Best Running Shoes for Moms…. how much do they matter?

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Welcome to your crash course in human body mechanics. We are going to talk running shoes… and why they don’t matter as much as we seem to think. I (like much of the running world) got swept into the conversation around barefoot running when I read Christopher McDougall’s best selling book, Born to Run. He addresses barefoot running specifically… but I came away thinking… if the BEST and healthiest runners in the world don’t even wear shoes… why do we all spend so much money on ours?

Running and walking are part our history as humans long before shoes were invented. You may have noticed… but we are not born with shoes on. So then start to ask… are super fancy ultra cushioned running shoes getting in the way of something we’ve been evolutionarily fine-tuned to do. Humans are, in fact, the best distance runners in the world….. So welcome to the beginner runners guide for choosing your running shoe.

A Comfortable Running Shoe

I subscribe to the claim that running shoes don’t fix problems in the feet, they make them worse. More support = less strength. So, when looking for a new shoe… don’t focus on the problems you have with running. We will get to that later. You want to focus on your comfort. Simple as that!

Old Well Loved Running Shoes

Is your shoe comfortable to wear? Does it fit your foot well, doesn’t rub on the back of your heel or squish your toes? These are the things you should be asking yourself. In fact… I should preface all this with saying I am not encouraging you to go out and buy a new running shoe. I have been wearing the same running shoes for hundreds and hundreds of miles. I wear a pair of Brookes Bedlam 2 (grey and gold) shoes I got on a GREAT sale. Now check this out:

The Brooks Bedlam 2 typically has a lifespan of 300 to 500 miles (approximately 500 to 800 kilometers) when used for its intended purpose. Depending on how much you run, this usually translates to roughly three to six months of use

I have had these shoes for 7 years now. I just calculated it and I have run over 3000 miles in those shoes. I have also hiked, backpacked, and walked in them. They are JUST starting to get holes in the mesh and I may have to replace them. (tears).

Do YOU have a favorite pair of running shoes that you were thinking of replacing when you started to run seriously? DON’T DO IT! Being a serious runner does NOT mean you need brand new and expensive shoes. Your shoes are likely not the problem if you have pain while running. But NEW shoes could become a problem… Read more on that below when I talk about buying a new shoe.

Protection

The primary purpose of a shoe is to protect your foot… (well and look cute with outfits of course). The sole of the shoe helps to avoid the pain of stepping on things. Running shoes shouldn’t be protecting us from developing strong feet… or from feeling and reacting to the surfaces we run on. If you are too focused on a running shoe with a thick sole or super good arch support, you are missing the long term solution to foot pain or knee pain from impact. Shoes are not the solution! You are going to need to fix how you run, not what you run in. Let your shoes serve to protect you in the way they should. A sole so you don’t step on sharp things. Simple as that!

Focus on your Running FORM

I will say it again. I am a firm believer that your FORM not your shoes.. will help prevent or heal injuries caused by running. Remember, humans are the greatest long distance runners in the world (compared to ALL other species!!). So… you are made for this!

Foot Strike

Run a little… you will likely notice that your heel hits the ground first. This is called a heel strike and is really really common in running. If you take off your shoes and run (on grass or carpet) you will notices you DON’T run like this.. or at least not for long. It isn’t natural and it causes injuries. SO lets start working on our form but looking at our stride and footstrike. Here is how it SHOULD work:

Land underneath your body: Do not reach your foot out in front of you (overstriding). Aim to strike the ground with a mid-foot landing directly under your center of gravity.
Increase your cadence: A higher step rate naturally shortens your stride and prevents you from braking with every step. 180 bpm… find a running playlist with 180bpm songs to help you out! You can literally search 180bpm running playlist (clean, country etc.. there are LOTS).
Drive from the hips: Focus on propelling forward by extending your leg backward and letting your heel naturally kick up toward your glutes.

A great exercise for this? Run or walk in place. Put two strips of tape on the ground where your feet should be if they are under your hips. Now try walking in place and landing right back on the tape. Its harder than you might think! You can do this while washing dishes, cooking, putting baby to sleep… help train your brain on how you should land.

Hips

Imagine your hips have headlights pointing straight ahead. Keep your pelvis level to avoid an uneven “hip drop” (where one side dips lower than the other), which can cause lower back and knee pain. Your hips are going to have a big impact on injury prevention. I recommend some serious cross training to strengthen hips and wake them up so they can fully participate in your running stride. I really like Bonnie Wilder DPT for this. You can follow her on IG or FB and see some great tips!

Glutes

Your glutes are the engine of your running stride. Nice! They propel your body forward and stabilize your pelvis. Using them when you run can help prevent some of the most common injuries. So how do you do it?

How to Engage Glutes in Your Running Form

Run Tall: Maintain an upright posture with a slight forward lean from the ankles, not the waist. Collapsing at the waist essentially “turns off” your glutes. [1]
Push the Ground Away: Instead of pulling your foot forward, focus on pushing the ground backward beneath and behind you. This engages your glutes at toe-off. [1]
Drive Elbows Back: A strong, backward arm swing encourages a powerful, opposite leg drive and naturally activates your glutes. [1]
Practice Glute-Focused Walking: Before you run, practice squeezing your glute on your standing leg with every step. Try doing this for 30 seconds to wake up your neuromuscular connection. [1]

Arms

My PT once explained to me that when I ran, my elbows should brush against my sides. Keeping my elbows IN helped my to engage my core, keep my hips centered and stand tall. Strange how one TINY thing can impact so many areas. So arms are an important part of running.

Your Arm Swing

Keep elbows at 90 Degrees: Bend your arms at a 90 degree angle and keep them tucked close to your body.
Drive front to back: Your hands should swing forward and backward, not across your chest.
Relax your hands: Keep your hands loosely cupped rather than clenched in a tight fist, which can cause tension to travel up to your neck and shoulders. [1, 2]

Core

Who doesn’t want to get a little core workout in too? Our core keeps us together, so naturally its going to be an impactful part of good running form. Here are some tips:

Your Posture and Torso

Run tall: Imagine a string pulling the top of your head upward. Keep your chin parallel to the ground and your eyes looking ahead (not down at your feet).
Engage your core: Keep your abdominal muscles gently flexed to stabilize your torso and transfer power efficiently between your upper and lower body.
Chest and shoulders: Keep your shoulders down, back, and relaxed—avoid hunching forward as you fatigue. [1, 2]

How to Practice Good Form

Focus on one cue per run

Pick one element to focus on for 2-3 minutes, then let your body run naturally. Slowly, the new movements will start to feel natural too!

Warm up with drills: Incorporate dynamic stretches, high knees, and skips into your warm-up to train neuromuscular coordination. Again, I love Bonnie Wilder DPT for this. You can also just search running drills for moms in your FB or IG reels and find a TON of ideas.

Buying New Running Shoes

You can imagine that with my strong opinions on shoes themselves, buying new shoes is also something I have opinions on. You got it. If you actually do need new shoes… I encourage you to get something you LOVE. Because I also encourage you to plan on wearing if for a LONG time. Really. Until it fits you’ve work it out to no longer usable long time. So lets talk where to start when you need a new shoe.

Cost

You don’t have to spend a ton of money on a nice shoe. I will say, you are investing in something that will be used for a long time. I mean, again I have been wearing my running shoes for 7 years. I spend around $50 dollars on them, so I would say I have gotten my moneys worth at this point!

If you are just starting into running and you are not sure how much you will use these shoes… DON’T spend hundred of dollars on your shoes. Please. Get something practical, cute, and comfortable. If you need something that will last longer later on… then you can invest a bit more at that point.

Affordable shoes to try out (around $50):

Asics Womens FuzeX

Asics Womens Gel Persue

Under Armor Charged Surge 4

If you want to spend less than that… seriously grab some cheap shoes at Walmart or a thrift store. You will break them in like any other shoe, they just may not last quite as long.

Breaking them in

Running already has a really high injury prevalence. Making any sudden changes to your stride, footstrike and/or the cushioning beneath your feet has the potential to skyrocket that rate even higher. SO how do you safely break in a new running shoe?

Breaking in new running shoes safely is less about “softening the shoe” and more about letting your body adapt to the new geometry

Use them walking first. Then:

1. Start with short, easy runs only

Your first 2–3 runs should be:

1–3 miles max
Easy conversational pace
No speedwork, no hills, no long runs

This lets your calves, Achilles, and stabilizers adjust to the new stack height and drop.

2. Alternate old and new shoes

The safest pattern is:

Run 1: new shoes
Run 2: old shoes
Run 3: new shoes
Run 4: old shoes

Do this for 1–2 weeks. Your tissues adapt gradually instead of getting shocked by a sudden change.

3. Increase mileage in the new shoes slowly

Follow a simple progression:

Week 1 → 10–20% of weekly mileage in new shoes
Week 2 → 30–40%
Week 3 → 50–60%
Week 4 → 70–80%
Week 5 → 100% (if they feel good)

This mirrors the same principles used in injury‑prevention research. If you don’t want to think about it THAT much.. here is the simple summary:

Take turns between your old and new shoes for a bit.
Don’t run too far at a time.
Walk in them.
Slowly increase use.

Honestly if you are just staring to run, you will do all that naturally! So don’t worry about it too much. Pay attention to your body and focus on your stride, not your shoes.