"What type of shoes should I use to run?"

Every week I get asked “What kind of shoes should I use to run?”. Although this sounds like a very simple question, it is one of the most complex questions a Physical Therapist can get. There are many reasons for this, which I will get into, but the one that makes it the hardest is that shoes are a big investment for people, especially runners who are looking for a long term pair of shoes they can re-buy everytime they are worned out. The last thing you want to do as a Physical Therapist is to give the wrong pair of shoes to someone and it becomes detrimental to their health. 

So why isn't it a simple question?

1. Shoes aren’t the same for everyone. This sounds obvious, but you would be surprised how many people ask me “Are Nike shoes better than Adidas for running?” and the answer I always give is that it depends on your foot, running style, surface you run on, and mileage per week. Each variable can change the type of shoe you need to purchase in order to avoid injuries. Think of it as a sprinter vs an endurance runner. Their body types are different, their gait is different, and the surface is different. So, brand wise you can’t generalize the best you fit for them. 
2. Feet anatomy and biomechanics is different between people and can change over the years. Yes, your arch can decrease over the years, and all the ligaments/tendons can weaken over the years causing changes in the structure of your foot. Therefore, maybe you ran with adidas shoes for 10 years, but then they started to become uncomfortable. This is normal, as your foot may have some anatomical changes based on how long you used those shoes for. 
3. Your right foot can be different from your left foot. Yes, you read that right. We have a preferred hand, right? Very rarely someone is ambidextrous. So, do we have a preferable leg? Absolutely. Which can cause us to unconsciously put more weight on one side of our body (hence one foot) more than the other. This can cause one foot arch being taller than the other, or your heel being more pronated than the other one. This is normal, and very overseen by running stores and other medical personnel fitting shoes. We always get prescribed the same shoe for each foot, but maybe we shouldn’t?
4. Most shoes aren’t costume made or can’t be customized. This is a big problem, because of my previous point. The foot consists of three parts: forefoot, mid foot, and hindfoot. Each part responds to the position of the other joints, and most shoes don’t address each position individually which could become a problem. 

As you can see, it isn’t an easy question to answer. One thing I would tell my patients when they ask me about proper shoe wear is that I need to look at their foot anatomy and running mechanics to answer that question to the best of my knowledge. At PSP, we are happy to schedule a free consultation to take a look at your case and give you the best answer possible so you can run long term and stay active as much as possible! If you are interested, give us a call at 727-826-7142 or email us at info@performancesportphysio.com for more information. 

Mauricio Elizondo