It Starts At Your Feet - Get The Right Fit

As you may or may not know, in the kinetic-chain of movement in activities such as running or walking, your body's balance and stability begin at your feet. Your feet are the starting points of your body's contact with the environment around you and it communicates to other muscles throughout your body as you move. Proper fitting shoes makes a big difference in your performance as well as avoidance to injury during physical activities such as running, walking, or hiking. For this reason, it is important to have proper-fitting sports shoes.

Follow these specially-designed fitting facts when purchasing a new pair of athletic shoes.

• Try on athletic shoes after a workout or run and at the end of the day. Your feet will be at their largest.

• Wear the same type of sock that you will wear for that sport.

• When the shoe is on your foot, you should be able to freely wiggle all of your toes.

• The shoes should be comfortable as soon as you try them on. There is no break-in period.

• Walk or run a few steps in your shoes. They should be comfortable.

• Always relace the shoes you are trying on. You should begin at the farthest eyelets and apply even pressure as you a crisscross lacing pattern to the top of the shoe.

• There should be a firm grip of the shoe to your heel. Your heel should not slip as you walk or run.

If you participate in a sport three or more times a week, you need a sports specific shoe. It can be hard to choose from the many different types of athletic shoes available. There are differences in design and variations in material and weight. These differences have been developed to protect the areas of the feet that encounter the most stress in a particular athletic activity.

Athletic shoes are grouped into categories. Among those are running, training, and walking -these include shoes for hiking, jogging, and exercise walking. Look for a good walking shoe to have a comfortable soft upper, good shock absorption, smooth tread, and a rocker sole design that encourages the natural roll of the foot during the walking motion. The features of a good jogging shoe include cushioning, flexibility, control and stability in the heel counter area, lightness, and good traction.

It's the end of the year, be sure to put those new proper-fitting athletic shoes on Santa's List.

~Exercise Your Passion For Life!