Girls Running Shoes Guide

Wearing the right girls running shoes can offer excellent protection to female runners, helping to prevent unnecessary injuries and long-term ankle and knee joint problems. Because of this, special care must always be taken in choosing the most appropriate shoes for your own gait, whether you are a neutral runner, or an overpronator or underpronator (supinator). However, injury problems aside, there are plenty of other dangers lurking out there in the world, and as a female jogger, you should be careful to plan ahead for every eventuality.

Try not to run alone if you can possibly help it. Find a running buddy and hit the road together, or even better find a local running club to join. Many towns and cities have women-only running groups, if you feel more comfortable jogging with other girls, rather than having to endure the testosterone drenched egomania of some of the competitive male runners! It is better to have a group of like-minded and supportive athletes alongside to offer words of encouragement.

If you really must go jogging by yourself for whatever reason, first remember to be vigilant about what and who is around you, and if you feel threatened be prepared to sprint away from danger. Official figures often suggest that most violent attacks on runners are perpetrated by young men on other young males, but this is no excuse for complacency. Use your awareness to make mental notes of where there are groups of people as you run; if confronted by a stranger, never stop or get embroiled in a conversation. Instead step up the pace and outrun him, continuing on your route if you can. If this isn’t possible, turn and retrace your route to find that crowd of other people who can assist you. This will more likely than not discourage the would-be attacker.

If by yourself, take a personal safety alarm with you; they are fairly cheap to buy from places like Amazon and come attached to a wrist strap for fast access. If things do start to get physical, you will need to put those girls running shoes to use for something other than running. The usual self defense moves would be a stamp on the attacker’s foot, making sure to lift your other foot off the floor to get your whole body weight into it. The next one, if you can’t get away, is a swift knee to the groin; this is best performed by moving a hand towards his face first to disguise the knee strike. If all else fails, then gouge the eyes, but remember your real aim is to buy time to get away and run to safety. So remember: first, avoid; second, sprint or retreat; third, make loads of noise to attract other people’s attention; fourth, hit and run.

So that’s the rather unpleasant bit dealt with. What about other running hazards for girls? Road safety is a key one. Most decent running shoes for girls will already have reflective strips on them so you can easily be seen at night by approaching vehicles. It is wise to buy yourself a top that has some reflective strips on the front and back for the same reason. If you are jogging in built up areas with street lighting – and this is probably the best thing to do – you should not require much more than this, although for extra visibility, high viz jackets and vests are readily available and might provide you with that added sense of security. It is also important, on a more general note, to be careful when using running headphones, as they can dull your levels of awareness, of both traffic and other people who might wish to harm you. Keep the volume levels down so you can hear what is going on around you (and protect your ears from damage too!)

Show courtesy to car drivers when out road-running – they are bigger than you! And if there is no sidewalk, try to run facing oncoming traffic for extra safety, as you can see what is coming towards you on your nearside.

Finally, some very general tips which apply to all runners. Do not run the same route at the same time in any kind of predictable way. Try and have at least three different routes that you like running, and mix them up randomly. This is a good way to avoid any kind of potential stalking problems; along the same lines, if you have to stop for a quick break during a long run, do not use the same pitstop every time. Also be mindful that if you always leave your apartment at a specific time on a specific day, for a specific length of time, that information could soon make you a victim of burglary.

Next general tip: dogs and other assorted animals. Don’t try to outrun them; you’ll lose! Stay calm and stand still and most often the dog will lose interest. If you think it will attack, try to remain calm, turn sideways on to avoid direct eye contact which the dog might take as a challenge or threat. If it attacks, curl up into a ball on the ground and cover your head with your arms. Always report dog bites to the police.

Hopefully some of these tips will help keep you safe against a variety of possible situations, with high quality girls running shoes to prevent injury and increase visibility; hi viz joggers clothing to further light you up at night; personal attack alarms and advice in case of unwanted attention while out running; and how not to wind up inquisitive dogs. But don’t worry. You are completely safe in the vast majority of cases, but being vigilant stacks the odds massively in your favor.