By Paul Yoon, SPT

DPT Student at Mercer University in Atlanta, GA

 Shoes: from the sneaker head to the casual shoe wearer, shoes are something we all wear and need. When it comes to choosing the right footwear, this blog outlines some factors to consider in your next shoe purchase journey, including size and comfort

 

Why Should I Care About My Footwear?

 Your feet are the first parts of your body to make contact with the ground. Whether standing, walking or running, your feet help absorb and produce the force necessary to perform the necessary tasks.

The feet can have a profound influence higher up the chain influencing knee mechanics, hip mechanics, and even the lower back. Finding the right footwear, in addition to the right exercises, is one piece of the puzzle for individuals who may be having feet, knee, or hip discomfort.

 

The ABCs of Finding The Right Footwear

 A helpful acronym for remembering how to pick the right shoes for you are your A.B.C.s. Credit goes out to Dr. Deborah Wendland of Mercer University for first introducing me to this topic. Keep in mind that although these principles generally apply to all shoes, specific sports such as running, weightlifting, or sports that require cleats may have additional considerations that are outside of what this article can cover.

The material covered in this article is best applied for casual and professional footwear. 

• A – Arch

• B – Ball width

• C – Comfort

• S – Size

 

A - Arch

 

This is referring to whether you have supinated (high arch) vs. pronated (flat arch) vs. neutral arch in your feet. During walking or running, a typically functioning foot should be in supination (arch) when the foot hits the ground, gradually pronate (flatten) as you put more body weight over the foot, and then supinate (arch again) as your foot starts to come off the ground. This is optimal for maximizing your body’s efficiency of producing and accepting force.

The problem becomes when your foot is stuck in one direction vs. another throughout the entire walking cycle. A supinated foot can be too rigid and take away from your body’s ability to accept force, while a pronated foot can lack the rigidity necessary to propel your body to efficiently take the next step. This consequence can affect everything up the kinetic chain as we previously discussed.

 An easy and effective way to determine if you are a pronator or supinator is to look at the tread marks on the bottom of your shoes (see below). If you have more wear and tear on the inside of the foot (medial wear), you are likely an individual who has an excessive pronator. If you have more wear and tear on the outside of the foot (lateral wear), you are likely an individual who is an excessive supinator. Tread marks in the middle likely mean you do a good job of both pronating and supinating, which is the best of both worlds.

       

What Can I Do About It?

Pronators

For the pronators (myself included) – You need a shoe that provides more stability. A quick and easy fix is to firmly tie your laces together as that can stabilize the amount of motion that occurs in the mid-foot. Second, look for a shoe with a strong heel counter. If you look at the image above, the heel counter is the blue wrap around the back of the shoe, synonymous with the heel stabilizer. A strong heel counter will give you the external stability to help control your foot.

If you firmly squeeze the back of your shoe, a strong heel counter should not have much give. Be extra cautious when selecting athletic shoes as athletic shoes tend to have more give than most, which is not ideal for feet that overpronate. If you happen to find a shoe that has a firmer medial (inside) heel counter vs. lateral (outside), even better as that will help provide more stability that a pronated foot needs.

The last aspect you should consider is a type of material used in the midsole called dual-density. A dual-density midsole can help control the amount of pronation that occurs.

 

Supinators

For the supinators – you need a shoe that provides more cushioning to help your legs absorb forces more efficiently. Look for shoes that have more cushion at the midsole. Another option is to find a sock liner or orthosis as that can also make up for the difference.

 For the neutral arch individuals – you have more leeway when picking the right shoe to optimize your natural arch. Look for a balance of a firm heel counter and a shoe that provides enough cushioning. Remember, both pronation and supination are natural when we walk, you just don’t want too much of one vs. another.

  

B – Ball Width

Ball width measures the front of your foot from the inside to the outside. You do not want a shoe that squishes one side vs another. If you know that you have a wide toe box, look for shoes with wide toe boxes. If you know that you have narrow feet, look for shoes that conform well to your narrow feet.

Having too little room can affect the amount of motion that occurs at your toes, affecting the muscles and joints higher up the body, and having too much room can create unnecessary motion at the foot with the same consequence.

 

C – Comfort

This one does not need much explanation. When choosing a shoe, comfort should be factored in. A shoe should feel comfortable to you as it will be on your feet for most of the day! Just be conscious of the fact that wearing a new type of shoe that your body is not used to will require some time for your body to adjust.

 

S – Size

Shoe size mostly refers to the length of the shoe (see the image above). To determine proper shoe size, you should generally aim for no more than ½ inch of space in front of your longest toe. Although not listed, you should also consider other unique aspects of your foot. This includes factors like unique toe shapes, mid foot height, etc. Taking all of this into account, you will find the correct shoe size specifically for your foot.

 

Thanks for reading along! I hope that keeping the ABCs (arch, ball width, comfort, and size) in mind will help you when you go out to buy your next shoe.

Have more questions about choosing the right shoes to wear? Contact Move Strong Physical Therapy, located in Hudson, MA - our team is happy to help.