Running Shoe Types

At Running Warehouse Australia, our selection of running shoes is designed to meet the needs of a wide range of runners, from beginners to those who regularly run over four times a week at various paces and distances. There are different shoes to meet these different needs. To assist you in choosing, we separate road running shoes into three main categories: everyday, lightweight, and race.

An everyday running shoe is the shoe of choice for the majority of your runs. For beginners, this is the only type of shoe you will need.

Some everyday running shoes are made with an emphasis on superior comfort, using plush materials to surround the foot in luxury. They are manufactured with materials designed and proven to handle the stress that accompanies regular running. These shoes will typically last around 500 to 1000 kilometres.

Experienced runners will typically use lightweight shoes for faster paced workouts such as tempo runs or intervals. As the name suggests, they are lighter in weight and have less material underfoot compared to everyday running shoes. These factors cause the shoes to wear out faster and feel less cushioned towards the end of runs that exceed an hour.

Experienced runners who are light on their feet may be able to do most of their running in lightweight shoes. Less experienced runners may be able to get away with a lightweight shoe as their only training shoe as long as they are training for less than 45 minutes a day, no more than three times per week. Lightweight running shoes will not last as long as everyday shoes and will need to be replaced after around 300 to 800 kilometres.

Race day is also the perfect time to use lightweight running shoes. If you have completed a few races in your everyday shoes and are now setting your sights on faster times, a lightweight shoe will provide a similar running experience but at a lower weight. All else being equal, these shoes will result in faster times compared to heavier shoes.

When you start to get serious about your race times and are ready to take your running to the next level, racing shoes are probably the way to go. Also called racing flats due to the minimal layers of cushioning and fabric, these shoes are all about running fast. They have less material underfoot, resulting in an enhanced feel for the ground and reduced weight. Due to their minimal build, racing shoes typically only last for around 150 to 500 kilometres.

The lighter a race shoe is, the more different it will feel from everyday and lightweight running shoes. We advise taking a racing shoe out for an interval workout or a few short runs prior to racing in it for the first time.

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