Simple tips to help you choose the right pair of running shoes?
Running shoe science has come a long way in the last few decades. All the technical talk can be confusing. Often staff at running shoe shops are well trained, though it is always good to go in with a bit of knowledge. Here are a few simple tips that should hopefully help you pick out the right shoe:
1) Depth: This refers to how deep your foot sits in the shoe. This is influenced by the height of the heel cup. For those that are wearing orthotics they should have a deep heel cup that is re-enforced by a heel counter. This is a hard bit of plastic that provides the heel cup with rigidity.
2) Heel drop: This term describes the difference between the thickness of the forefoot of the shoe relative to the thickness of the rear foot. For those without a running coach or personal trainer my advice would be to keep the heel drop over 1cm.
3) Width: This describes how wide the forefoot of the shoe is where the toes meet the foot. Anybody with bunions need ample width to accommodate the bony prominence of the ball of the foot. Some styles of orthotics may also require you to select a running shoe slightly wider than you have worn previously
4) Sole composition: This is one of the most complex area’s of footwear selection so it is well worth seeking out a well trained shoe rep or asking your podiatrist for some examples. To explain it in the simplest way possible footwear some soles will demonstrate the same density of the inside (medial side) and outside (lateral side). This is often referred to as a neutral shoe and is best suited to those that have a high arched foot or neutral arch type. Shoes that demonstrate a dense material on the medial side and a softer material on lateral side are often described as stabilty,medial control or pronatory control shoes that in most cases best suited to those with a flatter foot type.
I hope you found this FOOT FACT helpful. If you have any questions about podiatry and related health issues use our online enquiry form on the Podiatry clinic Chatswood website Contact us
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Posted by Luke Bortolussi: Bachelor of Applied Science (Podiatry)