We're pleased to serve all our school and extra curricular youth cross country teams! We hope that our expert service and excellent selection will make your season a winning one, both for you and your team!
First, remember that Phidippides Encino is the place to find the best selection of training shoes to do the bulk of your running in. The training shoes offer better fit options and considerably more support and cushioning than the racing shoes. Racers should really be used primarily for occasional time trials and, of course, on race day, as the extra stress the lighter weight and less supportive racers place on your legs and feet can be detrimental to your performance if used in place of trainers. Be aware that the racing shoes have no support for overpronators, and quite frankly, some runners are better off doing all their training and racing in a more supportive training shoe and eschewing (hate to say it, but no pun intended) the racing category all together. The pressure is always there to use XC racers, but sometimes it is just not the right way to go. The Nike Air Zoom Elite, Nike Air Pegasus Racer, Brooks Axiom, Avia Avi-Lite and Adidas Rotterdam II are very light weight trainer/racers that offer more support and cushioning than the cross country racers, but don't carry the weight penalty of a true trainer. All three offer reasonable support and decent traction for off road running. If you are a bad over pronator, these shoes are a good choice in between racing and training to help avoid injury.
Also, be aware that often the "trail" shoe category does not offer the kinds of fit and support options that "road" shoes do, although there are finally several GREAT trail trainers. You still won't get the width offerings that road shoes offer, however. So, you may discover that your particular biomechanics won't work in the "trail" or "off-road" shoes, but don't worry, the "road" shoes will work just fine. It is far more important to pay attention to the correct level of support and the correct fit than it is to worry about the tread pattern of the shoe. Getting injured doesn't just slow you down, it can side line you!
This year's line up of racing shoes is really great. Brooks and Asics have new shoes with great fits as does Saucony, and there are more ladies' specific models than ever! Nike and Adidas are continuing their successful shoes from last year. Since there is really not much support difference between the racing shoes, fit should be your primary concern. Most racers fit themselves slightly tighter and shorter than they would in a training shoe. However, this can be a bit tricky in younger runners whose feet are still growing rapidly.
We have pictured some of the cross country racers below. So come one in and let us help you gear up for a winning season.
We know running... get to know us.
