MD Podiatrist Discusses How to Test Shoes for Stability and Torsion

When you’re shoe shopping, Dan Michaels, DPM, a doctor of podiatry, recommends testing for stability and torsion. First, hold the shoe from heel to toe in your hands and push your hands together. “The shoe should only bend where your toes bend,” he says. “If it bends anywhere else, it is not stable enough to protect your plantar fascia.” Then, hold the shoe from heel to toe and attempt to twist the shoe at opposite ends, like wringing out a wet shirt.
 
 
“This tests the structural stability of the shoe,” he explains. “If it twists very easily, it does not have the correct amount of stability to support and protect your foot. The shoe should only bend where your toes bend,” he says. “If it bends anywhere else, it is not stable enough to protect your plantar fascia.”