October/November 2019 - 18

WELLNESS
FINDING THE
RIGHT FIT
There are three types of running shoes: neutral, stability
and motion control. They vary in levels of support to
accommodate the different types of feet. The goal of any
shoe is to help bring the runner to a neutral stance.
1. Neutral shoes offer no support. White foam, which
is used for cushioning, is wrapped around the entire
bottom (if you see any other block of color, it's not
a neutral shoe). This type is best for under-pronators
and neutral foot types, because it allows their naturally
aligned foot to move freely.
2. Stability shoes offer support. The support comes
from a piece of gray foam found the inside heel and arch
area. The gray piece is dense foam that prevents the foot
from fully rotating inward. It's strong enough to keep the
foot at a neutral stance through the gait cycle. This shoe
is best for moderate over-pronators. Most people fall into
this category.
3. Motion control shoes offer high support. These
shoes have a thick piece of the gray, dense foam in the
arch and heel area. The amount of dense foam (sometimes
coupled with a piece of plastic) causes the shoe to weigh
more than neutral and stability shoes. People with flat feet
who severely over-pronate need this type of shoe to hold up
their flexible ankles and flat arches.
The saying " more is better " is definitely not true when
it comes to running shoes. If you have a neutral foot, it's
harmful to use a stability or motion control shoe. Neutral
feet do not require the support those shoes offer.
Likewise, if an athlete moderately over-pronates, don't
have that person jump in a motion control shoe. This also
offers far too much support. Both shoes, in this case,
are over-correcting the problem. This leads to a whole
set of unwanted issues. It's important to embrace your
foot type.
Test the shoes
The next step is to give the shoe a test. After putting on
the shoes, have a teammate or coach follow the athlete. If
they see the Achilles standing tall with no inner rotation of
the ankle, the athlete found the proper shoe. If the ankles
still are rotating inward, repeat the process using a more
supportive shoe.
Don't forget about comfort. A shoe that corrects foot
rotation but is uncomfortable doesn't do athletes any good.
Try out a few different brands within the support category.
Shoes vary in weight, shape and amount of cushion, all of
which are important specs to consider.
Make sure the right size is chosen. When exercising,
blood is pumped to the feet, causing them to swell. If shoes
are too small or tied too tightly, the runner may experience
black toenails, tingly toes or a burning sensation in the
bottom of the feet. The shoe must give the toes wiggle room.
There needs to be about a nail's width of space between
the longest toe and the end of the shoe. This extra room
18 T&C OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019
TRAINING-CONDITIONING.COM
http://www.TRAINING-CONDITIONING.COM
October/November 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October/November 2019
