By Nicole DePalma MS LMT

If you’ve ever tried to make it through the day in a pair of really uncomfortable shoes, you know how important a good fit is not only for your feet, but also for the rest of your body! An ill-fitting pair of shoes could produce an aching back, headache, not to mention an ill-temper! Just as it’s important to be in good shoes for our work and everyday life, it’s every bit as important to have the proper type of shoe regarding your fitness activities.

It can be overwhelming to pick out fitness shoes. Do you walk, jog, run, take fitness or mind/body classes, cross train, hike, even swim (yes, there are swim shoes!)? Then, what brand to try? Addidas, New Balance, Puma, Reebok…has your brain shut down yet?! Never fear, we’ll take the mystery out of helping you find a good pair of shoes and socks that are appropriate to your needs and activities.

First step (no pun intended!) is to look at your posture, ankles, and foot positions. If you roll inwardly on your ankles, meaning that the arch of your foot is looking up at you, and your ankles are rolled toward the ground, then you’re an “inverter” or “supinator”. If you roll onto the arch of your foot, appear to be “flat-footed”, or your ankles have the appearance of “winging up”, then you’re an “everter” or “pronator”. Another clue as to your posture cues is to take a look at your shoes. If you see that the heel is worn to the outside, you’re a supinator, and if the heels are worn to the inside, you’re a pronator. Also, if you Google those words on the computer, you’ll see very good picture examples of what these terms mean in more detail, and good pictures to demonstrate the posture these issues put your body in. A well-made stability shoe is going to help bring your foot, and thus your ankle, legs, hips, and spine, into an alignment so your foot movement from heel, through the arch, to the toes goes as close to “right down the middle” as possible.

Once you have an idea of what your posture dynamics are, you can begin to ask yourself what type of fitness shoe is best suited to your activity. A runner will need a different shoe than a walker, and walkers and runners will need different shoes than someone who spends most of their time in fitness classes, etc. The reason? Running and walking shoes are designed to support vertical movement, i.e., meaning that you’re moving forward as you run or walk, whereas fitness classes, tennis, and cross training usually incorporate not only vertical movement but also lateral movement, where you’re moving side to side, too. Also the placement of your body weight will vary from primarily vertical movement as compared to lateral movement. Running and walking moves from a heel strike, rolling through the arch, and then a push off with the toes, but a cross training activity is going to have you pushing off both the outside and inside of the foot besides moving forward or backward.

The characteristics of categories of shoes will be their “giveaway” as to what type of shoe they are. If you look at a pair of running or jogging shoes, you’ll notice that they have a wider, flattened off, thicker heel, and tend to be thinner through the toe area. They’ll have a heavier heel cup area, and what may appear to be decoration on the sides of the shoes are actually “stability bars”, or materials sewn onto the sides of the shoes designed to help your foot stay in that neutral alignment we talked about to keep your foot and ankle on the straight and narrow, not rolling in or out. Running and walking shoes’ stability bars will be thinner and in different areas than a fitness or cross training shoe because the lateral movement of a cross training shoe needs thicker, wider stability bars to support the foot and ankle. Also the sole of a fitness trainer will have more padding under the arch and ball of the foot to support that type of activity.

The materials for all types of fitness shoes have totally evolved over the years. I started teaching “aerobic” classes back in 1979 (I know…ancient history!), and the only choice I had for shoes was the Reebok “Classic”…they were leather, and not much for foot padding or a sole or stability bars, but we thought we were pretty cool because we had a shoe for our sport that broke out from the pack of Converse All Stars and Blue Dot Keds! Materials have gotten so light, easier to clean, and breathable but yet tough and flexible. The rule of thumb for shoes is 500 miles for running or walking, and 500 hours of classes or sessions, and it’s time for a new pair. Shoes may not look worn out by then, but don’t let good looks fool you, your shoes will tell you that it’s time to go. The sole will feel worn down, the fit will feel “weak”, and you’ll feel like you have inadequate support. Some folks go back and forth between a few pairs of shoes, and others stick with one pair until it’s time for a new pair. Whatever works for you is the way to go, but please pay attention to what your body is telling you when it’s time for a trip to the shoe store!

Socks are very important, and we used to tell our Clients to get a pair of cotton socks…we were wrong! When your feet sweat, cotton stretches out and can cause chafing and balling up in your shoes, creating blisters or tender spots on your feet. Today’s materials provide not only a good fit while you’re active, but also wick sweat away from your feet that not only prevents chafing and blistering, but also prevents such issues as athlete’s foot, or other types of fungus from latching on to feet and toes. Please keep your nails well trimmed and cleanse your feet well, too. It’s so important to take care of the health of your feet. Without them, we wouldn’t get very far. They’re the pedestal that holds us up!

Finally, you can always get the advice of a good shoe fitter, instructor, or trainer who can give you a postural analysis during a training session, fitness class, or in-store, or research online. There are good people out there with good information to get you into the correct pair of shoes and socks to keep you comfortable and safe during your activities. Go get ‘em! Cheers to you.