By Ester Marsh
For the Salisbury Post
This is another question I hear a lot. When your feet hurt, your workout suffers, so it’s important to have the right kind of shoes. Lots of people look at big savings and buy shoes on sale or the cheapest they can find. (Which can work fine with the right tips that I will share in a minute) They try them on and figure they will break them in. Personally, I don’t believe in breaking in your shoes – they should fit right from the start. People ask me which brand they should buy. It depends what fits your foot well and what you are using your shoes for. Is it walking? Running? Aerobics or basketball? It is tough to buy one pair which can be used in all sports and recreation. If you want just one pair of shoes you can use for multiple sports, the cross trainers are the closest you can get. My husband and I have multiple pairs for different purposes. Trail shoes for trail running – they have a lot more grip at the bottom and have less flexibility to withstand vigorous terrain. My distance running shoes have nice padding to handle the road, and my cross trainers for are best for group exercise classes. As far as brands go, I seem to do very well with Asics, Brooks and some Nike. My husband has good luck with Saucony, New Balance and Brooks. It does not mean you have to go out and buy multiple shoes but this works for me. I use athletic shoes all the time and pretty much all day long. By having different shoes for different events, my feet are a lot happier. Another recommendation would be to have a specialist help you find the right shoe for you. Ralph Baker’s Shoes in Salisbury can help you with that, or different running shoe stores such as Run for Life, Phidippides or Omega Sports will work as well. However, you can find good, even perfect shoes by following the next tips:
1. Try on shoes later in the day, not in the morning.
As the day progresses our feet enlarge due to gravity pulling fluid from our body to its lowest point, our feet;
2. Get both feet measured each time you get new shoes.
Usually one foot will be slightly larger than the other and you need to get the size to accommodate the larger foot.
Foot size can change over time. As we age, the ligaments holding our arches up can stretch, leading to a larger, flatter foot.
3. Make sure the forefoot flexes in the right place.
Some shoes do not flex where your foot naturally flexes as you toe off. This will make the shoe feel overly stiff and make faster running more difficult, possibly leading to a calf muscle strain.
4. Bring any orthotics or shoe inserts that you use with you to put in the shoe.
Orthotics or inserts are generally more built up than the insoles that come with shoes;
An orthotic can make your shoe too tight so you may have to go up in size.
Some orthotics have a heel cup that is elevated – this can cause your heel to slip out of the back of the shoe.
5. Most importantly, get the proper shoe for your foot type.
Overpronators (foot rolls inward) should have stability or motion control shoes.
Oversupinators (foot rolls outward) should have cushioned shoes.
Normal foot mechanics can have cushioned or neutral shoes;
When in doubt, ask for an assessment to see what foot type you have.
Foot types can change over time. The most common change is from a normal foot to an overpronator due to a collapsing of the arch in the foot.
Don’t forget a specialty shoe or running store with properly trained staff is as equally important in getting into the correct pair of shoes for your specific needs. I try to take very good care of my feet. If they hurt or don’t work very well, it affects everything you do.
Ester Marsh, ACSM Cpt