Athletic Shoes : Research your needs

In order to end up with the athletic shoes best suited to your needs, you have to clearly understand what you are looking for and what options are available to you. This is done by researching in two areas.

Firstly, you research the market to find out what kinds of athletic shoes are available, familiarizing yourself with the different features, styles and price ranges etc. Secondly, you examine your own unique requirements in athletic shoes.

Research the Market: Athletic Shoe Essentials

Just as tires are important to an automobile, exercise shoes provide your body with the cushion and support they need when taking part in a workout program. When purchasing shoes it is important to have a clear understanding of how you will be using them and the type of physical activity you plan to undertake. Before choosing an exercise shoe, it is vital to know the type of foot you have.

The first part of the research step is to investigate just what's available in the athletic shoe market. The range of options can seem overwhelming, but you can make a good start by understanding the following major features:

Specialty: Different activities stress your feet in different ways. Basketball players need lateral support, runners need flexible shoes with extra cushioning, walkers need a stiffer shoe. Buy the shoes that are appropriate for your activity. If you do more than one activity, buy more than one kind of shoe if you can afford it.

Type: Most of the major manufacturers carry shoes for the three foot types -flat foot, high arch, and neutral arch. Shoes for the flat-footed have a straight shape and a rigid midsole. Shoes for high arches have a curved or semi-curved shape and extra cushioning in the midsole. Shoes for neutral arches also have a semi-curved shape, but less rigid midsoles.

Size: Get your feet measured at least twice a year. Adult foot size does change - what fit comfortably six months ago may not work for you now. Remember that different brands size their shoes somewhat differently - and tend to focus on a specific type of foot. Some athletic shoes are geared toward people with narrow feet, others, for the wide-footed individual.

Cost: Don't over buy features, but don't under buy either. If you are hesitant to invest in the kind of shoes that will hold your feet in comfort, remember that good quality shoes are less expensive than a foot or knee injury. Brand, style, and fashion - all of which can raise the total price - should be secondary to support.

Research your needs: Questions to ask yourself

Now it's time to determine what your requirements are in athletic shoes. For example, will you use the athletic shoes only for the occasional game of tennis or will you be going to the gym and running as well?

You can start this process by considering the following questions - as well as any others you think of yourself - and recording your answers.

Have I used athletic shoes before?
	If you have used athletic shoes, work out what you did or didn't like about the shoes. You may be looking for some exactly like them, hoping to upgrade, or even trying to avoid any particular features that you found inconvenient.

What is your budget?
	Athletic shoes can vary greatly in price. The old adage “you get what you pay for” isn't always the case. You should be able to find a pair of athletic shoes in your budget that are perfect for what you need.

What type of exercise do you do? Do you do more than one kind?
	Think about what type of sport or training you do. If you do several kinds of sports you may find cross trainers perfect for you or you may need to purchase more than one type of athletics shoe. You may only use your athletics shoes for your morning jog so you will only need some running shoes.

How often do you work out?
	If you work out often or are in heavy training you will need a heavy duty athletics shoe that will last the distance. Less frequent workouts can get away with a cheaper shoe, especially if you don't have any health issues.

What sort of weather conditions will you be exercising in?
	If you plan to run on a muddy oval or use your shoes when they're wet, you may need a more robust shoe with better water proofing. If you will be just running on your treadmill at home or doing indoor aerobics classes, strong weather resistant shoes will not be necessary.

Do you have any health issues?
	Bad knees, poor circulation and orthotics all need to be addressed when buying athletics shoes. Think about any injuries you may have sustained in the past and whether they need extra support from your shoes.

It's important to know if you have any foot “quirks” before you go shopping. Look at a pair of shoes you've had for a while. Are the soles wearing out on one side of the shoes more than the other? Wear on the outside edge of the shoe means your feet tend to roll outward. You probably have rigid arches. Wear on the inside edge means your feet roll inward. You're flat footed.

If you can't tell, do the 'wet foot' test. Wet the bottom of your foot and step on a piece of paper. The wet mark will show your entire foot with little or no curve on the inside if you're flat footed. If you have high or rigid arches, the mark will show only a portion of your forefoot and heel, with a narrow connection between the two. If you have neutral arches, you have a footprint with a distinct curve that shows the entire forefoot and heel. Your shoes wear out evenly.

If you're flat footed, you need shoes with a motion-control feature and maximum support. If you have high or rigid arches you need cushioned shoes with a soft midsole. Neutral arches require a balance between cushioning and support.

Understanding your needs is the key to a successful purchase and you can revisit your list of needs at any time during the buying process.

Once you complete this Research step, having informed yourself about the essentials of athletic shoes and identified your needs, you are ready to move on to the next step: Evaluation.

Video Links

Athletic shoes - User review
Diesel Kashi womens athletic shoes, great for work and play. (1m 45s)