Home of the Pioneers
Head Coach Paul Armstrong

A few words about running/racing shoes: Depending on how much you want to spend, you can get by for as little as $50 on sale or as much as $160. The best values are in the $70-90 range. The most important goal is to get a good pair of training shoes with good impact absorption and arch support.  I strongly recommend that you buy your shoes at a reputable running store. The stores that I recommend are Athletic Performance in Los Gatos (larger selection than WG) and Willow Glen, and Ryan's Sport Shop in Santa Clara, especially if you do not have much experience with running shoes. These stores have knowledgeable staff that will help you find the right shoe for you and most will let you try it out before you buy. The shoe may also double as a racing flat but will be heavier than if you were to buy a separate racing shoe. A good training flat will cost $70 or more but all of the above stores will give you a 10-20% - depending upon if you buy trainers or racing flats- discount if you tell them you run for Cupertino High School.  Also, break the shoes in before you run in them.

Make sure the fit is comfy with toe room. A racing flat will be many ounces lighter than trainers and make you feel like you're flying when you put them on, but it's also another expense. I prefer to race in shoes that I do not train in. I strongly recommend that you obtain a new pair shoes at least every year or every running season, because the shoes will breakdown over time and continued use will lead to injuries. Also, Spenco inner sole inserts are recommended to help with shin splint type problems, especially if you have them now.

Additional stores to try might be Sports Basement in Sunnyvale, RoadRunnerSports or Running Revolution in Campbell.

This page last updated:  2/16/21

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