In my decade as a running coach and personal trainer, I’ve realized that the majority of runners own one pair of running shoes. In many cases, this pair of shoes is a running/ lawn-mowing/ gym/ grocery shopping shoe. That is a recipe for disaster when it comes to injuries! Let’s look at some common runner types, and determine what you need in that shoe closet.

In this guide, we will give examples for both neutral runners (feet land squarely and do not roll much to the inside or outside) and pronators (these runners roll more significantly on landing and need a stability shoe.)

The Low-Mileage, Recreational Runner. This runner gets out once or twice a week, and does not have much desire to be competitive. They stick to the treadmill, or neighborhood pavement.

1) Comfortable, cushioned daily training shoe such as the Nike Pegasus (neutral) or Brooks Glycerin (stability)

2) Slightly lighter, snappier shoe to alternate and use on the days they are feeling a little more energetic such as the Saucony Endorphin Speed (neutral) or Saucony Tempus (stability)

The Competitive Runner. This runner shows up at races, whether it’s a local 5K or the Boston Marathon. This runner also needs 1 and 2 (as noted above,) but now we add:

3) A hard workout/ race day shoe such as the Nike Vapor Fly (neutral) or Saucony Endorphin Pro (technically still neutral, but offering a little more stability than other racing shoes.)

The Occasional Trail Runner. If you plan to hop on the trails even very occasionally, you’ll want to add a trail shoe that can handle mud, roots and rocks. Don’t be that guy that gets injured from sliding down a trail in road shoes, spraining a foot two weeks before a goal marathon. Add a solid trail shoe such as the Nike Pegasus Trail (neutral) or Hoka Speedgoat (also neutral but offers more stability.)

The Runner Who Also Lifts. Strength shoes are very different than most running shoes- you want a low to the ground shoe that allows you to have some decent contact with the floor. Yes, you can wear your comfortable running shoes but for better results, go with a made-for-strength shoe such as the No Bull Outwork. And definitely don’t be that guy who wears trail shoes into the gym after a dirty, muddy run, leaving Hansel and Gretel trails of dirt clumps behind you.

Tips on finding deals on shoes: check out sales at your local run stores. If going the online route, Running Warehouse has a huge clearance section (and you can filter neutral and stability shoes.) I’ve also had good luck on Amazon and Sierra. Avoid used unless there is zero wear. The third biggest shoe mistake is continuing to use shoes once their tread becomes bare. Most shoes are good for about 400-500 miles. The first two biggest shoe mistakes? Having only one pair, and wearing shoes that are too small. You want a thumb’s width between the front of your toes and tip of your shoe.