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EXERCISE SHOES: WHICH ONES ARE RIGHT FOR ME?

ADVICE, ADVICE, AND MORE ADVICE.

Everyone has lots of advice to give when it comes to exercise. And when it comes to something like buying shoes, what started as something simple can become an exercise in sheer confusion, with dozens of people suggesting this product, that philosophy, these orthodics, or those cross trainers. 

With that in mind, we’d like to simplify things for you. Instead of telling you exactly what shoes to buy (since that would be impossible), we’d like to give you a set of simple, common-sense guidelines to follow when you need to buy an exercise shoe. So yeah—we’ve got lots of advice, too, but it’s honest and straightforward.

First, you need to determine if you fit into the ‘majority’ category, with feet that aren’t too exceptionally different from the norm, or if you need some extra attention, either due to injury or extraordinary circumstances.

OPTION #1: FOR THE LARGE MAJORITY OF US.

We all have different feet, but let’s assume most of them fall into a normal level of variation: you’ve got some arch, your feet are not excessively wide, and so on. As we said above: if you have serious problems with your feet, have incurred injuries in the past, or have feet that are significantly different (i.e. completely flat or extremely wide), move on to the second section of this article. Otherwise, keep reading!

Finding the best shoe to exercise in shouldn’t be very difficult, and definitely shouldn’t take you weeks to do. First: head down to your local running shoe store. Skip the mall-based franchise shops and get to a specialist store where the staff are all active, tend to be slightly older than, say, 18, and look like they have a vested interest in what they’re doing. 

If the store sponsors various runs and marathons, and has partnerships with gyms or sports associations, it’s a good sign. Look for a low-pressure sales staff, too. What you don’t want: most of the employees being between 16 and 18 years of age, and 50% of the shoes being variations of Air Jordans or Converse All-Stars. That’s not a place to be looking for fitness advice. Stores like that are fine for buying shoes, not for asking complex questions about your health and fitness.

Once you’ve found a good store, talk with the salesperson for a while about what kind of exercise you’re planning to do. If you’re doing mostly weight training or the kind of workouts we feature here on the site, a basic running or cross-training shoe should be more than adequate. Get as much advice as you can, and try out several pairs before deciding. 

If your workout regimen involves a lot of running, heavy aerobics or something more complex, like high-intensity interval training with lots of fast, intense sprinting, you’ll need to ask more questions, especially about shoes geared to your specific exercise. 

There are aerobics shoes designed to minimize the impact of continuously jumping up and down during a routine, and of course there are about fourteen billion varieties of running shoes out there, too, made for whatever kind of running you happen to do. If you ask lots of questions and make sure you’re talking to someone who knows his/her stuff, you’ll be just fine.

Talk about the shape of your feet, and try and demonstrate to an employee how your foot strikes the ground. Most good shops will have a staff that’s quite knowledgeable, and after one or two visits, you should be able to head home with a pair of shoes that you can happily exercise in for a long time.

Taking the time to get proper shoes that are reasonably adapted to your feet and feel comfortable will greatly reduce your chance of injury, and make your workouts that much more enjoyable.

OPTION #2: SOME MAINTENANCE REQUIRED.

Now, what happens if you have serious problems with your feet? Have you incurred an injury in the past, either while running, or at the gym, or doing any kind of exercise?

This is where you should be getting medical advice, and not just trying a variety of store-bought shoes until something works. Your doctor might suggest orthodics, physiotherapy, or specially fitted shoes to deal with your particular problem, and it’s advice you’d be wise to follow. If necessary, find a doctor who specializes in sports medicine or foot injury. 

And finally: always stay alert in situations like this. There are loads of products out there that claim to reduce or prevent injury—you can buy $15 arch supports practically anywhere, or you can spend hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on expensive orthodics instead. They all claim to do the same things. Some shoes come with built in arch supports, others with varying levels of support, or neutral soles, and about 20 other modifications too.

And there is no universal solution, because every foot and every problem or injury is different. There’s only good, common sense, which is what we’re giving you here. Stick with the professionals, trust your best instincts, and always use your head. Your body will thank you for it.

Best,

Frederick