Athletic shoes are essential for your sports performance. From running to tennis, soccer to baseball, you need to have the right shoes. It can make a big difference to your performance and physical conditions. Here are things to consider when choosing athletic shoes:
- Don’t focus on style: Style is a subjective topic. Some athletes are sensible enough to find visually attractive shoes that sacrifice other factors. However, problems can happen if you focus only on style and brand names. It may be hard to pass to match uniform with awesome looking shoes. In the end, you should make sure that your shoes can serve their functions that are to protect and support your feet.
- Choose sturdy heel box: You should also focus on the heel box. If the heel box is sturdy, you can better control the rear portion of your feet during repeated athletic activities. Heel box is located at the baco of your shoes and it should firmly surround your heel. Athletic shoes could have heel box made of rubber, flexible plastic or layers of leather. Regardless of the design and material, you should test the heel box. You may bend the shoes over or squeeze the heel box in. Also if you can fold the heel box somewhat easily, then you won’t get much support from it.
- Choose rigid or flexible upper: Check the upper portion of the shoes and it can be made of various materials, such as leather, mesh or different kinds of fabrics. Depending on the type of your feet, you may need to get less or more support from it. The upper part of your shoes could help to improve protection for different parts of your feet. If there’s too much motion at the upper area of your shoes, it may cause significant stress through tarsals and meta tarsals. This may result in tendonitis, stress fractures and other issues. You should determine the type of feet you have. Choose athletic shoes that are opposite to the type of your feet. If your bone structure is rigid, choose shoes that are made of mesh and various flexible materials. If your feet are flexible, you should choose shoes with rigid upper portion. This will reduce stress and control excessive motion.
- Arch support is critical for the performance of your athletic shoes. You won’t get great feet mechanics, if you don’t have proper arch support. The way the shoes sole are constructed will determine the characteristic of your athletic shoes. Avoid shoes that provide only comfort, but not enough support for your physical activities. Check the sole outline and make sure that there’s minimal variation of width between the heel and the toe. If the middle part of your shoes is wider, then you will have enough surface area to support your feet. Avoid shoes that appear to be wide at the toe, but become somewhat narrower.
Your athletic shoes shouldn’t be expensive or flashy. You should just make sure that your shoes properly serve the intended purpose. You may find shoes that properly fit your budget and requirements.