A Good Shoe is a Good Start

Before this blog becomes soaked in exercises, body movements, functionality and in depth chats on other topics pertaining to health & wellness.. let’s talk shoes!

They say shoes are a way to a “girls heart” but more importantly shoes are a way to execute an exercise safely, because without good shoes; our form suffers & when form suffers = we get hurt, we create imbalances, we overcompensate, and we tend to create issues that could have been avoided.

What’s considered a “Good Shoe”

A good shoe is a shoe that fits the activity. For everything we do, there is a recommended shoe.

Just to name a few .. & what they do.

Walking shoes: used for walking. Yes, walking needs a shoe too. As a matter of fact, I normally pay attention to how people walk when I am people watching — something I got in the habit of doing after college (I had a biomechanics college Professor who would make it a point to watch how people walk, and he would always prompt me to do the same thing whenever I was out and about). It was interesting because I soon learned that just by watching people walk, I could understand how it could work for or against them when doing certain exercises or performing certain task. A walking shoe typically does a good job absorbing shock, and also will provide comfort for long durations that can help prevent blisters or calluses.

Running shoes: Used for running. Many runners realize the importance of a good running shoe (it makes a world of difference). When choosing a running shoe, you want something that will be comfortable and I would normally even go as far as saying going to a professional shoe store who can customize your feet to the exact shoe(s) so that you have a safe running experience. For serious runners, the right shoe is the difference in their pace, speed, foot movement, and will have to withstand the terrain in which they run on & the mileage in which they run. For recreational runners, having the right shoe can save you a whole lot of foot issues in the future.

Lifting shoes: Used for lifting. Now we have tons of different lifting shoes, and I won’t go into a lot of detail about them all but normally for lifters, we have weightlifting shoes (raised heel) which are great for those who have poor ankle mobility & helps deepen the squat and allows lifters to perform better without having the knees give in. Flat sole shoe (converse) which mostly powerlifters use (including myself) although they work great for lifting, for those that have weaker ankles — not a great idea to lift in and for those that do front squats or high bar squatting — they aren’t the best shoe for the support but can work if you can manage good form .. the drawback in the narrow footing.. (which I find uncomfortable). We have going barefoot — this is a free option but again used for those that don’t need the ankle support when lifting, Cross-Training shoes — great for crossfit athletes and those who do a lot of jumping or lateral movements (somewhat popular among young athletes) but not great for squatting and/or running but definitely can be used for training in various other forms.

There are tons of shoes but the point is…

A good shoe is going to fit your lifestyle choice. Nothing has to be overly expensive to work, it is about the use you plan on getting out of the shoe and what you need in order to perform the task. Being in the fitness profession, I have learned to inform my clients about the type of shoes they should wear when doing certain movements so that they can get the most out of the exercise with the correct form and posture, and perform the exercise safely. A good shoe is a good start.

Fitness WonderWoman

Shay-lon Moss