While it feels hard to believe right now, spring is around the corner. With the good weather coming back, our thoughts will turn to outdoor sports. I think it is time to make a few points about purchasing athletic shoes.
1. SHOP FOR SHOES LATER IN THE DAY –
Your feet swell during the day (they can be up to 8 percent larger!) so go try on shoes when your feet are at their largest.
2. ALWAYS HAVE YOUR FEET MEASURED –
Your feet continue to get larger as you get older. Get them measured every time.
3. DO NOT GO BY THE SIZE – GO BY THE FIT
Shoe manufacturers do not make shoes in uniform sizes.
4. WEAR THE CORRECT SOCKS WHEN YOU TRY ON THE SHOES
Wear your exercise socks so that the shoes are comfortable with those socks on your feet.
5. BUY SHOES FOR YOUR ACTIVITY –
Athletic shoes are made to match your intended activity. Running shoes are the lightest weight of the athletic shoes but they have the most cushioning. They should have flexibility and stability in the heel. Walking shoes are heavier than running shoes and should have a sole that promotes natural motion during walking. There are court shoes for tennis, basketball, and volleyball. These shoes take a lot of abuse and need to have an appropriate sole for your activity. There are also cross training shoes. These come in two varieties. The first is for those who run and use exercise machines. These are the lighter weight of the cross trainers. The other variety is for those who may train on machines and then play a court sport. Those cross trainers are the heavier of the cross trainers because the sole is thicker.
6. WHEN YOU TRY ON THE SHOE IT SHOULD FEEL GOOD RIGHT AWAY –
The shoe will not stretch to fit so you should put it on and feel comfortable immediately.
You will still need to wear the shoes around the house for a bit to break them in more but they should be comfortable as soon as you put them on your feet.
7. MAKE SURE THERE IS A THUMBNAIL OF SPACE BETWEEN THE TOP OF THE SHOE AND YOUR LONGEST TOE –
It used to be that you would measure between you big toe and the top of the shoe. Look at your foot. If your second toe is the longest toe, make sure you measure from that toe.
8. WALK OR RUN A FEW STEPS TO MAKE SURE THE SHOE FITS RIGHT –
You want to make sure your foot feels good in the shoe.
9. YOUR HEEL SHOULD NOT SLIP AT ALL WHILE MOVING IN THE SHOE –
The heel needs to be snug in the shoe with no shifting while running or walking.
10. THE TOE BOX SHOULD ALLOW YOUR TOES TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FREELY –
Wiggle those piggies and make sure they can move freely.
I look forward to seeing you on the trail!
Your pal,
Foot Blogger Chick
If you have questions, don’t hesitate to send them to footbloggerchick@gmail.com or leave them in the comment section below. I am not a doctor but I check with one before answering questions.
Trivia Question of the week – The average American woman owns how many pairs of shoes?
A. 7
B. 19
C. 26
D. 32
Find the answer on our Facebook page – Evanston Podiatric Surgeons – on Friday, March 8th. While you’re there, please take a moment to “like” us.
Or
Follow us on twitter – @EvPodiatric and the answer will be tweeted on Friday morning as well.