We all do it. Sometimes I am guilty of doing it myself. I throw on some clothes, tie my shoes and head off to the gym. It doesn’t even matter what exercise I am doing, whether it’s cardio or a tough leg day; I am still grabbing the closest shoes I can put my hands on.
It wasn’t until a couple of years later I began experiencing pain in the arches of my feet. Now, some of that was probably from work since I was always on my feet, but not all of it. Little did I know my shoes were so worn that the soles were peeling away from the shoes.
Just like many people, I had a favorite pair of shoes, but there’s a time you have to let them go, especially gym shoes. According to the American Orthopedic Foot And Ankle Society, shoes should be replaced every 300-500 miles or 300 hours of aerobic activity.
Don’t be like me and wait until your soles are falling off your shoe. Throwing away the shoes are the easy part, picking the right one can be difficult. Don’t worry, I got you covered. Just listen up;
1. First thing is first, you should really participate in an activity before trying on a shoe. When active, your feet will engorge with blood making them larger! Having them at their full size will give you a true fit.
2. The shoe should fit comfortably right away, no need for a break-in period.
3. If you participate in a sport, you should really get a shoe specific to that sport.
4. Now, there are about 6 different types of shoes that will fit your needs. If you’re a consistent runner then you will need a shoe with solid cushion and shock absorption.
5. With a walking shoe, you want a little more shock absorption in the heel; this will help prevent pain during the heel to toe walking movement. If you are doing multi-activities you are good with going with cross-training shoes.
6. Cross-training shoes should have good flexibility in your forefoot with solid lateral support for your other activities. With basketball, you want a shoe with a stiff sole, which provides extra support. A high-top shoe can possibly help support and give extra security to the ankle.
With this information, you have probably realized that you need a new pair of shoes. Since there are a couple more days left until Christmas, you might want to treat yourself to a last minute gift. Don’t be afraid to invest in your feet, they like Christmas presents too!
-Phil