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What Type of Shoes Should I Exercise In?

February 20, 2015 By Philip 7 Comments

What Type of Shoes should I Exercise In?

The picture above shows all the different types of shoes I exercise in.  My wife calls me a diva because I have so many shoes, each for a different purpose.  I have a pair of running shoes for when I run on the street, a pair of trail shoes for when I run the trails, a pair of cross training shoes for general exercise…you get the idea.  Each shoe you see here was designed with a specific exercise in mind – running, basketball, cross training, weight lifting, etc.

The reason I have so many shoes is because I learned very early on that the right shoes are important.  When I first decided to try and start running, I went running in an old pair of basketball sneakers I had.  Within a couple of weeks of running, my knee hurt so bad I swore I had torn an ACL (I hadn’t.  Just inflamed).     Last year, when I was trying to get my friends to come running with me, one of them showed up in basketball shoes, and within the first quarter mile his feet were killing him.  In both cases, it’s because basketball shoes simply aren’t designed for endurance distance running.

So how do you pick the right pair of shoes?  Here are 3 things to consider:

  1. What type of training program are you undertaking?  If you’re training for your first 5k, you’ll want to invest in a good pair of running shoes.  If you’re going to be focused on a walking program, then a good pair of walking shoes is in order.  If you’re going to be doing some cross training (like HIIT, weight training, etc.) then a pair of cross trainers may be best for you.
  2. What type of foot do you have?  The simplest thing to do is take the wet test.  This can help you determine the arch of your foot, and can guide you to select the correct cushioning and stability features in a shoe.
  3. Make sure it fits.  This might sound like common sense, but I know I’ve talked myself into a pair of shoes that didn’t quite fit the way I wanted because they were a good price or the style I wanted – and I later regretted it.  Make sure when you go for a fitting that you bring the socks you’ll most likely be wearing when training so you know exactly how the shoes feels.

Getting the right shoes is a worthwhile investment when exercising, so choose the right pair for you.

Filed Under: Sports Training, What to Wear

Comments

  1. belisia says

    February 23, 2015 at 6:26 pm

    would you recommend the vibram style shoes for walking/running? I’ve always wanted a pair!

    Reply
    • Philip says

      February 23, 2015 at 8:39 pm

      Belisia – if you’re starting out running, I would not recommend them. Research has shown that they increase the risk of injury for running (http://www.runnersworld.com/barefoot-running-minimalism/study-vibram-fivefingers-lead-to-greater-risk-of-foot-bone-injury). I wear them mostly on leg day when I’m doing squats and deadlifts because they allow me to have better contact with the ground when doing those lifts. But they are probabaly ok to slip on to run to the store or something in place of flip-flops.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Keys to Preventing Injury says:
    April 12, 2015 at 6:49 pm

    […] sure to check your footwear.  As I’ve written before, the right footwear make a big […]

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  2. Saturday Run Club – Now Twice as Nice! says:
    June 15, 2015 at 2:20 pm

    […] sure you have a good pair of running shoes.  If you show up in basketball shoes, I’m going to recommend you not run so you don’t hurt […]

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  3. Saturday Run Club – June 27, 2015 says:
    June 22, 2015 at 10:34 am

    […] sure you have a good pair of running shoes.  If you show up in basketball shoes, I’m going to recommend you not run so you don’t hurt […]

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  4. Saturday Run Club – July 4, 2015 says:
    July 1, 2015 at 9:13 am

    […] sure you have a good pair of running shoes.  If you show up in basketball shoes, I’m going to recommend you not run so you don’t hurt […]

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  5. What socks to wear running says:
    July 28, 2015 at 9:54 am

    […] a pearl in my shoe, but rather a painful blister.  It was a good reminder for me that just as the right shoes are important, so are the right socks.  I’ve been distance running in some regular old cotton socks […]

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