ATHLETIC SHOES
When it comes to choosing exercise apparel proper athletic shoes are often overlooked and perhaps the most important place to start. When purchasing gear to partake in a new sport or activity start on the ground floor and work your way up. Establishing a solid wardrobe foundation by choosing the best pair of athletic shoes for your foot shape and activity will help you to remain injury free and increase your enjoyment.
Just about every activity has specific athletic shoes that are designed to help you perform that sport with the most ideal body mechanics and support. When you initially research athletic shoes the number of options for each sport can be very overwhelming. This is due to the enormous variety of people that are searching for the perfect fit and the nearly infinte number of foot shapes. Athletic shoes are designed for different foot types as well as each specific sport. We will cover a few activities and how to narrow down the best athletic shoe options for your foot type. Understand that the categories we will cover are some of the more popular sports but the principles will apply to just about every sport in the athletic shoe industry.
First you want to research what stores in your area carry shoes for your sport. Then you want to find out if one of those stores specializes in your particular sport or activity. For instance, if you want a running shoe, start by going to a running store. They most likely will have a running specialist who can help you determine the type of athletic shoes that best fit your needs (no pun intended). Next the specialist will determine your foot type and evaluate your gait to help you choose the best athletic shoe for your mechanics. The same goes for findng athletic shoes for walking, cross training and any other sport. You also want to familiarize yourself with the stores return policy and find out if they offer a membership that would provide you with a discount. The fact is sometimes you won't know if an athletic shoe is going to work for you until you've tried it out a few times. Some specialty retailers will offer a more lenient return policy on their athletic shoes and sometimes paying a higher price will save you money in the long run.
The segment of athletic shoes design that has spent the most money for research and development is for running shoes, so that is where our main focus will be. Athletic shoes for running can get quite specific; there will be athletic shoes not only for every body/foot type and gait, but also athletic shoes designed for the type of running you do. There will be athletic shoes for long distance running, middle distance and sprints, as well as specific athletic shoes for the throwing events in track and field.
First you need to figure out the type of athletic shoes you need. Athletic shoes for running come in 3 designs: neutral, stability, and motion control. You will need a running specialist to evaluate your foot to determine which athletic shoes will be best for you. A properly fitted running shoe will then help to correct your mechanics and not contribute towards improper alignment of your foot. This will help to reduce possible injury stemming from your athletic shoes negatively impacting your running mechanics.
The next step is to choose what size athletic shoes you need. Long distance running athletic shoes should fit slightly larger than your casual shoes. You will need some wiggle room for your toes because of the tendency for the foot to move forward in the shoe during your stride. If you purchase athletic shoes in your typical shoe size you will most likely end up with black toenails from slamming into the front of the toebox. If the brand of athletic shoes your are trying on come in widths you need to be sure you are purchasing the proper size. The width of your athletic shoes is just as important as their length. Only certain companies manufacture athletic shoes in width sizes. Choosing one of these brands will help you get the fit that will best accommodate your foot in the toe box. Foot lenght and width will be measured at a running specialty store.
If you have not already narrowed down your list of athletic shoes by brand based on the availability of length and width sizes, now will be the time. Many people ask for a recommendation for brand of athletic shoes and this is best figured out for yourself because each brand will fit each person differently. You must not let yourself be swayed by the latest commercial or famous athlete who is suggesting you buy one brand over another. These recommendations are backed by huge endorsement contracts and don't take into consideration your specific athletic shoes needs.
Some specialty stores will have a treadmill in the store so that you can do some running while in the store to see how the athletic shoes feel. Once you have figured out what athletic shoes to buy, try them out for a few short runs. If the athletic shoes work well for you, and if your wallet can handle it, go back and purchase 1 to 3 more pairs of the same athletic shoes. Rotating your athletic shoes for each run will greatly increase their lifespan. The inner material of the athletic shoes will wear down much faster if you wear the same pair day after day. If you have a few pairs if athletic shoes to rotate, each pair will last you much longer than if you only had one to use. Just like your body recovers after each run so do your athletic shoes. It will cost you more initially but really save you a lot in the future.
Athletic shoes for walking are constructed differently than a running shoe because the impact and stride are different. A walking shoe needs to be very flexible to allow the walker to roll through each stride in addition to having a cushion heel due to heel strike impact. Most running stores now specialize in walking for fitness as well. You will go through much of the same evaluation for your walking shoe before you make a final choice. First you will choose your heel cushion type; high, medium, or low. Then size, width, and brand. One of the biggest differences between a walking shoe and a running shoe is the exterior material at the toe box. In a walking shoe this should be leather, where as in a running shoe it will be a mesh material. This part of walking shoes should be leather due to the fact that the great toe hits the top of the toe box repetitively with each swing phase of your stride. Over time you will wear a hole in that part of the shoe if it were a lighter material.
A huge seller in athletic shoes is the cross-trainer. Don't be fooled into thinking that the cross-trainer will be able to cross over to many sports. While it is more of an all around shoe it is mainly for wearing around town or in the gym for weight training. It is about fit and comfort but should not be mistaken for the shoe to cover all your recreational sporting activities. Leave your running or walking shoes at home and wear your cross-trainer out and about or just around the house on the weekends.
All sport specific athletic shoes will have characteristics ideally suited to that sport. Don't make the mistake of trying to find one pair of athletic shoes that will cover all of your bases. Choose a retailer that knows the ins and outs of your sport and the demands it will place on your athletic shoes. It makes an unbelievable difference in performance and prevention of injury to have the proper support and fit. Athletic shoes are constantly evolving and improving so make sure to read the reviews and do plenty of research so that you can make an educated purchase.
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