The Best Shoe For You...

I was recently asked about my opinion on shoes. Well, the shoe subject is actually pretty complicated!!

The first thing to keep in mind is the number one rule for the health of your feet...NEVER EVER WORK OUT WITHOUT GOOD SHOES!!

It is not necessarily important for every athlete or gym goer to have the same brand of shoe. I believe there is a huge misconception as to why a shoe is the best shoe for working out. (Yes, some shoes are constructed in such a way that makes them more "well made" than other shoes.) It is more important to get a shoe that is corrective to your body's natural "miss aligning" tendencies.

The first step to figuring out what type of shoe you need is to do a foot test. Asics has a great foot test which can be found at the following link: http://www.asicsamerica.com/sports/running/shoeFitGuide.aspx

Once you have found what type of support you will need in a shoe, the next step will be...TRYING THE SHOES OUT!

Go to a sporting goods store or specialty sneaker shop. Tell the attendants what type of shoe you are looking for. Try them on in different brands. Many sport oriented stores will have a track or treadmill you can walk on while wearing the shoes. MAKE SURE YOU ARE COMPLETELY COMFORTABLE WITH THE SHOES YOU PLAN TO TAKE HOME.

Once your shoes have lost their support, make sure you get a new pair. It is all too often I see people working out with shoes that barely have soles! It is a terrible habit to get into. It is bad for your feet and terrible for the rest of your body. Without the proper shoes, you can end up with things like severe knee injuries, ankle damage, hip dislocation.......the list can go on forever!!

The next bit of advice I have is for your following pair of sneakers. Do NOT expect them to be exactly the same! Shoe companies are constantly changing the format of their shoes. It is a forever changing world and they try desperately to keep up. Because of the constant change in shoe formatting, your shoe can go from being the best shoe ever to the absolute worst!

Lastly, enjoy your new sneakers and have FANTASTIC workouts!