Galleria Health & Lifestyle


Choosing The Correct Athletic Shoes

It seems like there are as many different types of athletic shoes as there are people to wear them. So how do you know which one is right for you and your activities? Is it the cool style or the vibrant colors that should attract you to a shoe? Or is it the fit, function and structure of a shoe?

“There are hundreds of athletic shoes you can choose from. It’s very important to choose the correct shoe for the activity or sport you participate in because it can help you perform better and help keep you injury free,” explains University of Michigan MedSport Athletic Training Clinical Specialist Vahan Agbabian. However, choosing the appropriate shoe isn’t an easy task due to the hundreds of shoes avaiable.

The prescription for a correct athletic shoe includes knowing your foot type, knowing your mobility and flexibility levels and knowing what activity you want to purchase the shoe for. Agbabian stresses the importance of choosing the correct shoe based on your foot type.
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“If you have a higher arched foot, a higher arch shoe will probably feel more comfortable. For example, a Nike brand has a type of shock system and your heel is propped up with this device and with the heel propped up it matches a high arch foot type,” says Agbabian.

Not only is structure of the shoe important, but so is flexibility of the person’s feet and flexibility of the shoe. Athletic shoes must be flexible or your foot will fight them as it rolls through each step, leading to shin splints. Twist them and they should twist. Bend them and they should bend at the ball of the foot, not in the middle of the arch. Set them down and poke the toe - it should rock as the toe should be slightly off the ground. If it passes these tests, it might be the correct pair.

Agbabian warns that “the type of shoe you choose should match your activity level.” For example, if someone is trying to find a shoe to play tennis in, it needs to have enough stability to hold up to the demands of tennis -- sprinting to the net, serving and cutting. You wouldn’t want to play tennis in running shoes, Agbabian says, because they don’t provide the stability you need. Running shoes aren’t designed for that kind of stability.

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