Fitness Challenge

Think fitness! The following tips on choosing the right shoes for walking or jogging have been specifically designed for the participants of the Scott & White Employee Fitness Challenges but patients will find the information equally useful.

A Bit About the Foot
Proper shoes are incredibly important for preventing overuse injuries from running or walking. Many times, injuries could have been prevented if proper footwear had been worn. It is important to understand a little bit about the motion of the foot when walking or running.

Normally, heel strike occurs on the outside of the heel. As the rest of the foot starts supporting the weight of the body, the foot rolls inward or pronates slightly. As weight shifts forward toward the ball of the foot, slight pronation continues usually until toe off. So, pronation is a normal part of the foot's actions during walking or running.

  Overpronation occurs when the natural pronating motion is over-exaggerated and the foot rolls too far inward. Overpronation may greatly increase the risk for injuries such as plantar fasciitis, achilles tendonitis, "shin splints" and patellar tendonitis, among others.

Underpronation occurs when there is not enough pronation (rarely, this is caused by excessive supination). This may increase the risk of injuries as well, since a certain amount of pronation is necessary for proper shock absorption and weight bearing in the foot.

A neutral footstrike is one that is normal.

Shoes
Fortunately, running shoes today can, in many cases, correct these problems. Here is how to spot the right shoe for you.

Cushioned shoes - Yes, all running shoes have cushioning, so the term is a bit confusing. However, cushioned shoes are a class of shoes that are made for neutral or underpronators. They have no devices that prevent pronation and may even encourage it. They have a curved or semi-curved last and are slip lasted. Overpronators should stay away from these shoes, since they are made for neutral or underpronators.

Stability shoes - Stability shoes always have some form of device to discourage overpronation. This is typically in the form of a dual-density midsole. A dual-density midsole, as the name implies, contains two different types of foams. Most of the shoe is constructed of a softer version that is found on cushioned shoes. However, the posterior, medial portion of the midsole (inside, at the heel) is made of a firmer foam. This setup discourages overpronation and encourages a proper foot motion. You can usually spot this type of shoe by noticing the firmer foam around the inside of the heel since it is usually colored gray. These shoes have semi-curved lasts and are combination lasted. Some neutral runners can wear stability shoes if there is not too much stability. However, underpronators should steer clear of these shoes!

Motion Control shoes - Motion control shoes are an extreme form of stability shoes. They are intended for extreme overpronators or very heavy overpronators. They are based on the same idea as stability shoes, but may contain more of the denser foam. They also typically have a straight last and may be board or combination lasted. Neutral and underpronators should not even consider a motion control shoe.

How do I know which I am?
There are a couple of ways to find out if you are a neutral, overpronator, or underpronator. One way is to look at your old, worn out shoes. Set them on a flat surface and see if they lean or tend toward any particular direction. For example, overpronators wear the midsoles of their shoes faster on the inside. So, worn out shoes from an overpronator typically lean toward the inside. The reverse is true of an underpronator. Be careful about looking at the actual sole of the shoe. Most people wear out the sole on the outside of the heel. However, this does not mean that they are necessarily an underpronator.

 In many, but not all cases, people with high arches tend to be underpronators while people  with low or flat arches tend to be overpronators. Those with a neutral arch tend to have a neutral footstrike. You can look at your arch by planting a wet foot on a towel.

Obviously, the best way to know exactly what shoe you need is to visit a podiatrist. However, many times specialty running shoe stores can guide you in the right direction if you are unsure of what you need.

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