Several reports indicate that knee injuries in particular are more common among women than among men. The reasons given have to do with leg alignment, muscle strength, and joint laxity or looseness. In general, women have wider pelvises than men do, which makes for a corresponding larger quadriceps angle, meaning the hips come down to the knees at a sharper angle. This puts more stress on the kness, making them more vulnerable to injury. Sports physicians often refer to a condition common in women called "the terrible triad", in which a wider pelvis causes legs to be more knock-kneed. There are runners complain about shinsplints only to look down at their feet and see that they are wearing cross-training shoes. You can do everything else right and ruin your running with the wrong or a worn-out pair of shoes. No matter how few miles you run each week, do not run in tennis shoes, aerobic shoes, or corss-trainers. Athletic shoes are designed to complement the type of activity you will be doing. Running involves strictly forward motion. Not only is it important that you wear running shoes, but they should be of a design appropriate to your running style. Shop at a specialty running store where the salespeople have the knowledge to help you find the best shoe and right fit. And replace your shoes regularly. When the midsoles-the supportive layer of the shoe between the bottom of your foot and the outsole-break down, your foot motion during will be affected, which in turn can place stress on the tendons and ligaments of your legs and lead to injury. Whether you are an overpronator, an underpronator, or normal pronator is one of the most important factors in choosing the right shoe. How do you determine your degree of pronation? It is not like you can observe your own foot motion as you run. In figuring out what type of shoe is best for you, it helps to understand the basics of what your foot goes through during running. When you pick up the women's model of a particular shoe, are you really getting a shoe designed for a woman's foot, or it is simply a smaller version of a men's shoe? "Companies do have different men's and women's lasts but generally only in overall width. Men's shoes are made on a D width and women's on a B," says Paul Carrozza, Runner's World shoe consultant and owner of the Run-Tex running store in Austin, Texas. This may explain why many women have a hard time finding shoes that fit well, especially in the heel. Kate Bednarski, president of Ryka, Inc, which makes running and other athletic footwear for women, has done thorough research on the structure of women's feet. Related links: Kid Running Shoes: Buy Kid's Shoes at Sun and Ski Sports and find all of the top manufacturers here. Search for the best kid's shoes and accessories. .... Good Running Shoes: He is so little that you shouldn't need to buy special running shoes for him. Just make sure that his shoes are a good fit with some cushioning .... New Balance Man Running Shoes: Shop online for a huge selection of Men's New Balance shoes.... Back to toprunningshoe resource.

Disclaimer: The information presented and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of toprunningshoe.com and/or its associates Copyright (c) 2005 toprunningshoe:Woman's Running Shoes Review by James Brown