Training shoes are your normal everyday trainers. They may be a lightweight trainer or even a trail shoe, but the most important thing about training shoes is that they fit properly and they are the right type of shoe for your foot. When we say the "right type of shoe for your foot", we mean that they give you the proper amount of arch support and cushioning based on your biomechanics and injury history.

Generally, there are three categories of running shoes: Motion Control, Stability, and Cushion. Shoes are classified based upon the amount of stability (pronation control) they provide the wearer's foot. There are many gray areas between the categories, so we define Light Motion Control, Light Stability, and Light Cushion categories for those shoes who do not meet the full requirements of the 3 main categories.

Lightweight trainers and trail running shoes are special-purpose training shoes. The support given by these types of shoes ranges from Stability to Light Cushion.

There is a common misconception that shoes that are stable are not cushioned. While it is true that stable shoes may be firmer in certain areas of the midsole (this is what helps provide the stability), supportive shoes have just as much cushioning as a shoe labeled "Cushion".

To find out more about a particular category of shoe, click the category of the topic you're interested in learning more about.