Determining Shoe Support Needs

Foot type determines running shoe type

If only choosing workout shoes was as easy as determining what activity you want to do and what size your feet are. But in high-performance fitness nothing is ever that simple.

Do your feet pronate or supinate?

You need to know what these two terms mean before you can figure out what types of shoes are best. Basically pronation refers to the normal rolling motion a foot makes to ease shock.

• A foot with a high arch in underpronated or supinated, which means shock is more often transmitted through the lower legs. In underpronation the foot doesn’t roll all the way in, making it harder to push off again properly.
• People with normally-arched feet typically experience few problems and can therefore choose a wider range of shoes, from neutral to overpronating styles.
• Flat feet are overpronated, which means women with this type of feet have less natural shock absorption. An overpronated foot rolls inward too much.
  

Don’t know if your arch is high or low? Take the wet test!

1. Fill a shallow dish with water and set it on the floor with a paper bag or piece of paper towel nearby. If you do it outside dry cement will also work.
2. Step in the dish so the bottom of your foot gets wet and then step on the paper bag to make an imprint.
   

If your imprint consists of a front and back portion that are barely connected in the middle you have a high arch. If there is minimal difference in the width from front to back you likely have flat feet. A normal foot’s arch leaves a thin strip that connects the front of the imprint to the back.

Types of athletic shoe support

Shoes built for specific types of feet work to improve the way the wearer takes her steps. There are three main categories for shoe support. A shoe for overpronated (flat) feet needs to control the feet from rolling to far inward and help the runner move in a more natural fashion. It must also absorb shock. Underpronators need shoes to absorb a lot of shock and help the foot roll inward.