Footwear

Whenever you decide to embark on a new exercise program, it’s very important to consider your feet, ankles and knees. Any lumps or unusual shapes may be signs of a developing problem, so be sure to have any areas of concern examined by a podiatrist before you start training.

By Amanda Meneghello, Podiatrist and Frank Pigliardo, Podiatric Surgeon

Put your best foot forward

alt Some of us inherit problem feet, but can function at a reasonable level until we start to load up our feet with regular jogging for many kilometres.

To prevent injury, it’s important to wear the right shoes.

Choosing the right shoe

With the rapidly changing range of exercise shoes available, it’s a good idea to visit a specialist sports footwear retailer when choosing new shoes. The staff are trained to help you find the best training shoes for your needs.
Here are some useful tips to consider when purchasing new shoes:

Go shopping in the afternoon in case your feet have swollen during the day. You don’t want your new shoes to become too tight when you start to run.
Bring in your old training shoes so the assistant can check for abnormal wear patterns or fitting problems.
Take the kind of socks you like to run in with you, so you can check how they fit with each pair of shoes you try on. If you wear orthodics, take these with you too.
Check that there’s enough room in the toebox of the shoe for you to move your toes around. There should be at least one thumb-width of space between your longest toe (not necessarily your big toe) and the end of the shoe.
Check that the shoe is wide enough, it should fit snugly but not tightly.
Try both shoes on and get both of your feet measured, as many people have different sized left and right feet.
Check that the sole of the shoe around the ball of the foot is not too rigid. It needs to be able to flex as you do when exercising.

Replacing your shoes

Everybody wears out shoes at different rates – it depends on the quality of the shoe and sometimes your foot type. As a general guide, you will usually get approximately 1000km out of each pair of running shoes.

After that, your shoes may still look new but will start to lose control and shock absorption capabilities. If your shoes have lost these features, your feet will take the extra force and problems can develop.

If you suffer from any regular pain or discomfort that you think may be associated with your feet in any way, please see a podiatrist. A podiatrist is a specialist of the foot and ankle and will be able to diagnose and treat your problem, so you’ll be back up and running sooner!