How To Pick The Right Shoes For Your Workout - Beginners' Guide

I am pretty sure that most of us (myself included) are guilty of this - when we get ready to jumpstart on our walking, jogging or even a gym routine, we begin to scavenge the cupboards and drawers in the house in an attempt to find an old pair of sneakers. And what is wrong with that? If the shoes can talk, they’d tell you here’s the problem - “you left me lying there a decade ago and I may no longer give you the support that your precious feet need.”

For those of you who do not know me yet, I’m a little fitness enigma who loves everything from running, BodyCombat, swimming, weights, yoga, pilates to concocting my own little DIY workout routines.

I got on this fitness journey over 2 years ago - I had my own fair share of health issues from kidney stones, binge eating, excessive drinking, risk of being overweight and as a result, I was also troubled with the emotional consequences of it (more on that story in another post). I’m not embarrassed to tell you though that I started with a slow 2 km brisk walk along the Ulu Pandan park connector and never looked back ever since.

This is also why I want to help you get on this journey with me (if you haven’t already), and get started on picking the right shoes. I had the hardest time trying to find the right fit for my wide, yet very small feet. I scoured the earth (okay I lied, I Googled) trying to find useful information on what type or brand of shoes are best fit for my training regime.

To no avail, I also received many supportive and unsupportive opinions too. Will I stop working out at one point? Am I wasting my money on a new pair of shoes? Will I chuck them aside once I get too lazy to workout anymore? Man, it was hard. It was hard mostly because I had little faith in myself. It was even harder because I wanted to know exactly what brands are known to build the best training shoes for my feet type and training routine.

So with this piece of advice for newbies from a freshie herself, allow me to glorify your bewildering sports-shoe shopping experience, with as little damage as possible.

1.      Believe in yourself

Here’s the first step to getting the motivation, believe in yourself and your abilities - trust in yourself that your health is going to be the best investment you’d ever make and that it’s a lifestyle change you will soon learn to appreciate. Don’t listen to what others have to say, unless they’re going to run in your shoes. And once you do that, start reading further.

2.      Know thy feet

I can’t help you determine the type of foot you have. I know nothing about foot anatomy. There are ways you can tell from your footprint or just looking at your foot. But I strongly advise you to not be afraid to walk into any sports specialty/concept store like Nike, Asics or New Balance and get an expert insight on the shoes that best fit your feet.

My best bet would be the New Balance concept store at Velocity @Novena Square because the guys there were very helpful in helping me figure out mine. They have a treadmill where they can watch you walk/run and evaluate your foot and tell you the type of shoes that best fit you (measurement, foot strike, type and activity). Unless you’re already an expert, I would suggest that a good sports concept store with helpful staff could help you determine a better fit for your feet.

This is only the basic of knowing your foot. Every sports shoe advertisement tells you that they are the ‘best shoes’ out there, but the truth is that everyone has different needs. Now, we know these needs will depend on our biomechanics, our weight, the surface (road vs treadmill), activities we partake in and the type of feet we have.

3.      Shoes, shoes and shoes everywhere

Unless you’re familiar with your sport for a while and you know exactly what shoes can best fit your workout, I wouldn’t suggest you buy a pair by simply trying them on for once. A common mistake that we make (especially me, I’m a sucker for this) is that we pick the shoes right off the shelf based on the color(s) or design we love. We pick B because A looks cheap. We pick C because the design looks expensive. We pick D because E doesn’t come in the colors we like.

I know because nothing motivates me more than my favorite pair of training shoes in my favorite color, yet it is not the best fit as I had a knee injury.

In the event that your local sport store expert is an ass who refuses to shed light on the shoe choices, your feet could fall into one of the few categories according to the sources:

	The Normal Foot Normal feet have a normal-sized arch and will leave a wet footprint that has a flare, but shows the forefoot and heel connected by a broad band. A normal foot lands on the outside of the heel and rolls inwards slightly to absorb shock. It’s the foot of a runner who is biomechanically efficient and therefore doesn’t need a motion control shoe. Best shoes: Stability shoes with moderate control features.
	The Flat Foot This has a low arch and leaves a print which looks like the whole sole of the foot. It usually indicates an overpronated foot – one that strikes on the outside of the heel and rolls inwards (pronates) excessively. Over time, this can cause many different types of overuse injuries. Best shoes: Motion control shoes, or high stability shoes with firm midsoles and control features that reduce the degree of pronation. Stay away from highly cushioned, highly curved shoes, which lack stability features.
	The High-Arched Foot This leaves a print showing a very narrow band or no band at all between the forefoot and the heel. A curved, highly arched foot is generally supinated or underpronated. Because it doesn’t pronate enough, it’s not usually an effective shock absorber. Best shoes: Cushioned (or 'neutral') shoes with plenty of flexibility to encourage foot motion. Stay away from motion control or stability shoes, which reduce foot mobility

(Credit: www.runnersworld.co.uk)

If you still have trouble finding shoes, you can always try the RW Shoes Finder, which I think works fantastic. Just click on this link Runner's World Shoe Finder.

I personally got hooked on minimalist running after my recovery from a knee injury (more on that story in another post). Well aware of the risks involved, I love to run light and strengthen my legs naturally. Very importantly, there are a few take-aways from this post.

Shoes that are too tight or too long can both equally cause blisters, bunions and bruising to your feet. Please nag your store assistant to make proper measurement of your BOTH feet before you buy one.

There is no such thing as the perfect fit for everyone. So don’t choose your shoe based on your friend’s review. Also, don’t be too bothered by the cost factor (which a lot of us are). Remember your two feet are the only things you will be walking with for the rest of your life, so be kind to them.

Don’t love your shoes too much - once they wear out usually after a year or less, please box them up good and place them in the hall of fame (aka the trash bin). You don’t have to wait till your body gives signals and you begin to feel the aches in your back, knees or heels. Someone once told me it’s advisable to use keep more than a pair of shoes for different activities so that you don’t wear out your favorite pair too quickly by wearing them for every occasion. Make sense?

I hope I have helped you in your quest to find your awesome fit. 

I will write more on training gears, workout plans, clean eating your way to health and many many more on this blog, so stay tuned and visit me again on HappyFitnessMe!!

xoxo