Your feet have 206 bones and over 100 muscles, ligaments and tendons, so it's important to take care of them by wearing the proper athletic shoes. Choosing the right pair of sport shoes is important to the comfort of your feet. Unfortunately we often choose our shoes according to our fashion tastes instead of fitting them for the activity. I'm just as guilty as the next guy, after all I know what I like in fashion so it's much easier to pick out a shoe that looks instead of finding a shoe that's appropriate for my foot. One common mistake I've made over the years is giving in to buying the cheap shoes. BIG MISTAKE! Particularly for athletics. For example, let's say you want to start running and buy a pair of cheap running shoes. First of all, cheap shoes are not made to form to your foot or absorb the impact of running and they are certainly not made to last. After a few miserable runs in your cheap shoes you might drop the sport pretty fast. Typically, a good athletic shoe will cost between $70-$90. Anything more and you are buying style. Anything less and you are probably getting shoes that have been on the shelf awhile where the glue can harden and dry out and the soles can dissipate. Wear the shoe that fits the sport. If you're walking, wear a shoe designed for walking. If running, wear a runners shoe and if weight training wear shoes that will support muscle activity. Each shoe is designed for the strength, cushion and stability in the areas that need it according to the type of sport you are involved in. Buying a properly designed shoe will certainly add to your comfort and reduce injury as well. Shoes that have soles that bend at the ball of the foot also offer much better support than soles that bend under the arch. The shoe's material should be flexible and allow your foot to "breathe". Shoes that have a mesh fabric are the best. A good sport shoe should be light and able to breathe. You should also think about injury protection when buying your shoes. Don't be fooled into thinking a shoe has to be heavy to offer good support. If you have calf or Achilles tendon pain then heavy canvas shoes have been known to make the pain worse. If you take care to buy the right shoes you'll get so much more out of your favorite sport by sticking with it, reducing injuring and of course, enjoying it so much more. |
