Women's Media Nation | Social, political, and cultural issues relating to women

Hit the Road Running: Pick running shoes according to foot shape

posted by ChickSpeak
Friday, January 15, 2010 at 12:08pm CST

One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is the promise to get into better shape. Whether it is to lose a couple of pounds, or just to tone the thighs, exercise definitely goes hand-in-hand with this resolution. The most pertinent place to start is with your feet.

Playing sports for over half of my life, I have learned the importance of having adequate shoes for the type of motion I would be subjecting my body to. Playing several seasons of soccer back to back and running at least 25 miles a week, I began to notice a terrible pain in my shins. After talking with my trainer, he determined that I had shin splints. If you have never experienced shin splints , imagine someone taking a small sledge hammer and beating on your tibias. They were caused by excessive running on an unstable surface with improper footwear.

I also began to experience an excruciating pain in my left knee which was later diagnosed as runner’s knee. This condition, according to Web MD, is not itself a condition. Rather it is a loose term used to describe a number of disorders with different causes. Runner’s knee can be caused by overuse, misalignment, specific trauma to the knee, weakened muscles, and problems with the feet especially due to poor footwear.

If you are serious about exercising, and ready to step onto the running road, you must be willing to invest in good shoes. You should purchase a running shoe that is suitable for your foot shape. To determine your foot shape, you can put lotion on the bottom of your feet, but do not completely rub it in. Take a piece of colored construction paper and step down on it. Use one piece for each foot.

After doing this, you may observe that your footprint curves in extremely making the edge of your foot appear very thin. This means that you have a high arch. This can present a problem while running because you will most likely under pronate where your feet roll outward at the ankle.

You will need a shoe that is flexible such as:

NewBalance 621 by New Balance

Nike Shox Classic by Nike

If you notice that your foot print lacks an inward curve, you have flat feet. This is a problem when you run because you are most likely an overpronator. This means that your feet roll inwards more so than they are supposed to.

The best running shoe for you would be something with stability such as these:

adiSTAR RIDE W by Adidas

Nike Zoom Triax by Nike

Progrid Stabil CS by Saucony

You may not have flat feet or high arches, meaning you have neutral feet. This leaves you with a wide variety of shoes to choose from. It’s best if you do not choose a shoe that is made for lots of stability, however.

Here are a couple of options you can try:

NewBalance 1064 by New Balance

Air Max Moto +7 byNike

After you have determined what foot shape you have, you are ready to go shopping for your new running shoes. Remember these tips when you are looking for your shoes.

Go shopping in the afternoon because your feet will be slightly bigger in the afternoon just like they are while you are running. Wear the socks that you will normally wear while running, and make sure that you have enough room to move your toes around. The heel of the shoe should fit snuggly but not tightly. Finally, remember that is always better to buy a shoe that is a little too big rather than one that is tight.

Choosing the right shoes can correct and most definitely prevent certain knee and hip problems as well as shin splints. Now that you know how to pick the right shoes for your feet, you are ready to hit the road running.

Fatima Meadows attends Appalachian State University. She is currently searching for a new pair of running shoes for her neutral feet.