Expensive 'high-tech' shoes not practical nor correct
Expensive 'high-tech' shoes not practical nor correct
By Hario Tilarso
JAKARTA (JP): Most Indonesians believe that the very expensive, "high-tech" shoes often seen in TV and magazine advertisements are the best. They also believe that one brand of shoe is perfect for every type of foot.
In reality, there is no best brand of shoe. And a good shoe is not always an expensive shoe.
Runners must carefully select their shoe because proper shoes can reduce the risk of injury and raise running performance.
A good running shoe has two major functions: 1. To absorb the shock each time the foot hits the ground. 2. To control the inward and outward movement of the foot.
To build a good cushioning shoe, manufacturers must use soft midsole materials, but to limit movement, the shoe must be made from firmer materials. Unfortunately, these two aspects are very difficult to combine, so there is no perfect shoe.
A shoe with good movement control limits pronation (walking on the inside of the foot). A shoe with better cushioning will allow more pronation.
A shoe that allows pronation contributes to knee injuries, shin splints and Achilles tendinitis (pain around the heel). In this case, the foot must be corrected by a good shoe that controls inward-outward movement, limiting excessive pronation.
A well cushioned running shoe, however, limits impact which helps minimize injury.
One of the most important parts is the midsole, the middle portion of the base of the shoe. Midsoles lose up to 10 percent of their initial cushioning capacity within a few hundred kilometers.
A check of the outsole, or other portions of the base of the shoe will provide an indication of footstrike patterns. Most people are heel-strikers, that is, they hit the ground with their heels, and the will wear out the outside of the heals first.
Most shoes are therefore built with very good cushioning material in this area of the heel. Usually the heel is very thick, about 2 to 2.5cm thick. The heel is also protected with a firm material known as heel-counter. This is made to ensure that the heel does not move sideways when striking the ground. Forefoot-strikers, people who first hit the ground with the ball of their foot, will show wear on the front outside portion of the shoe. In this case, they need a shoe that has a full length abrasion resistant outsole.
The weight of the shoe is another concern. A very light shoe is of course much better than a heavy one, provided that the weight decrease does not affect the stability and motion control properties of the shoe.
Runners should always evaluate their foot type before choosing a running shoe. According to foot experts, the foot types are: normal, rigid (high-arched) and flexible (flat-arched).
Generally, the rigid, high-arched foot doesn't absorb shock well. This means that it requires a shoe with maximum cushioning properties -- a shoe with a very soft midsole. The flat-arched or the flexible foot very often pronates excessively and therefore needs a good motion control (inward-outward movement control) shoe -- a shoe with a firm midsole construction. The only way to judge whether the shoes are right or not is to try them one and walk around.
If the runner is satisfied with a certain running shoe and has been running injury-free, then they should stick to that make of shoe. If they aren't satisfied, carefully inspecting the old shoe to determine their needs is the best way to choose another shoe.
Checking with a sport medicine specialist or an orthopedic surgeon, to make sure which shoe is needed, is also a good idea if problems persist.
The right shoe, keeps runners running longer.
Hario Tilarso is a physician specializing in sports medicine and a member of the board of executives of the Indonesian Amateur Cycling Association (ISSI).