What To Look For
There are incredible new fabrics and fabric combinations available for runners, clothing that can fight odor, wick away moisture and trap in heat or allow your body to cool as the weather demands.
Technical fabrics can keep out UV rays, wind and water but remain breathable. These fabrics are important, even down to your choice in socks. Polyester fabrics are a good basic choice because they keep your body dry and reduce chafing. Mesh in running shorts increases the exchange of air.
In shoes, look for cushioning, support and motion control if you need help with pronation issues.
Common Pitfalls
It is often impossible to discern which seams may rub, beyond looking for basics like raised, rough areas in a spot where you have had trouble in the past. Look for seamless clothing or try a single piece from a new company before investing in several articles.
Do not buy without doing your homework. Athletic shoes can be the most expensive gear you purchase if you want the latest features. Online research is critical to get into a good fitting shoe. There are features invisible to the eye, like how and where the shoe flexes, which might only be found in online product descriptions.
Where To Buy
Amazon.com provides valuable customer feedback, letting you know how an item performs outside the box and the store. Sports Authority and Sears carry multiple running shoe brands and offer online and in-store shopping.
Runner's World suggests many big box stores and retailers either carry few brands you'll recognize or brands you'll know but lines that offer lower levels of both padding and stability than a specialty running shoe store will offer. They also may lack the employee knowledge base that specialty sporting goods or running gear stores have.
Cost
High quality athletic shoes cost from $40 to $200. On average, you can expect to pay $80 to $120 for a name brand running shoe with specialized support and features. Some runners believe less cushioning is key to foot health. Running sandals start at $20 per pair and barefoot running shoes, like those made by Vibram, cost about $80 per pair.
Socks start at $2 per pair and can exceed $35r; better quality often comes with the price. Sport bras can be found from $5 to $60. Running shorts and T-shirts can be found for under $10, but technical fabrics can cost more than $100 (with an average around $50 at specialty stores). Expect to pay more for cold weather gear.
Insider Tips
Cotton is the fabric all experts recommend you avoid. If your runs are relatively short, and in moderate weather, cotton can perform adequately. The problems come when the weather runs toward the extremes.
Cotton holds moisture. Anywhere the fabric rubs and your skin remains wet over a period of time, you chance issues with chafing and blisters. Accumulated sweat weighs you down and interferes with the body's attempts to regulate your temperature. This can be especially dangerous in harsh temperatures, where hyperthermia (heat exhaustion or heat stroke) or hypothermia can happen quickly.
About The Author
Alice Moon has been a freelance writer for one year, writing on the Internet for over 10 years. Moon holds a B.S. in political science (Asian studies minor). She was chosen as a Smithsonian Institute intern, working for the National Zoo in Washington, DC. She traveled through Asia as part of a delegation from her university to its sister universities overseas.
