Selecting a pair of trainers is loads like courting. There’s a variety of choices on the market—all with their very own distinctive traits and qualities—and typically you might want to check out a number of differing kinds earlier than you discover the fitting match. Within the case of sneakers, nonetheless, let SELF be your matchmaker. Right here’s what you might want to know.

The way to choose a pair of trainers

Earlier than you browse our decisions, remember the fact that everybody’s footwear wants are totally different. One individual would possibly profit from one thing with extra cushion, whereas one other might desire a speedy, streamlined shoe. “Deciding on the perfect working shoe for you is a really particular person resolution,” Morgan Busko, MD, sports activities drugs doctor at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia College Irving Medical Middle, tells SELF. That’s why she extremely recommends doing a gait evaluation at a working retailer, to assist pinpoint your particular wants.

When you can’t get to at least one, there are nonetheless another ideas to bear in mind. Dr. Busko suggests searching for a shoe that’s particularly designed for working—slightly than a regular sneaker or strolling shoe. “It ought to really feel extra inflexible and most snug whereas working,” she says, including it’s additionally vital to discover a shoe with a cushty heel to toe drop (the distinction in peak between your heel and the ball of your foot) and one that permits your toes to unfold freely, with out restriction.

What’s extra, there’s no singular good shoe for all forms of coaching: You might need to have totally different choices for on a regular basis jogs, lengthy runs, or pace exercises, Dr. Busko says. For example, a sneaker with a lighter weight might really feel higher once you’re pushing the tempo, however you could desire extra cushion for longer routes—even when that makes your shoe a bit heavier. To assist slender down your search, we curated an inventory of the perfect trainers, primarily based on perception from working coaches, sports activities efficiency specialists, and SELF Sneaker Award testers and staffers.