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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, February 22, 2007

Get off on right foot with shoes

By Barb Berggoetz
Indianapolis Star

POINTERS

Match shoes with activities. People who walk for exercise should buy running shoes, Wilford advises. Running shoes offer a better match to specific foot types than walking shoes.

People who do most of their walking or running on trails or paths should buy trailrunning shoes.

Those who do a variety of activities, such as aerobics and tennis or treadmill running, should wear a cross-training or performance shoe. It will give support for side-to-side and backward motions all the way around the foot.

Get the right fit. Consider your foot structure, including arch height and heel width, any injuries or physical problems, body type, along with activities.

Get a gait analysis. A good way to find the right type of shoe for running or walking is to have a specialty store analyze how you run or walk. Running Company customers are videotaped on a treadmill, and employees examine their foot strike. In other stores, workers watch customers on a treadmill or in the store.

Know the signs that shoes need to be replaced. Watch for depression creases in the midsole. Replacing shoes at the right time is not as easy as watching for a worn outer sole. The foam midsole breaks down quicker than the carbon outsole, says Lamar.

Monitor mileage. The estimated lifespan of most shoes is 300 to 500 miles.

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The racks and racks of athletic shoes lining store walls, can be bewildering, but decoding them is important. The right shoe is a must for those training for marathons or playing a sport, running or just walking for exercise.

"If you have a shoe that fits improperly or is worn out, you put yourself at risk for fatigue-type injuries," says Dr. Michael Shea, orthopedic surgeon at Indiana Orthopaedic Hospital.

That could mean stress fractures, tendinitis, nerve injuries and shin splints — all painful.

While it might be hard to sort through all the shoe styles and brands, the myriad of choices make it more likely to find a well-fitted shoe.

Shoe manufacturers are marketing more and more models of running, cross-training and specialty shoes. "There is probably one for every sport," says Matt Richmond, general manager of a Finish Line store.

The first rules for buying athletic shoes involve popularity and price:

  • Don't just go for the most popular or the one with the newest technology, say athletic-store operators.

    "If someone asks, 'What is your most popular shoe?' that's where they get into trouble," says Gareth Wilford, general manager of a Running Company store.

  • The costliest shoe with the latest technology isn't necessarily best for you. Athletic shoes can range from $40 to $165. Wilford says people can buy high-quality running shoes for $75 to $85.

    Higher-priced shoes generally have more cushioning and may last longer, so those for about $100 to $120 may be good for runners putting in lots of miles, says Jason Lamar, running-shoe department manager for an Indianapolis sports gear retailer.

    Remember, brands are made differently, so certain ones may not fit your foot structure. Adidas shoes, for example, are narrower in the heels.

    "There isn't one good shoe for everyone. That's why companies will have different types of the same model," says Lamar.