How to Choose Athletic Shoes

Today's athletic shoes are highly specialized and are designed for a specific activity. Shoes that are ideal for performing one activity may cause injury while wearing them for another. The primary challenge in choosing athletic shoes is deciding on the combination of activities for which you wish to use them.

• Ask the sales associate about the activities for which a shoe is best suited. Stores that specialize in athletic shoes are most likely to have a knowledgeable sales staff. The sales staff can also identify models that are essentially identical. This occurs when shoe manufacturers change the model number while making only minimal changes.


• Select running shoes that allow your ankles to flex. It could be dangerous to wear these shoes while performing aerobic dancing. This activity requires stiff ankle support to prevent sprained ankles if you land poorly. Shoes for aerobic dancing must also allow lateral movements.


• Select shoes for court sports such as basketball, tennis and volleyball that do not restrict your movements. These shoes are poorly suited to field sports such as baseball and soccer. Those sports require more support for running on a soft surface.


• Test the fit of the shoes. Each brand of shoe tends to have the same shape, so you may find that a particular brand fits better than another. Modern athletic shoes should not require a break-in period as older shoes did. The primary exception to this rule is endurance activities such as marathons. Run shorter distances first, and work up to longer distances. This will ensure you don't get blisters.