How to Choose a Running/Walking Shoe

Christine Laakso5/25/10

“What is the best kind of running shoe?”

• Bad question!• Never shop by brand.• You should ask…

“What is the best TYPE of shoe for ME?”

Factors to consider

• 1. Comfort/size• 2. Mechanics• 3. Body weight

Why is the proper shoe important?

• Injury prevention• Performance

Normal Mechanics: what happens when the foot hits the

ground• 1. Initial Contact• 2. Midstance (absorbing 2-3 x your body

weight• 3. Toe-off (propelling)

3 Main Types of Foot Mechanics…

1. Neutral Feet

• “Normal” arch (not to high or low)• Forces are distributed equally along foot,

leg, body• Pronate 10-15 degrees at ankle• Supinate to create rigid lever for push-off

2. Over-pronators

• Excessive rolling in at ankle• Creates abnormal stresses up entire leg &

body• Usually have a low arch

3. Supinators

• Not enough pronation• Cannot adequately absorb force of body

weight• Run on lateral side of foot• Usually have high arches

How do I know what type of walking/running mechanics I

have?

There are 3 major foot types…

Barefoot Test

Wear Pattern

• Heel or forefoot wear: pronator• Edge wear: supinator• Even wear: neutral

Edge wear

Navicular Drop Test

• Measure sitting and standing• > 10mm difference is abnormal promotes increased pronation

Which shoe matches my foot?

Shoe Spectrum

Mechanics: Supination Neutral Over-Pronation Type of shoe: Cushioning Motion Control Stability

“Support”

What is “support”?

• Arbitrary term, but usually refers to the degree that which a shoe can control for excessive pronation.

• Most brands offer a variety of levels of support.

Is more support better?

• NO!• Depending on your mechanics, support

can either help you or hurt you• Remember, you want your foot to look like

this:NOT THIS:

OR THIS:

Picking a shoe…

(replace your shoes every 300-500 miles)

Stability Bar

• Adds “support” to the shoe• Most major brands (Asics, Nike, Brooks,

Saucony) grey bar• Mizuno “Wave Plate” (looks different,

but same concept)• Larger/taller more “support”

Evaluate Stiffness

Stability Shoes

• Large stability bar• Rigid & Stiff

Cushioning Shoes

• No stability bar• Flexible

Motion Control Shoes

• Smaller stability bar• Moderate Stiffness

Technologies

• Don’t be intimitatedevery brand has their own cushioning technology(not to be confused with the “cushioning” type of shoe)

• No one is better than the otherpersonal preference depending on comfort

Misc.

• Trail Shoes = less variety• Cross-Training Shoes = should have

medial-lateral support• “Walking” shoes = less variety

ResourcesSpecialty Running Stores

• Specialty Running Stores– Many local running stores give free gait

analyses (walking & running)• www.roadrunnersports.com• Pain? Problem? Physical Therapist