FOOTWEAR IN SPORTS
By Adam Jorgensen
Get some professional podiatrist advice for your footwear from Adam
www.thefootpractice.com

Traditionally the expectation of sports footwear was to cushion the foot and to protect the foot from the playing surfaces. The modern athlete also demands this of their shoes, however, also expect their shoe to enhance their performance, help prevent injury (generally by stabilizing the foot) and to provide the optimum fit. Indeed many injuries to the lower limb, particularly chronic injuries, may be avoided, minimized and sometimes treated with appropriate footwear.

Selecting a Shoe

Understanding of the characteristics of footwear allows a more educated selection of the appropriate footwear. More important is understanding the needs of the wearer.

Below are some simple criteria (The Three F’S) to follow when selecting a shoe.

Function:

What are you using the shoes for?
The stresses placed on the feet differ between sports. The lateral motion sports may include pivoting, stopping and starting motions. These characteristic motions place different strains on the feet, and therefore footwear, than the repetitive loading, uniform motions of sports such as running. Therefore the characteristics and needs of the shoes should be met according to the activity. The lateral motion sportsperson may benefit from a more durable sole with increased ankle stability whereas the runner may require increased cushioning in a lightweight shoe.

What is your level of participation?
A national athlete may train daily, and therefore invests in several pairs of high quality, lightweight racing shoes.High mileages will wear these shoes quickly and therefore need regular replacement. A weekend warrior may only require a well cushioned, durable training shoe. This shoe may last the wearer for a full season of sports.

Features:

There is now a large range of footwear catering to poorly functioning feet. When choosing shoes, there are three main features to look for:-

Support: All good shoes have a rigid cup within the heel counter. This supports the heel and holds it firmly in the shoes.

Stability: Good shoes should have good longitudinal stability. This helps prevent excessive rolling and twisting of the foot. They may also have different densities within the midsole as well asstructural reinforcement materials to help reduce the sideways motion motion of the foot in the shoe.

Flexibility: The foot only flexes at the ball of the foot. Likewise a good shoe should only flex across the ball of the foot.

FIT:

It might be the best shoe but if it does not pass on the benefits to the wearer, it does not fit correctly.

Always have your feet measured. This gives a general idea of your foot size. However, take note that very few brands have identical shapes.

Tips on trying on shoes:

Should have a thumb width between the toes and the end of the shoe
Pinch material with fingers across the ball of the foot.
Always fit shoes standing up. The foot elongates in weight bearing.
Tight socks which cramp the toes should be avoided.
Wear the socks you would normally wear running.
Fit shoes at the end of the day when the feet tend to swell more.