Take Care of Your Feet For a Lifetime

That’s what my instructor told me couple of weeks ago.

He knows that i keep on hiding my hurting feet every week in his class, he asked me to buy a new shoes and i did as a matter of fact but it keeps hurting my feet. I thought i mustn’t have doing a proper warming up or maybe i have a muscle damage that impalpable, i don’t know, except that i hate my feet, a lot!. Until he teaches me about choosing the right shoes.

He explained me the basic info about feet and shoes soles. But after i dig some of the important thing about choosing the right shoes, thanks to google i finally got it all together. And he is right we definitely should take care of our feet for a lifetime.

After i bought another pair of shoes, with my new knowledge about soles, feet type, feet alignment and all that related to feet comforts. I really did find the perfect one for my feet and i hope this post also can help you to find the best shoes that fit for yours too.

Do you know?

The average person walks more than 115,000 miles in a lifetime. Every walking step you take exerts pressure up to three times your body weight on your feet. Running exerts up to ten times your body weight. We cram our feet into tight fitting, stiff shoes, subject them to the unnatural angles of high heels, pound them on pavement and asphalt, smother them in airless socks and shoes, or simply stand on them for hours on end. And we have more than 2,5 million nerve endings in our feet. Yet, have you ever consider to give what is best for your feet? no? Well, you better start now, like me.

Do you know your feet type?

To figure out what type of shoes should you buy, you first need to know that kind of feet you have.  One way is to just look at your foot, examine your footprint by either running in the sand or on paper with wet feet.

Do you know your foot print type and which type of shoes that fit for it?

You should know about the type of your own foot print in order to choose the right shoes that has stability and mobility features. Therefore you can buy type of shoes that fit for your activities, either for running, tennis, aerobics, basketball, casual or even high heel shoes.

The first step in finding your basic shoe needs is to find your foot print by trying a ‘Wet Test’. The Wet Test works on the basis that the shape of your wet footprint on a dry floor or piece of paper roughly correlates with the amount of stability you might need in your shoe.

Neutral Feet

This footprint is the most common and suggests that you do not have any special requirements. Your feet will have an average sized arch and show the forefoot and heel connected by an even broad band.

The motion of a normal foot lands on the outside of the heel and rolls inwards a small amount to absorb the shock. This would suggest that you are biomechanically efficient and can use any shoe you want to. As motion control shoes tend to be more expensive and heavier you might want to

discount these shoes from your list.

What to Buy: If you have normal feet, you can choose from a wide variety of shoes, including ones made for those with slightly flat-footed or high-arched feet. Don’t pick shoes that have a lot of stability or motion control.

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Flat Feet

This type of print looks like the whole sole of the foot is in contact with the ground. The low arch in this foot type is usually associated with overpronation and this is when the foot strikes on the outside of the heel and rolls inwards too far. If this is allowed to continue it can cause many different types of injury.

What to Buy: You will probably need a shoe that maintains your stability. Look for the words “motion control” and “stability” on the box of shoes you are considering. In addition to motion-control shoes, some flat-footed

runners also need to wear orthotics (custom-made shoe inserts that correct foot issues).

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High-Arched Feet

This is the least common of the three types of feet. The print shows that the band connecting the forefoot and the heel to be very thin or even non-existant. If you have feet like this then it tends to indicate that you underpronate (supinate) and are not very effective as a shock absorber. It is recommended that you only go for cushioned, neutral shoes without any motion or stability properties.

What to Buy: You need to look for flexible shoes with a soft midsole that absorbs shock. When buying shoes, look for options with the words “flexible” or “cushioned” included in their descriptions.

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Do you know that feet has biomechanics?

All shoes are not created equal. Not only can they alter your speed, but they can also affect your knees, your back and your joints. Selecting the right shoe can make all the difference, and it can be overwhelming when faced with a wall full of shoes that all look pretty much the same.

Each time the foot hits the ground, it uses two movement types:

1. Supination/Underpronation, is rolling of the foot outward. If you look at the wear on an old shoe, you will see excessive wear on the outside heel and on the lateral side. But do not read into the shoe wear too much. People who supinate may complain of Achilles Tendonitis, heel pain and later leg pain. You will need to see at least the common signs below.

• When standing the heel leans outwards.
• The arch of the foot may be high with pronounced bumps on the top of the foot.
• The sole of the foot may have a slight bend to it, like a banana.
• The athlete may have a lower limb condition which causes them to walk pigeon-toed or they have excessive bow legs.
• Shoes for supinators.

2. Pronation, is rolling of the foot inwards. Other symptoms to look for include a bulge of the foot below the ankle and possibly an arch which looks flatter. If you look at the wear on an old shoe, you will see excessive wear on the inside heel in excessive cases, but lateral or posterior heel strikes are common. And the common signs are :

• When standing the heel leans inwards.
• When standing, one or both knee caps turn inwards.
• The sole of the foot aches or bunions have developed.
• Knee pain develops during activity and slowly goes away during rest.
• Shoes for pronators

Now, after following the notes above and having a little test of your own feet, such as, examine the shape, do the “wet test” and feet alignment. You may select the shoes you want to buy. But, make sure you know what should you seek in a shoe other than just looking at the fashion before you buy it.

What to look for in a shoe?

There is some basic information you need to consider before you buy a shoe:

• Your activity
• Your weight
• Your foot positioning on standing
• How you have worn out your previous shoe
• When you go to the shoe store, take an old pair of shoes with you.
• Also, wear socks that you would normally exercise in. The difference in sock thickness can result in a half-size difference in shoes!

There are four shoe features which can be simply tested while still in the store:

1. Torsion, The greater the twist of the shoe longitudinally the more the foot will roll and Grasp the midsole at the front of the show near the ball of the foot and twist lengthways.
2. Flex, The shoe should bend right at the ball of the foot. If the shoe doesn’t bend at that point, nor will your foot. This can cause extreme leg pain and can impact on stress fractures in the metatarsals, so make sure grasp the heel and toes of the shoe and push the ends together.
3. Midsole density, If the rubber is compressed by more than a third, it may be too soft. Soft shoes with lots of cushioning are appropriate only for walking. If the shoes has dual density midsoles, which have a softer lateral side and a harder medial side, are best for pronators. Neutral midsole, which have the same density all the way round, are ideal for supinators. How to choose it? compress the rubber of the midsole with your two thumbs.
4. Heel counter, The strength of the heel counter is important to keep the heel held upright, particularly if it has a tendency to wobble. Make sure the heel counter is made of plastic rather than just a piece of cardboard. The plastic heel counter is stronger, provides more support, and will last longer. Squash down on the heel counter with your thumb.
5. Outsole, A shinier, hardened carbonised rubber on the heel. As this is where the heel strikes the rubber needs to be harder to last longer. A material called blow rubber on the forefoot. This is softer and gives more cushioning at the ball of the foot and a greater feeling of comfort. If the sole looks like car-types tread it is suitable for road or indoor use. If it looks like a tractor tyre it is better for track or cross country running. Choose the right outsole to avoid twists to the ankles, or just to avoid falling over in the wet or muddy grounds.

So, are you ready to shop a new shoes?

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