Buying Guide for Running Shoes

Let's Get to Know the Different Parts of Running Shoes

Have you ever entered a shop or bought your first pair of running shoes and felt confused by all the terminology? Whether it's from the staff helping you or the many reviewers online, everyone uses different terms—sometimes Thai, sometimes English, depending on their preference. Even if we know the names of the parts, we still might not know why each part is important.

In this article, running shoe store REV Online Store would like to take every runner through the components of running shoes, including the names in both Thai and English, and provide tips on how to choose running shoes by considering their various parts. You can follow along with the article's illustration.

Upper

This is the main area on the top of the running shoes, which serves to wrap around the top of our feet. It is primarily made of various types of fabric. A well-designed upper must allow the wearer's feet to feel comfortable, with excellent ventilation and sweat-wicking properties. Therefore, we see different techniques for crafting uppers in each model, such as Engineered Mesh, Jacquard Mesh, or Knit. Often, we also see the shoe's structure reinforced by printing TPU strips onto the upper to maintain the shoe's shape and improve durability.

Collar

This is the part closest to our ankles and malleolus. If it is designed or chosen poorly, it is a common cause of "blisters." Shoes that prioritize comfort are designed with soft padding inside, sometimes even using memory foam. Conversely, shoes designed for speed have a thinner collar to reduce weight and unnecessary bulk. It all depends on your intended use.

Tongue

This part is similar to the Collar in terms of design: if comfort is the focus, soft materials are used; if speed and agility are the focus, thin and flexible fabric is used. The tongue helps with several important things, such as cushioning the friction caused by the laces and acting as a stabilizer for the midfoot. We may encounter both symmetric and asymmetric tongue designs that are slanted to fit the shape of the foot.

Laces

Like the Collar and Tongue, laces come in thick, soft versions for running shoes focused on comfort and support, and thin versions for speed-seekers. The latter often use fabric that is particularly resistant to coming untied. Of course, the laces must work in tandem with the eye-row to create a secure fit for the wearer's foot, so this is often a point of meticulous design as well.

Toebox

Whether a shoe is wide or narrow is decided here. Each model is designed using a different "lasting," so it is important that when buying your first pair of running shoes, you should try them on first. We might see that speed-oriented shoes often have a relatively narrow, small, and slender toebox, whereas shoes for casual running that prioritize support will come with a spacious room for all five toes, making them feel more comfortable. Oh! An important point is that when buying shoes, we must always allow space in the Toebox, about 1.5 – 2 cm from your longest toe to the front edge of the shoe.

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Heel Counter

This part, sometimes called the Heel Cup, is crucial for stabilizing the heel during a run. In competition-focused speed shoes, this part is minimal or almost non-existent for agility. However, if you are a beginner and are looking for shoes that provide real support, the Heel Counter is very important in terms of keeping the heel in the proper movement trajectory. Generally, there are two main types on the market: External Heel Counter and Internal Heel Counter.

Midsole

I would like to call this the star component of the shoe, as it is the critical part that helps cushion our feet while running. It is often said that whether running shoes are good or bad, cheap or expensive, is largely decided by the Midsole. The material of the Midsole is based on a substance called EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) or the rubbery foam we are familiar with in daily life. Each brand takes EVA material to develop, innovate, and blend into new formulas, creating new midsole technologies, such as the PWRRUN foam, which is the standard midsole for Saucony. If there is an upgraded formula, it becomes PWRRUN+ and the even more superior PWRRUN PB, which noticeably feels lighter, softer, and more bouncy. Therefore, if we see shoes that look similar but have vastly different prices, we can assume it is possible that the more expensive pair uses better midsole material.

Outsole

This is the part that has the most contact with the road surface, so it must have two important properties: durability and traction. No material can provide this better than "rubber." However, the properties of rubber have clear pros and cons. If a pair of shoes needs extra durability, the design will incorporate more rubber as the outsole, but this results in a potential increase in weight.

Flex Grooves

This part is part of the outsole. If we were to glue a smooth piece of rubber to the bottom of the shoe, it's easy to guess that you would slip on the very first step. Therefore, designing grooves in the rubber, which we call Flex Grooves, is essential, just like a car tire needs tread. Designing these grooves is not just about having them; if designed well and with calculated placement, it will result in that pair of shoes having good flexibility for running as well.

I hope that beginner runners will benefit from this article. And if anyone is looking for running shoes that meet the needs of shock absorption, suitable for running both short and long distances, whether on the road or on the track, today we would like to recommend Saucony model Triumph 19 the updated running shoe that comes with a PWRRUN+ midsole, Engineered Mono-Mesh upper, and an XT-900 outsole that prioritizes durability. You can buy them online today at the running shoe store REV Online Store.

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