Cross Country Shoes vs Running Shoes

Introduction

There is a big difference between running on smooth even surfaces and running on uneven rugged terrain and you need the right shoes to be able to cope with the different types of running. Cross country is a lot more demanding with uneven, wet and slippery terrain that requires great traction and superb support in a pair of running shoes for cross country.

Can you get Women’s Cross Country Shoes?

There are a number of brands of running shoes that cater to women, especially when it comes to cross-country running. Brands such as Adidas, Nike, and Brooks all offer shoes that are designed to offer you comfort and support for the long distance, rugged terrain running that cross country involves. Women have a different style of running to men and therefore require a shoe that will cater to this. Their stride is usually shorter than men’s strides and the way they move differs too.

The major brands design their women’s shoes to offer ladies the support where they most need it, in the midsole and heel of the foot, with added padding and extra support in these areas.  Women’s shoes are also designed with the ladies foot in mind. Ladies generally have smaller and narrower feet than men. Having the correcting fitting cross-country shoe is imperative.

You do not want your foot sliding around in the shoe as you run as this can lead to you falling and injuring yourself. Buying the shoe that is designed to fit your foot is what you need and what brands like Brooks offer for the ladies.

What are the Benefits of Men’s Cross Country Shoes?

Cross country is a sport where the length of the run, as well as the terrain, varies from a short 6000 meters to up to 10K and training for the cross country runner can consist of anything up to 120 miles per week. All of this running can have an impact on not only on your overall health but also your feet in particular. Having the right kind of footwear can make an enormous difference to you. Cross country races held on different types of surfaces from gravel and grass to dirt, mud, sand or even asphalt.

And a great cross country shoe is able to cope with all of these different types of surfaces, keeping your foot protected, comfortable, supported and stable throughout. There is a slight difference between training shoes and racing shoes for cross country. Training shoes are often slightly heavier and must offer the correct support and cushioning. If they do not, you may find that you suffer from repetitive stress injuries from running for long periods of time.

When you train for speed however you will require a lighter shoe. This type of training is often done on a track and you will require a little less cushioning or support in this instance. The racing cross country shoe will be quite light. They must provide the grip that is required to master all the different types of terrain. They can either be spiked or spikeless. Spiked shoes will usually have a spike pad of four or six spikes. This spike pad must be flexible to allow for a full range of movement, and it provides the traction that you will require when taking on wet and muddy terrain as well as being beneficial on the hills.

A spikeless shoe will have heavy lugs even on the sides of the shoe to ensure that you get the best traction you can get. Without this traction, you may find that you slip and fall on the uneven, and sometimes wet surfaces that cross country will through at you. This can lead to serious injury and of course cost you a race. Your racing shoe will generally have less cushioning than your trainers and be less supportive, these are sacrifices that are made for the speed required in a race.

The spike plate will usually be made of rubber or Pebax, this makes it springy and allows for explosive running when needed. So having the correct cross county or running shoes for men when participating in this sport is paramount, not only for you to excel in the sport, but also to ensure that your feet remain healthy. A great pair of cross country shoes can be the difference between winning and losing, and more importantly, help to keep you injury free and healthy, throughout training and racing.

What are Brooks Cross Country Shoes?

Brooks cross country shoes are a brand of shoes that are designed specifically for the challenges of cross-country running. Recently Brooks Running Company entered into a partnership with Superfeet and HP Inc. The reason for this partnership was to introduce a customized running shoe designed for the ultimate performance and based on your own personalized biomechanics. FitStation, which is powered by Brooks partner HP is a station that will combine 3D foot scanning and analyze your gait as well as map the pressure you put on your feet.

This, in turn, will design a shoe that will fit you perfectly and give you the most comfortable shoe especially suited to your foots needs. Sounds incredible, well here is how it works. First, you will fill in a basic profile of weight, height, and other biometric data. Next, you will walk barefoot on a mat, this mat will analyze your gait or stride, how you walk, where you tend to put pressure on your foot, including if you pronate or not, as well as overall joint movement. The next step is to get your foot scanned by FitStation to give you a 3D rendering.

FitStation will then provide you will basic information such as the width, length and gat pattern and more. This data is then translated into what kind of shoe you will require, including what cushioning would be best for you, how high the arch should be and where support is most needed. This information is all fed into a state-of-the-art machine which will construct a shoe with all the features that are best suited to your needs.

Brooks intends for this technology to be available to cross country runners in June 2021 in specialized running stores. Brooks is also aiming to keep the cost of these personalized shoes down to a very small upcharge for the service. Until then, Brooks offers a host of incredible cross country running shoes that may not be specifically designed for your feet but will offer you a host of features to offer comfort, support, protection, and stability while enjoying your cross-country run.

Conclusion

There is a world of difference between running shoes and cross country running shoes. The latter is designed to deal with rough, uneven, wet terrain and therefore often a lot more cushioning and support than your average running shoe or trainer would offer. Their traction is also superior to standard running shoe with some even offering spikes to enhance this aspect. Having the correct shoe can be the difference between winning and losing when taking on the challenge of cross-country running.