Choosing a Shoe

Health > Choosing a Shoe

The importance of correct footwear

When choosing a shoe, there are several factors which need to be taken into consideration to ensure the shoe is most appropriate for the individual. Because everyone's feet move differently and are different shapes, the ideal shoe for one person may differ completely from the next. In addition many shoes are built with different characteristics which make them ideal for certain activities on specific surfaces. The perfect shoe for an individual therefore needs to be selected to suit their feet and their specific needs.

Injuries due to poor footwear

It is well documented that inappropriate footwear and poor foot posture are major contributing factors in the development of many lower limb injuries. Some of these may include:

Plantar Fasciitis
Shin Splints
Achilles Tendonitis
ITB Friction Syndrome
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
Patella Tendonitis
Stress Fractures (such as Tibial Stress Fractures)

It is therefore vital that you choose the correct shoe to assist in injury prevention and injury rehabilitation.

Which shoe should I buy?

It is important to choose a shoe that is designed to support your foot type. There are three main categories of foot types:

NEUTRAL – normal foot
PRONATOR – flat foot
SUPINATOR – high arch foot

Having your feet assessed during standing, walking and running by an experienced physiotherapist or podiatrist is the best way to determine your foot type. There are also many shoe stores that can assess your feet to determine your foot type. The Athlete's Foot in Australia is one example.

Alternatively, a simple test to determine your foot type is the wet test. After having a shower, with your feet still wet, step onto a dry surface and have a look at your wet foot print. If your foot print does not have a C-curve on the inner aspect of the foot print (figure 3) you are likely to be a PRONATOR (flat foot), if you have a very prominent C-curve on the inner aspect of the foot print (figure 4), you are likely to be a SUPINATOR (high arch) and if it's somewhere in between (figure 2) you're likely to have a NEUTRAL (normal foot).

NEUTRAL FOOT REQUIREMENTS

Ideal shoe should not be designed to support the foot in any way, but should provide good cushioning, comfort and stability.

PRONATOR FOOT REQUIREMENTS

These foot types require a motion control or stability shoe with a firm mid-sole and good arch support
The aim with these shoes is to try and slow down pronation.

SUPINATOR FOOT REQUIREMENTS

These foot types require a comfort shoe with extra cushioning.
The shoe should encourage pronation.
Motion control or stability shoes are not appropriate.

Once you have determined your foot type, it is important to choose a shoe that supports your foot type and requirements. This is important since there are many shoe types designed with different properties for specific activities (e.g. walking shoes, running shoes, tennis shoes, cross trainers etc.) For example, if you want shoes for walking and you have pronating feet (flat feet) you should choose a walking shoe for pronating feet.