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How to Choose a Running/Walking Shoe
Christine Laakso5/25/10
“What is the best kind of running shoe?”
• Bad question!• Never shop by brand.• You should ask…
“What is the best TYPE of shoe for ME?”
Factors to consider
• 1. Comfort/size• 2. Mechanics• 3. Body weight
Why is the proper shoe important?
• Injury prevention• Performance
Normal Mechanics: what happens when the foot hits the
ground• 1. Initial Contact• 2. Midstance (absorbing 2-3 x your body
weight• 3. Toe-off (propelling)
3 Main Types of Foot Mechanics…
1. Neutral Feet
• “Normal” arch (not to high or low)• Forces are distributed equally along foot,
leg, body• Pronate 10-15 degrees at ankle• Supinate to create rigid lever for push-off
2. Over-pronators
• Excessive rolling in at ankle• Creates abnormal stresses up entire leg &
body• Usually have a low arch
3. Supinators
• Not enough pronation• Cannot adequately absorb force of body
weight• Run on lateral side of foot• Usually have high arches
How do I know what type of walking/running mechanics I
have?
There are 3 major foot types…
Barefoot Test
Wear Pattern
• Heel or forefoot wear: pronator• Edge wear: supinator• Even wear: neutral
Edge wear
Navicular Drop Test
• Measure sitting and standing• > 10mm difference is abnormal promotes increased pronation
Which shoe matches my foot?
Shoe Spectrum
Mechanics: Supination Neutral Over-Pronation Type of shoe: Cushioning Motion Control Stability
“Support”
What is “support”?
• Arbitrary term, but usually refers to the degree that which a shoe can control for excessive pronation.
• Most brands offer a variety of levels of support.
Is more support better?
• NO!• Depending on your mechanics, support
can either help you or hurt you• Remember, you want your foot to look like
this:NOT THIS:
OR THIS:
Picking a shoe…
(replace your shoes every 300-500 miles)
Stability Bar
• Adds “support” to the shoe• Most major brands (Asics, Nike, Brooks,
Saucony) grey bar• Mizuno “Wave Plate” (looks different,
but same concept)• Larger/taller more “support”
Evaluate Stiffness
Stability Shoes
• Large stability bar• Rigid & Stiff
Cushioning Shoes
• No stability bar• Flexible
Motion Control Shoes
• Smaller stability bar• Moderate Stiffness
Technologies
• Don’t be intimitatedevery brand has their own cushioning technology(not to be confused with the “cushioning” type of shoe)
• No one is better than the otherpersonal preference depending on comfort
Misc.
• Trail Shoes = less variety• Cross-Training Shoes = should have
medial-lateral support• “Walking” shoes = less variety
ResourcesSpecialty Running Stores
• Specialty Running Stores– Many local running stores give free gait
analyses (walking & running)• www.roadrunnersports.com• Pain? Problem? Physical Therapist