The Importance of Good Work-Out Shoes



The most prevalent complaint I hear from students in class is about pain in the feet or heels, cramping arches or a burning sensation in their feet. It is usually due to old or improper shoes! Wearing the appropriate shoes for your workout is extremely important! Athletic shoes are designed to be sport-specific (i.e. walking shoes, running shoes, aerobic shoes, and cross-trainers)--they are not all the same. Sport-specific shoes are constructed to counter the stresses & impact imposed on the feet and joints by specific activities. And even if you are wearing the appropriate shoe, if the shoes are worn out they are doing you no good.

Running shoes are narrow, designed for forward movement; the soles are stiffer under the toes to absorb the pressure of propelling the body forward in the “push off” phase. The heels are stiffer to absorb the impact of “heel strike” as you run. You would not want to run in “walking” shoes--they are not designed to absorb the impact of the body hitting the ground at fast rates of speed. Nor would you want to run in “aerobic” shoes--aerobic shoes are a different design altogether. Running in anything but “running” shoes will result in foot & knee pain due to the improper dispersion of impact. Note: when running, the amount of impact being transferred up from your feet to your knees, hips & spine is several times your body weight --wear the right shoes and this won’t be a problem!

Aerobic shoes are designed for moving forward, backward & laterally (sideways). The soles are not as stiff under the toes as running shoes which accommodates a variety of movements ranging from low-impact to high-impact aerobics; the soles are also designed to disperse impact along the sole instead of radiating up your leg & spine. The heels are constructed with air pockets to cushion the foot (from impact with the floor). Also, the soles are wider with hard rubber supports all the way around the heel and along each side of the balls of the foot--this supports the foot in lateral movements & turning moves (to prevent the foot from rolling out). Wearing anything but aerobic shoes to aerobics class will result in pain/injury to feet, ankles, knees, hips and/or spine. However, all to frequently I see people wearing running shoes to aerobics classes. If you are a runner and you also take aerobics classes but you don’t want or can’t afford 2 pairs of shoes—then get “cross-trainers”. Cross-Trainer shoes are designed to accommodate the impact & stress of these separate exercise activities.

Here a few things you might want to keep in mind when selecting aerobic shoes:

1. If you have weak ankles Mid-top shoes offer better lateral ankle support.

2. Leather gives better support than cloth material.

3. Lateral straps (usually integrated with the laces) provide lateral support.

4. The shoe should be snug BUT, make sure you have room to wiggle ALL your   toes and that the toe box doesn’t feel tight across the bend in your foot (the balls of your foot). AND, make sure the flex in the bottom of the shoe is in the same place that your foot bends.

5. There should be a little space between the tip your big toe and the end of the shoe. If not, the toe gets repeatedly jammed against the front of the shoe and this can cause serious tor injuries.  

6. Make sure the back of the shoe doesn’t rub against your Achilles tendon (well designed shoes usually have a cutout area to prevent rubbing).

7. Check to make sure your arch is well supported--a lack of arch support can allow the foot to roll inward (pronate) which puts pressure on the heel & knee.

If a pair of shoes does not meet these basic guidelines--DO NOT buy them. If they are on clearance, and you also have a coupon plus they have a manufacturer's rebate--they are no bargain if they do not protect & support your feet!



Shoes do not have to cost $100 to offer these safety features; however, $10 shoes from a discount store are not going to last long. If you do 3-4 cardio classes a week, you can expect a GOOD pair of shoes to last about 6 months on concrete surfaces, maybe a couple months longer on wooden floors. The mid-sole of the shoe (the layer between the external bottom & the top internal layer that you can see) will break down before the shoes start to look bad; the mid-sole provides the shock absorption. Don’t wait until your shoes look grungy before you replace them--give them away, cut grass in them, but keep good shoes on your exercising feet!!!

Good shoes are a good investment in the health & protection of your body & joints. Remember, it’s not just kick-butt aerobics that incurs impact, plain walking is impactful--think about that next time your feet are throbbing from walking the mall all day in flat shoes!


Not sure what to buy? Check out this link for my favorite shoe (and, NO! I am not getting a kickback from them!) www.ryka.com

  
And a note about exercise floor surfaces--if your aerobic facility has a concrete floor covered with carpet then good shoes are an absolute necessity! Traditional aerobic flooring has shock absorbers built into the understructure--concrete floors absorb nothing, your body absorbs the shock wave of impact! If your facility does have an impact-absorbing floor, you still need good shoes--don’t chance an injury!