A Podiatrist’s Guide to Running Shoes
Walking into a running store can feel incredibly overwhelming. You are instantly greeted by a massive wall of brightly colored sneakers featuring thick foams, carbon plates, and complex marketing terms.
Choosing the right pair is about much more than picking your favorite color. Buying the wrong running shoe is the absolute fastest way to develop severe shin splints, inflamed Achilles tendons, and aching plantar fasciitis.
Before you spend your hard-earned money on a new pair of athletic shoes this season, you need a strategy. Below, the Reconstructive Foot & Ankle Institute explains how to ensure that your next pair of running shoes protects your joints and enhances performance.
Rule 1: Shop in the Late Afternoon
Timing is everything when it comes to a proper fit. As you stand and walk throughout the day, gravity forces fluid into your lower extremities, causing your feet to naturally swell.
- If you buy a pair of running shoes first thing in the morning, they will likely fit perfectly in the store.
- However, when your feet swell during a three-mile run, those same shoes will suddenly compress your nerves and crush your toes.
- Always buy your athletic shoes in the late afternoon or early evening when your feet are at their maximum size.
Rule 2: The Thumb Width Measurement
Your feet slide forward slightly with every single step you take on a run. If your toes are constantly slamming into the rigid front of your shoe, you will quickly develop blackened toenails and painful ingrown borders.
- To prevent this repetitive trauma, you must leave adequate space in the toe box.
- When standing up with the shoes laced, you should have a full thumb width of space between your longest toe and the front tip of the shoe.
- Note that your longest toe is often your second toe, not your big toe!
Rule 3: The Bend and Twist Test
A running shoe must provide a stable foundation to protect your plantar fascia ligament. You can test the structural integrity of any sneaker right in the aisle.
- First, try to fold the shoe completely in half. A good athletic shoe should only bend at the ball of the foot, right where your natural toe joints bend. If the shoe easily folds in half right through the middle of the arch, it lacks a rigid shank and will fail to support your foot.
- Second, grab the heel and the toe and try to wring the shoe out like a wet towel. A supportive shoe will fight back and resist twisting. If it twists effortlessly into a spiral, it offers zero lateral stability and puts you at a high risk for ankle sprains.
Rule 4: Match the Shoe to Your Arch
Different foot types require entirely different mechanical support.
- Flat Feet: If your arches collapse toward the floor when you stand, you overpronate. You need a stability shoe featuring a dense foam post on the inside edge to stop your ankles from rolling inward.
- High Arches: If you have rigid, high arches, your feet do not absorb shock well. You need a neutral, highly cushioned shoe to absorb the impact of the pavement before it reaches your knees.
Rule 5: Reject the Break-In Myth
Athletic shoes should feel completely comfortable the exact moment you lace them up.
- If a shoe pinches your heel or rubs your pinky toe in the store, take it off immediately.
- You should never have to suffer through blisters and bleeding skin to make a running shoe fit your foot.
Upgrade Your Foundation
Sometimes, even the best running shoe on the market cannot fix a deep structural flaw in your walking pattern. If you continually fight foot and knee pain despite wearing premium athletic footwear, your body is asking for clinical help!
Reconstructive Foot & Ankle Institute, LLC offers comprehensive podiatric services. Call us at 301-797-8554 or contact us to schedule an appointment. Located in Hagerstown & Frederick, MD, we’re ready to meet any of your foot health needs.
