No, I won’t advise anyone to use their Converse as sports or running shoes. They are not running shoes.
That is, they are not the kind of thing that will make you a better runner. Wearing them will not improve your performance in races.
Converse isn’t quite as bad for running shoes, and they’re better than some other kinds of footwear. But they aren’t what most people think.
Converse is light and comfortable and inexpensive, but their lightness or let say lack of real arch support makes them uncomfortable to run in for long periods of time, and you can be at more risk of foot injuries.
There is a lot of confusing information out there, and a lot of people trying to sell you things.
This is true for all products, but especially true for things that are marketed as being good for you. In particular, running shoes are a minefield.
You can’t just take the product at face value. You have to find out what is obtainable.
If you look at a pair of running shoes, they have a lot going on:
- They have to be durable enough to last 200 miles before your feet start feeling sore.
- They have to be light enough that your feet don’t get tired from carrying them around so much.
- They have to be breathable enough that your feet don’t get too hot while you’re wearing them.
- They have some extra cushioning so they protect your feet while you run on hard surfaces.
- They should also be fairly waterproof, so rain doesn’t get in through the holes in your socks and ruin your feet.
- They should look cool because people judge each other by the coolness of their shoes.
- And then there’s this whole thing with motion control, stability, protection and arch support, and energy saving.
Why are Converse not good for running?
Table of Contents
- Little arch support
- Heavier than professional running shoes
- They are tight shoes
- Tough soles
- Pricey
They have little arch support
It is no news that most Converse shoes have little arch support. I bought a pair of Converse about a year ago so I could run in them.
Although this brand is one of the most balanced footwear, they don’t really have enough support. So they are not really good for that kind of stability required.
They are actually good for standing around, keeping the balance, and protecting your feet all through.
I’m a runner, but I almost never run in regular shoes. I prefer athletic shoes with little more arching. They are more comfortable, but they are also potentially more injurious.
If you have weak feet, running in athletic shoes can strengthen them, but if your feet are already strong, this shoe is definitely a jackpot!
The reason people get injured when they run is that the impact on the ground is greater than their bodies were designed for. The body responds to this by making it hurt.
The goal of a good arch system is to make the impact less injurious while still encouraging the body to respond by making it hurt less.
Most runners think that strengthening muscles will reduce injuries, but actually what reduces injuries is good arch support.
They are kinda heavy
Converse All-Stars are not running shoes. They are quite heavy and won’t carry you as smoothly as a lighter-weight shoe will. Well, you might say, what about the Classic All-Stars? They have more arch support.
Now I must admit that I don’t know exactly what “more” means here, but it seems unlikely that this brand isn’t going to make a significant difference to your running experience.
And even if it did, you would still be wearing a shoe that is still too heavy to run with.
This is a truism of the running world: heavy running shoes are bad, light running shoes are good.
The logic of this is pretty clear: if you want to run farther and faster, you want shoes that feel as light as possible.
The lighter the shoe, the less energy it takes to move your foot forward. And energy is what you need most of all when running far or fast.
I mean Newton’s first law predicts that force equals mass times acceleration, which implies that more mass requires more force to accelerate it by any given amount.
They are not very roomy
Running in shoes puts more pressure on your toes than on your heels; this shifts the strain toward the front of the foot rather than out to the sides where it can pull on your toes too hard.
Converse is not a good brand for toe comfort to be honest. The toe box is not very roomy or well padded.
The difference between tight shoes and running shoes is that tight shoes are not running shoes. This is a simple concept.
Converse make more high and low-tops and this is not one great characteristic of running shoes. I think this is a mistake.
They design be boots with laces; with thick, tough soles; and they are not as light as possible.
For running shoes, even if they’re thick-soled, have air chambers, and are super-bouncy for speed. Converses don’t.
That is, all the design decisions have been made to look good on a runner, but not to be comfortable or run as fast with.
If you can tell the difference between a pair of Converse and running shoes, you can tell the difference between a product designed for speed and a product designed for balance.
And if you’ve ever shopped for skate shoes, you probably will not be surprised by how tight or compact they are.
Tough soles
We have a lot of prejudices about what shoes should be good for. However, they never really pan out as much as we expect them to.
For example, shoe companies like to make running shoes tougher and lighter, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the shoes will be better for running.
Shoes with tough soles are good for jogging on concrete; but if you jog on concrete, you’ll wear them out faster.
So, if you want to run and keep your shoes longer, maybe you’d be better off with something more like an old-fashioned running shoe: thick and cushioned and soft.
On the flip side, Converses are more focused on balance and protection.
What the Converse lack here, is that extra layer of rubber on the bottom that makes running shoes (and cross-country ski boots) waterproof and bouncy.
Converse might be shoes for walking in snow or on ice; they will even keep your feet dry if you go swimming. But they are not light and effective like running shoes.
Too pricey for running shoes
Converses are one of the most famous sneaks in the fashion world, period. They won’t sell their undoubted quality for “steal” prices.
Running shoes should be comfortable, yes. They should feel good on your feet, yes. But they should not cost more than your budget.
Running, like basketball or other sports, has a range of different kinds of shoes. There are the $200 kinds that are pretty much only good for running in.
There are the $50 to $100 kinds that you can wear casually if you want to but are still built for running.
And there are the cheap ones – usually under $50 – that are also built for running but are designed to do it as cheaply as possible. An average Converse sneaks for running costs around $80.
So if you’re thinking about getting some new running shoes, the first question is whether you want to spend any money at all on them.
The second question is how much money you’re willing to spend. There’s not much sense in spending a lot of money on joggers.
You can get decent running shoes for about 50 bucks now, so unless you have some reason not to, why not? But don’t go overboard on them either.
What then is Converse good for?
Fashion
Converse All-Stars are a very popular brand of sneakers. The design consists of a rubber sole and a canvas upper in the shape of a shoe.
The word “Converse” was incorporated into the name All-Star in 1920, when the company was able to register the name “All-Star.”
The shoe was initially marketed as a basketball shoe but has since become popular in other sports such as skateboarding and BMX. It has also been adopted as an alternative fashion shoe, and several variations have been released.
For the most part, Converse is considered a fashion shoe. They are not considered to be running or basketball shoes by most people.
However, they are one of the top-selling athletic shoes in the world. They are worn by professionals playing in all kinds of sports. And most importantly, they are worn by regular people who play sports recreationally.
The Converse All-Star is considered to be an athletic shoe by many people because it is worn in so many sports.
But what makes this particular shoe so appealing is that you can wear them with jeans and look more stylish than you would with another athletic shoe.
They come in so many colors and designs that it’s easy to find one that fits your personal style perfectly.
Skateboarding
Converse shoes have a peculiar design feature: the toes are made of a tough rubber that doesn’t wear out quickly. Its general design is of thrift and style.
The most likely explanation for its skating prowess is that Chuck Taylor himself; the original Converse shoe designer wasn’t trying to make a fashion statement; he was trying to skateboard.
And when you’re skating, you want your feet to be able to grip the board; you don’t want them sliding around.
And gripping the board requires that your shoes fit tightly, and that means they need to be tight at the toes.
If your shoes had an extra inch of toe room, then every time you pushed off you’d feel like your foot was going to slide right out, and that would throw off your balance and ruin everything.
My favorite Converse shoe you can use for running amateur
Well, if you must use Converse for breaking some sweat as I do, then I must leave you with a recommendation from yours truly. The Converse Men’s Run Star Hike High Top Sneakers lived up to my expectations.
This pair of classic sneakers have a synthetic leather upper with mesh linings and a signature star graphic at the heel for a look that matches my style.
The rubber outsole takes me from day to night, while the cushioned footbed feels good on my feet.
I experienced new heights on every adventure in the Converse Men’s Run Star Sneakers. The other features include a mid-top design, denim-like construction, white rubber toe cap, and a multi-colored print lacing system.
The ultimate weekend sneaker for outdoor adventuring, the Men’s Run Star Hike High Top Sneakers from Converse combine durable suede and canvas uppers with an athletic Three-Star fit and a cushioned midsole.
The leather and synthetic overlays around the heel and heel counter offer additional support and durability. Then, there is the superb midsole cushioning which provides all-day comfort on the road.
In conclusion
You see the problem here. Converse All-Stars are not running shoes because they don’t use the same type of canvas as other shoes. But running shoes aren’t as durable or versatile either.
They don’t do some things as well as Converse do them. You have to decide which tradeoffs you prefer on each particular occasion on which you use a pair of shoes for running.
The price of a pair of running shoes is partly a prediction about how much you will enjoy making those tradeoffs over time – how much you will enjoy the feeling of lightness and style on some occasions, and the feeling of safety and stability on Converses.
People who run do care a lot about the arch support, whereas if you skate a lot, having some arch support is important. So, unless you are a serious runner, these shoes will likely disappoint you.
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