Put Your Best Foot Forward
My daughter hasn’t quite figured out the importance of comfortable shoes. It’s like she feels sorry for me because my shoe choices have gone from stylish to orthopedic.
Honestly, I don’t care anymore. My feet are way too important to me.
Your feet are the foundation of every stride you take. Time to start treating them that way.
A 2007 online article by Hal Higdon for Runners World says, “our feet absorb more force during running than any other part of the body. Our feet propel us. Our feet have the absolute power to make running comfortable—or miserable. Our feet ache, blister, sweat, crack, peel, itch and smell. Our feet are essential.”
So why is it that so few runners give their feet proper care? We stretch our hamstrings, tighten our stomachs, and carbo-load our muscles, but barely pay any attention at all to our feet.
After the knee, the foot is the most frequently injured body part. What’s more, foot anomalies can lead to pain and injury of the shins, knees, hips and lower back, making us injury-prone when we really shouldn’t be.
Yes, it’s time to start acknowledging the importance of your feet
Find the Perfect Fit
Proper shoe selection is vital to foot health—not merely the shoe brand and model, but the fit.
“Bad shoe fit can cause a multitude of problems for your feet, everything from numbness and burning, to blisters and painful calluses,” says Rick Braver, D.P.M., a podiatrist in Englewood, N.J., who treats many runners. Shoes that are too short can cause black toenails. Shoes that are too narrow in the forefoot can cause pinched-nerve pain, bunions, corns or calluses. Shoes that are too wide allow the foot to slide around, which causes undue friction, which in turn can lead to blisters. And so on.
Unfortunately, many shoe stores carry only the most popular sizes. If you have especially large, small, narrow or wide feet, your shoe choice may be limited. Some brands offer width sizing in a couple of models—particularly New Balance, which offers three or four widths with every model. Orthotics wearers or runners with high arches often need shoes with more depth. So if you require a shoe that’s anything out of the ordinary, you need to shop around. As always, your best bet is a specialty running store.
And when you go shopping, seek out a pedorthist. A few running stores have these shoe-fitting specialists on duty, but runners too often depend on salespeople with limited shoe-fitting knowledge. This is particularly true in big sporting-goods chain stores, where the person selling running shoes may not even run.
Even if you do get the right fit, realize that shoes shrink over time, particularly if you get them wet often (either from excessive sweat or precipitation). And while your shoes are shrinking, your feet are getting bigger and wider. Not overnight, mind you, but over the years your feet can expand two full sizes or more, which is why you should be measured every time you buy shoes. (For more shoe-fitting tips, see “Get Fit Now” above.)
Extend Your Tread Life
Once you purchase shoes with the right fit, you then need to maintain them and replace them when they’re worn out. The average life of most running shoes is 350-500 miles, but if you’re a heavier or taller runner, or if your gait isn’t smooth, you may need new shoes sooner. Even you light-footed types should know that shoe materials deteriorate fairly quickly; after just 100 miles, a running shoe loses some of its shock-absorption.
After a wet run, many runners throw their shoes next to a heater or put them in direct sunlight to dry. Bad move. Over time, this will cause your shoes to shrink. Nor should you stash your running shoes in an unheated garage or on the outside porch in cold weather. Cold temperatures make the midsoles harder and less cushiony. It’s best to store your running shoes in the house away from the heat after removing insoles or orthotics.
A tip: If you run every day, invest in multiple pairs of running shoes so you always have a dry pair. And pay attention to the condition of your shoes, especially the midsole, the section between the outer tread and the “upper” that your foot fits into.
If the midsole is compressed, brittle or feels unusually hard, it’s probably worn out. If so, don’t use the shoes for running. Gardening maybe, but not running.
Examine Your Loafers
Fit is just as critical in your non-running footwear as it is in your running shoes. Generally, a shoe you can lace up will fit better than a shoe you can’t, such as loafers or pumps. When trying on dress shoes, put on the socks you would normally wear with them. Same goes for orthotics. If you use them in your dress shoes (a good idea), make certain you wear them when trying on new shoes.
Also, dress shoes with rubber soles offer more cushioning than hard-soled shoes. And as any podiatrist will tell you, high-heeled shoes should be outlawed. Aside from the agony of squeezing your foot into them, impact forces for high heels are six times what they are for regular shoes. New York City-based pedorthist Robert Schwartz says if you like to wear heels frequently, don’t go any higher than 1 inch.
Utilize Your Sock Options
Ill-fitting socks are one of the primary causes of blisters. Wet socks and cotton socks can also cause blistering. Dave Zimmer, owner of Fleet Feet Sports in Chicago, always points his running customers to a rack of form-fitting socks made of acrylic materials. He stocks many different styles of socks for runners: five brands and four thicknesses. “Fit is as important in socks as it is in shoes,” says Zimmer.
Fortunately, socks cost significantly less than shoes, so you can afford to experiment. Just make sure you try on socks with your running shoes. When you do find a brand, style and fabric that works for you, buy several pairs. But keep in mind that the pair that works well in a summer 5-K may not provide the same comfort during a marathon or keep your feet warm in winter. With so many sock options, there’s no excuse for wearing the wrong pair.
*To be continued next week.