Discover The Benefits of Stability Running Shoes

Every runner loves a pair of shoes that fit great and look good.  Possessing a solid pair of shoes is one of the most fundamental components of being an athlete.  Active individuals who focus primarily on running need a great set of shoes.  Trying to find the right pair of shoes can be a difficult task unless you know how to go about obtaining them.

When exploring all the different shoe options out there the best principle to follow first is matching a shoe to your arch structure.  There are three different categories of arch structure that most individuals fall into.  High, moderately to medium, and/or low arches.  To better understand which category you fall into, you can perform a wet footprint test.

To implement a wet footprint test you will need a piece of thick paper or paper like substance and a metal or tin tray to fill up water with.  Next, dip your foot into the tray and make sure the entire sole becomes wet.  Then place your foot on the paper adjacent to the tray and hold it there for a few seconds.  Make sure to stand up with normal posture for a more accurate depiction of your foot structure.  After a couple of seconds feel free to lift up your foot and take a look at the damp piece of paper.

You should see your footprint and the underlying arch structure that your feet possess.  Before you start analyzing your foot print you have to be familiar with supination and pronation.  Pronation is the term to describe the inward section of the sole of the foot when it impacts the ground and supination is the term coined to describe the outer part of the foot that comes into contact with the ground.

Moderate pronation can have some benefit to you as it can decrease the amount of force acting like a shock absorber on a car.  Having to much pronation is not beneficial as it contributes to added fatigue as well as an increased risk for injuries.  Supination or rather under pronation allows your feet to absorb less impact. Unfortunately, this places more pressure on your knees, ankles and other joints which lead to health problems.

Go get a sense for the arch structure your feet have:

For High Arch’s: Your footprint implicitly displays the ball of the foot and the heel, but leaves the main arch section empty or close to it. This category of arch structure is normally rigid and can lead to supination and under pronation.  The best kind of shoe for individuals who fall into this category are shoes that have greater than or equal to minimum arch support

For Moderate Arch’s: Once again your arch structure displays the heel and the ball of the foot but, the arch portion is semi to partially present. This arch structure type normally pronates at about the right frequency. Avoiding over pronation can be accomplished by slapping on a pair of stability running shoes.

For Low Arch’s: Your arch structure print is almost entirely filled in or close.  Individuals with flat feet need shoes that promote arch support. Motion control shoes are a good alternative as well, as they can keep the foot in place effectively.