Choosing Happy Feet

During lunch with my wife and a couple of her coworkers today, the topic of foot pain came up and I was asked the question of how can one know what type of running shoe is best? Honestly, that was a good question I'd never been asked before. Now you have to realize, I'm the type of guy with the constant motto of "put one foot in front of the other" in whatever situation he's being faced with. And I am the kind of runner - a veteran of dozens of races and countless marathons - who tends to buy whatever shoe he likes. In fact, the shoe to the left (the Asics GEL-1110) has been my shoe of choice for many years now. Yeah, so I purchase more with the simple choices of style and price in mind, rather than biomechanical protection and advantage. But, I mean why would I begin to change something that clearly works for me? Well, and here's where the swallowing of my pride begins...I'm beginning to learn the simple fact of what "works" for me may not actually be what's "best" for me.

Lately, I've begun noticing that my arches have been aching more and more after workouts. It's not an outright pain in my feet, but it has been relatively consistent over the 6-8 months. I had attributed it earlier to worn out shoes, so I bought another pair late last fall. But the ache still occurs. Today's conversation actually led me to ponder in all honesty...could this be a sign that I might be running in the wrong shoes myself?

Alright, I had to find out. Not having much of any knowledge on the subject to make a reasonable conclusion myself, I opened my laptop and took my research online. And in the process, I learned that you can go a long way toward discovering what you need in a running shoe just by looking at your feet. Here is a summarized version of my findings.

Basically, there are three foot types, each based on the height of your arches. For the quickest and easiest way to determine your foot type, a runner should first take what's called the "wet test" by performing the following:

Step #1 - Pour a thin layer of water into a shallow pan
Step #2 - Wet the sole of your foot
Step #3 - Step onto a blank piece of heavy paper
Step #4 - Step off and observe the shape of your foot

Now, let's match up our imprint with one of the foot types found below:

Normal (medium) arch

• Description - Normal feet have a normal-sized arch and leave an imprint that has a flare but shows the forefoot and heel connected by a wide band.
  
• Foot characteristics - A normal foot lands on the outside of the heel, then rolls inward (pronates) slightly to absorb shock. Runners with a normal foot and normal weight are usually considered biomechanically efficient and don't require motion-control shoes. They will do best in a stability shoe that offers moderate pronation control.

Flat (low) arch

• Description - Flat feet have a low arch and leave a nearly complete imprint; there's little inward curve where the arch should be.
  
• Foot characteristics - This imprint usually indicates an overpronated foot that strikes on the outside of the heel and rolls inward excessively. Over time, this can cause many different kinds of overuse injuries. Runners with flat feet often do well in a stability (mild to moderate overpronation) or motion-control (severe overpronation) shoe.

High arch

• Description - High-arched feet leave an imprint showing a very narrow band connecting the forefoot and heel.
  
• Foot characteristics - A curved, high-arched foot is generally termed a supinated or underpronated foot. This type of foot usually doesn't pronate enough, so it's not an effective shock absorber. Runners with high-arched feet often do best in a neutral-cushioned shoe (one without added stability devices to reduce or control pronationi) that encourages a more natural foot motion.

By making a comparison to the diagrams above, we can fairly accurately determine what type of foot type we have on our own. Based on the resulting print on my piece of paper, I guess I would classify my foot type as normal to slightly flat-arched. Not a huge concern, but a noticable one for someone who runs (or aspires to run) as much as I do. The reality: an observation like this will ultimately change the way I choose running shoes in the future. A good shoe choice will likely result in long mileage and happy feet; a bad choice could mean additional pain and increased injury. Yeah, I'm all about happy too.

Now, the shoe I currently wear has mild shock absorbsion and some cushioning, but honestly that's what you get for the price. It doesn't provide much stability and, overall, possibly isn't the best fit for me. It's time to begin looking for a blended shoe with the support I need. Doing a bit more research, I'm anticipating my next purchase will likely be something with better protection, which is more suitable to meet the needs of a mild overpronator…something like the Asics GEL-Nimbus 9 or GEL-Kayano 14. But, just to be on the safe side, I plan on heading to my local specialty running store and having the professionals do what they do best.

Now, if only they could make a shoe that shaves a minute or more off my pace...

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If you would like to study this topic a bit further yourself, here are a few sites you can check out:

Running Shoe Guide for Dummies

Buying Running Shoes

Asics Shoe Fit Guide