I’m not your average girl. I just don’t like shoe
shopping and don’t believe in having a billion shoes. So when my athletic shoes
began to wear holes in them, Drew persisted to force me to go shopping and get
new ones. I had worn these in my mud run and was still working out in them a
week later.
Stop making that face, I washed them, don’t worry! Anyway, I’ve
had these shoes a while. In fact, they were my graduation present for high
school a few months before I graduated… I’m about to graduate college 3 years
later. So, I was definitely a little overdue. Athletic shoes, especially
running shoes, should be replaced every 4 to 6 months if worn and run in
several times a week, and definitely every year.
Well, how do you know
when they’re starting to get worn down even though they look okay? Your body
will tell you! Old shoes can cause knee pain, shin splints, calf pains,
hamstring and quad problems, and even mess with your hips and back! Also, if
you’re that person that pounds the pavement when you run because you’re not
very light on your feet, you’ll have to change your shoes more often. This also
is the case if you’re a real athlete and run on the pavement and on courses
instead of a treadmill, which eliminates part of the running step, but that’sfor a later time…
Fun fact: your soles
will last longer than the cushioning and shock absorber. So if the soles are
wearing down, you’re overdue! If you log your mileage, runners or walkers
should get new shoes around every 350-500 miles. Old shoes are also a huge cause
of stability and motion control. This means rolled ankles are going to be a
higher risk. The next thing I love to do is go cheap. I don’t want to spend
over one hundred dollars on a shoe that I’m going to wear a year and I’ll
probably get dirty in mud or on the course. Well, I’m not going to lie, it’s
worth it. A few extra bucks is a lot better than rehab or a brace or medical
problems that can occur later due to the increased stress you placed on your
feet and legs. Those feet and legs have to last you a lifetime! Take care of
them! Athletes need to wear shoes that are in harmony with the natural
curvature of their foot. My old shoes were actually fit to my foot at the New
Balance store and it was heaven!
So, how do you know
what type of shoe to get? Excellent question! First of all, don’t get a weight
lifting shoe to run a marathon and vice versa. First, determine how much ankle
support you need and if you’re relying solely on the shoe or if you want added
support from a brace or tape. Second, don’t get extreme arches since this will
cause tilting and hinder balance and stability. Get an arch that controls the
resting position of the feet. Next, make sure the shoe isn’t too heavy for what
you are going to be doing. Finally, make sure it fits right. A shoe too big
will cause tripping, falling, blisters, and probably some embarrassment. Too
small shoes will cause pain, bunions, hammertoe, turf toe, lack of blood
circulation, bending toes, and again, lots of pain. Oh, and if they’re cute and
neon that’s always a plus too! To most this is common sense. But hey jack, if
you work out hard, you have to have the right equipment when you endu!
That would have been very good to know whenever i ran cross country.
ReplyDeleteOrrahh,
Josh
For cross country season, you may have to go through 2 pairs of shoes to ensure health.
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