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3 types of athletic shoes — which is right for you?

With 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 tendons, muscles and ligaments, our feet are a complicated part of the body. Add high arches, low arches, bunions and other individual features and it’s no wonder that buying the right pair of shoes — ones that don’t cause knee pain, blisters or other issues when we run or walk — can be a challenge.

On Tuesday night at Galter LifeCenter, podiatrist Dr. Michael Oster and physical therapist Jason Walters, both of Swedish Covenant Hospital, offered a quick guide to finding the best-fitting athletic shoes for your feet.

“Purchasing the appropriate shoe for your personal foot type can help prevent injury (such as plantar fasciitis), slow down degenerative processes (such as bunion and hammer toe), and facilitate the efficiency of performance during activities like walking and running,” Walters said.

Because there are hundreds of running shoes on the market, you’ll need to determine what type of shoe you need based on a gait analysis (how you walk/run).

Dr. Oster recommends starting with a doctor if you are experiencing discomfort or other foot issues.

"If you're having foot pain problems, go to a medical professional first to find out what kind of shoe you need,” Dr. Oster said. “If you're not having any pain or problems, you can go to a specialty running store to be evaluated."

Some local specialty shoe stores offering evaluations include Universal Sole (3052 N. Lincoln Ave. and 111 N. Wabash Ave.), Fleet Feet (4762 N. Lincoln Ave. and 1620 N. Wells St.), and New Balance (2369 N. Clark St. and three suburban locations).

Three types of shoes

Running shoes — which Oster and Walters recommend for both running and walking — come in three general categories, and the type you get depends on how your foot moves as you walk or run:

1. Motion Control shoes – These shoes have a straight shape and are designed to limit excessive pronation (inward rolling of the foot)
2. Stability shoes – These shoes help with milder pronation and have a semi-curved shape
3. Cushioning shoes  – These shoes have minimal arch support, are curved and are good for limiting supination (outward rolling of the foot) or mild pronation.

The type of shoe you wear will most likely change throughout your life because of injuries or illness, hammer toe or bunions, weight gain or even because of a change in activity that puts a greater demand on your feet, such as tackling a marathon or a job that keeps you on your feet all day.  

You’ll want to get new shoes every 400 to 500 miles, before the midsole wears out and you lose the support that shoes offer. Wearing them beyond this point can cause knee and other pain.

Finding the right fit

Walters offered these tips for ensuring that your shoe fits correctly:

• Adequate length: There should be about ½-inch to 3/8-inch of space between your big toe and the end of the shoe.
• Adequate width: Your foot shouldn’t be bulging on either side of the shoe. Do a pinch test to ensure there’s no excess material on the sides.
• Snug heel fit: Your heel shouldn’t pop or slide out as you walk.

Shoe recommendations

Dr. Michael Oster, podiatrist at Swedish Covenant  Hospital, recommends the following shoes but noted it’s important to have your foot/gait evaluated to determine which type is best for you first.

Maximum Motion Control:
Brooks Beast (men), Ariel (women)
New Balance 1123
Saucony ProGrid Stabil CS

Moderate Motion Control:
Asics Foundation 9
Brooks Addiction 9
Mizuno Renegade 4

Stability (mild motion control):
Asics 2150
Brooks Adrenaline GTS 10
Mizuno Alchemy 9

Cushion:
Asics Nimbus 12
Asics Glycerin 8
Mizuno Wave Creation 11

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