Friday, August 3, 2007

What to look for in a running shoe?

What to look for in a running shoe?

Significant advancements in running shoes started in the 1970's when Nike developed and brought about the inverted waffle outer sole and Nike Air sole. Since then, running shoes from many brand names such as Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Asics, Brooks, and others have advanced the technology of running shoes to what they are today, a highly dynamic, supportive, functional piece of sporting equipment that can prevent injury and improve performance.

Here is information to find a good pair of shoes for you:

The Pronated or Flat Foot Type
The first thing to look for is a shoe with a structurally stiffer sole. You can test shoes stiffness by placing a shoe in the palms of both your hands and then twisting the shoe like you are ringing a towel. If the shoe does not easily twist this shoe can provide increased support. While the shoe is still in the palms of your hands check to see where the shoe flexes. You can do this by taking the toe of the shoe and heel of the shoe flexing them toward each other. For the flat foot type, a proper shoe should break in the front 1/3 of the shoe and no other place. This will allow increased mid and rear foot support and improve foot control. Now that the sole of shoe has been checked for rigidity, one should check the stiffness of the heel. To do this take your thumb and index finger and go on either side of the heel of the shoe and try to pinch it together. The heel of the shoe should feel very stiff and lack movement, this will allow the heel of the foot to stay under control, which is usually lacking in a flat foot type.

The Supinated or High Arch Foot Type
This foot type needs a shoe that is very compliant or flexible. So unlike the flat foot, the high arch foot needs a shoe with a lot of cushion. The twisting of the shoe should be moderately flexible, but not so flexible it twists over on itself. The shoe should not have motion control in the shoe. You can usually tell if it has motion control by the different color rubber (usually dark gray) on the inside sole vs the outside.

Note of interest about foot types:
It is not easy to self diagnose your foot type. This should be done by a licensed physical therapist or podiatrist. This will allow you to properly understand your foot and which shoe is appropriate for you.

Please contact the professionals at COR Clinic to determine what foot type you have.
COR Clinic 480.272.7638
www.CorClinic.com

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I agree with this logic.

I have a flat-type foot, and wore the Nike "Air" type shoes for years, raving about how they really cushioned the shock to my knees.

More recently I started running off road, which required me to switch to a shoe with a composite shank, less cushioning, and a stiffer overall structure. While they felt hard at first, I soon achieved zero soreness, and now wear them on concrete as well as trail.
Groovy!