When I buy anything related to fitness I'm not into buying fashion or name brand products. To me, it is a waste of money if I can buy off name that will do the same job. But there is one fitness item I make an exception and will pay good money for...shoes. A cheap pair of off name shoes will not do the job of a good athletic shoe. That's because shoes are a very important part of any exercise you do on your feet. Realize each step you take during a brisk walk or stair step, your foot is handling an impact nearly twice your weight. For jogging or aerobics that impact can be more than three times your weight. The shock created by that impact radiates up through the leg and body. Good shoes absorb the shock from impact, provide support, and reduce the stresses on your feet and knees. Well fitted shoes can reduce your risk of getting shin splints, plantar fasciitis, and knee pain.

A good quality, well fitted shoe will make your workouts or sports activity more effective and with less discomfort. Cheap or poorly fitted shoes can actually *cause* knee, ankle, and foot discomfort. And when you feel that way you are less motivated to workout. If you walk or jog, a good pair of shoes actually make the activity easier. You should also know that buying a good shoe but one intended for a different activity can be detrimental.

Athletic shoes have come a long way since the original Converse days. High quality shoes have technology and ergonomics designed into them to make more than just something to cover the bottom of your feet. Today's athletic shoe business is very serious. Top companies spend millions on research and development and use top performing athletes as testers. Why should this matter to you? That's what you're paying for in a good shoe; technology and ergonomics. Do you think the manufacturer of the off name tennis shoe you buy at Payless for $15 did any of this kind of research? No way.

This month we'll learn a bit about the three main categories of athletic shoes, where and how to shop for shoes, and what price should you expect to pay. I'm not trying to convince you to buy $100 plus shoes but to avoid buying low quality shoes or buying from Walmart. The big W caters to the masses. Yes they do sell a Nike brand shoe but the Nikes you see on display are not the same as seen in sports/fitness stores. It's a special product run at a good price break just for Walmart. You're just buying the “Shwoosh” on the side of the shoe. Shoe manufacturers have all different grades of shoes to target different markets and price range. Sure it's probably better than the no-name tennis shoe on the next isle but it will not have the technology and design that make a good athletic shoe.

What do you do?
Walking, Running, Aerobics, Tennis, all have different requirements. You may think walking and running are the same but they are slightly different. When you walk your heal always strikes the ground first. With jogging and running, the faster you go, the impact tends to be further ahead of the heel.

Types of shoes
You can actually find shoes so specialized that they only apply to a single activity like fencing, aerobics, or climbing. If you're heavily involved in an activity you probably already know what to get, but for the rest of the world athletic shoes can be divided up into three categories, court, running/walking, and cross trainers.

Court
Court shoes used to imply tennis. But now it can mean basketball court. Tennis shoes have low sides whereas basketball shoe tend to have higher sides or be hightops. Think of what kind of actions are required in any sport that is on a court. You have to run in all directions. Start, stop, jump, and change directions and pivot. That means the ankle has to flex in all directions and traction in all directions is important. Shoes like this can be good for aerobics.    more >>