Running Shoe Selection Criteria Among Adolescent Cross-Country Runners

Objective: To determine which factors are most important to adolescent cross-country runners in selecting and replacing running shoes. Design: A cross-sectional, descriptive survey. Setting: Surveys were completed at 4 high schools in a southeastern Minnesota community. Participants: Eligible subjects included adolescents (grades 7-12) participating in cross-country running at any of the 4 high schools in Rochester, Minnesota. A total of 223 surveys were distributed and collected from of an estimated 243 eligible participants. Assessment of Risk Factors: Independent variables included gender, running experience, grade, and previous injury history. Main Outcome Measures: A descriptive analysis of factors important in running shoe selection was performed. The assessment also included evaluation of the runners' knowledge of arch type and awareness of mileage accumulated before replacing running shoes. Results: A total of 73.1% of survey participants identified arch type compatibility with shoe design as the most important factor in choosing a running shoe. However, only 57.0% reported knowing their arch type. A total of 74.0% reported not knowing how many miles they accumulated in a single pair of running shoes before replacement. Conclusions: A majority of adolescent runners in this study identified arch type and shoe design as the most important factors in choosing a running shoe.