It’s Gotta Be the Shoes at He's Fit

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It’s Gotta Be the Shoes

Posted June 9, 2008 at 06:00 PM by Donnell Peavy

Section: In The News, His Gear & Apparel, Apparel, His Health, Physical Health, Lifestyle Health

sneakers Shoes are an aspect of fitness that may be looked over by many general fitness enthusiasts. To some people, a shoe is a shoe, and whether or not they were made for a particular sport really makes no difference to them. However, proper footwear is indeed important, particularly if you play a sport. Basketball, track events, or even combat sports like boxing and wrestling have specific designs to enhance performance in the sport for which they were made; there are differences in weight, type of sole, width, etc.

Take basketball shoes, for example. They have broad soles, and come in both high and low top varieties. Basketball shoes are designed for ankle support and lateral motion. The broad rubber sole is for gripping a hardwood floor. Boxing and wrestling shoes are lightweight with little traction – they pivot a lot – too much traction may inhibit pivoting. Boxing shoes are high top and are intended to provide ankle support and lateral motion. Since these athletes don’t cover distance, the soles are extremely thin. You would NOT want to run in boxing shoes. A runner on the other hand doesn’t need lateral support; He only runs forward. The runner does, however, need proper cushioning on the ball and heel of his feet. Running shoes are lightweight, but generally have a thicker cushioning and sole.

The general enthusiast can probably get away with wearing cross trainers. They are an all around, general purpose shoe that provides support for activities such as walking and jogging.

Of course, shoes must also provide comfort. If they don’t satisfy that basic need, then they are pretty much useless. Be sure to be properly fitted for whichever style shoe you purchase. There are even stores who specialize in custom fitting you for footwear. Several runners that I know swear by these stores. Something I have found out over time is that happy feet make for a much happier runner.

Research sources and for more information: [Baptist Online]