are breathable and adaptable for a comfortable fit. The cutting-edge Torsion System supports and stabilizes your feet, improving your performance. Adidas’s shoes also have high-quality rubber outsoles that provide durability and optimal traction. 

Hoka One-One Running Shoes

Hoka One-One is one of the best running shoe brands on the market. The company has gained a reputation due to its shoes’ unique designs and performance-driven capabilities. So wearing Hoka One-One shoes for your running workout or session can help you achieve the following: 

• Maximum Cushioning with excellent shock absorption • Efficient Running experience without added bulk • Smooth running gait due to rocker-shaped midsole 

• Forward momentum without feeling fatigued 

• Optimal responsiveness, thanks to the shoes’ wide base 

• Adaptable to your feet’s shape for a customized and secure fit 

• Good traction on diverse terrains due to high-abrasion rubber outsoles • Suitable for trail, road, tempo, interval, and long-distance running 

• Offer optimal stability for overpronators 

• Comfortable shoes for recovery sessions

Why Should You Avoid Buying Running Shoes From Generic Stores?

Many find it tempting to buy running shoes from generic stores, such as Kohls or Target. The reason is pretty evident because everyone loves lower prices. But we suggest everyone reading this post reconsider their options. Here’s why! 

We have explored these stores for quite some time and found that they have a limited selection of running shoes. If you want to waste your money, go ahead and buy shoes from Target, but remember, you will never find the perfect pair that best fit your needs. 

Another crucial factor to remember is that you may buy ill-fitting shoes that can cause discomfort and increase the risk of injury. If you are a professional runner training for a competition or marathon, you must not wear Converse shoes or buy products from stores like Target and Kohls. 

Moreover, Target does not offer gait analysis services. So you won’t find the appropriate shoe type based on your running style and pronation pattern. And, of course, you will find shoes with no arch support and less breathability. 

A Final Recap

The biggest mistakes runners commit when buying shoes are neglecting the type and style of running, focusing on aesthetics only, buying products based on the price tag instead of comfort, breathability, durability, and arch support, and assuming all running shoes are the same. 

That’s why they go for casual shoe brands like Converse and Sketchers. Remember, when you run in Converse, you will soon realize that these shoes are not suitable for running. If you continue to run in casual shoes, you will experience various problems such as blisters, bad smells, poor posture, inflammation, pain, etc. 

So, it’s important to choose/buy legit running shoes from reputable brands like Nike, Adidas, Saucony or any other reputable brand . Always purchase shoes from a local store or online shops like Running Warehouse to ensure comfort, reliability, breathability, and arch support throughout a running session! 

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