With the modern hectic schedule; exercise has become a necessity rather than a hobby and one of the best forms of exercising is jogging and running.
Wouldn’t new and comfortable athletic shoes encourage you?
Proper-fitted athletic shoes could make all the good changes to your walk while giving you all the advantages of jogging and much-required exercise.
So If you have decided to take your shoe game up a notch; extra knowledge about your special requirements won’t hurt. Especially with so many options available on and offline, here are a few tips that will help you to choose the best athletic shoes between the variety:
The first and the most important thing while choosing athletic shoes is to always know your foot type. This might come as a surprise but different foot types idealize your athletic shoe requirements.
There are high and low arches in your foot that determine what type of shoe will suit your foot the best while providing maximum comfort.
If you want to know about your foot type you can take one of the many tests called the “Wet Test” that can be performed simply by wetting your foot and placing it on a surface or a paper to accurately trace it.
10 Tips For Choosing Athletic Shoes
1. Overpronation:-
If you have flat feet with no curves or just a little bit of curve the footwear tends to overpronate simply meaning that your feet roll inward and you have low arches. An athletic shoe with a motion-control feature and maximum support will suit your feet.
2. Underpronation:-
If you have high arches and the footprints show a narrow connection between the heel and the front part of the foot then the footwear tends to underpronate.
An athletic shoe with a cushioning and soft midsole would be an ideal choice for your foot type. Those with a neutral arch should look for any athletic shoe that has a stabilizing feature and proper cushioning.
Another important tip is to choose according to the active exercise that you are performing. If you use running shoes while walking they might trouble your feet and this discomfort might accelerate over time the same goes for using running shoes for walking. Choose different athletic shoes for different activities.
3. Feet change:-
A widespread myth about foot size is that it doesn’t change in an adult; foot size can change over time and to get the correct size of footwear it’s necessary to check foot size every two years as it may change and you will end up getting the incorrect size. Different brands have different size charts so be sure to purchase the shoe that fits perfectly and not be confused between the chats.
4. Shop toward the end of the day:-
During activities like running and jogging, feet tend to swell and enlarge hence it’s crucial that the shoes fit your foot even when they expand.
5. Bring your socks:-
Wear your socks and try on the athletic shoes, if they don’t fit then consider the size again. The shoes should feel comfortable even when you wear them with socks.
6. Don’t believe in breaking in:-
It’s not true that the shoes will fit comfortably once you start exercising they should fit perfectly and comfortably even when you wear them for the very first time.
7. Use the rule of thumb:-
The American University of orthopedic Surgeons has suggested that while your feet are inside the athletic shoe, all your toes should be free enough to move a bit.
To find the perfect fit make sure that the thumb doesn’t touch the shoe and a gap of ideally half-inch should be left. The heel of the shoe shouldn’t slip out while running as well as the top should be secure enough to fit properly.
8. Understand the bells and whistles:-
with so many innovations athletic shoes are manufactured according to preferences and the needs of the customers. Various varieties serve different requirements for example cushioning, extra shock absorption, Freon, and foam or gel filling are all added in the shoes to improvise them.
Do some research and be sure to take advice from the employees of the store to make sure that you purchase what you need.
9. Don’t over- or underpay:-
Consider your budget and find an athletic shoe that fits you and your budget perfectly. Don’t pay too much or too less just check the quality and match it with the cost of that shoe. It’s not correct to pay too much for a fancy looking shoe that doesn’t even fit you and pay too less for an average but an uncomfortable shoe.
10. Know when to replace them:-
Make sure that you replace the shoe when necessary. When the shoes become less comfortable and when you feel that inside has worn out then be sure to change the shoes. When you have used them for 350-450 miles its important to replace them.
