Different shoes are useful for different purposes. If you are a professional athlete or if you are someone who takes your physical agility very seriously, you must invest on shoes that are specific to the kind of sport you indulge in. Also, if you have specific foot problems (like ankle problems or flat feet), it is best to address them when you purchase new shoes.
Foot Size and Problems
Do you know your foot size and shape? Well there is one way to find out. Wet the soles of your feet and step on a piece of paper. Your footstep should help you answer a lot of questions. A good tip would be to check the size of your feet at the end of the day because that is the time when your feet are the most swollen.
Check the shape of the outline. Do you hardly have any gap in the centre of your feet? It might be an indication of flat feet, or overpronation. Shoes worn by those with low arches on their feet are likely to see wear and tear on the outside heel and the inside sole of their shoe. Shoes that provide you more support on the heel area are ideal for those with flat feet. On the contrary, if you see that few parts of your feet form an imprint, it might be an indication that you have high arches, or underpronation. With an underpronation, you are likely to see wear and tear on the outer edge of the shoes. Those with an underpronation need extra support on the insides of your feet. The third shape is of course the most ideal foot shape. If your foot neither overpronate nor do they underpronate, it means you have well balanced feet and that does not require extra support on the heel and the soles of your feet.
What’s Your Sport?
Different sports require different kinds of shoes for support and stability. So, if you indulge in more than one sport, we suggest using different shoes for each of them. There are shoes made for different sport categories:
Running Shoes
These shoes are made specifically for running and sprinting. While all of them are ideal for the tracks, a few of these shoes provide extra padding so that you can practice on the concrete. Concrete or tar road is much harder and therefore will cause your feet to fall at a greater impact. If you don’t have shoes with the needed padding and comfort you may injure your lower knees. Recovery is usually slow and painful.
Training Shoes
Training shoes are usually for trekking, hiking, jogging for long hours etc. These shoes are made to keep your feet comfortable for a long period of time. They are usually made of cotton so that your feet can breathe through the fabric and the moisture from your feet is absorbed so that you can be in them for a long time without worrying about sweat accumulation and infection.
Walking Shoes
Walking shoes are usually lightly built for less strenuous activities, like, walking and sometimes, jogging.
Court Shoes
As the name suggests, court shoes are worn for sports that require a court. They are ideal for indoor and outdoor sports like badminton, volleyball, tennis, lawn tennis etc. The identifying feature about these shoes are that they allow the wearer comfort while they move in different directions with ease.
Field Shoes
Field sports refer to those that are done on the track. They can be anything from shot put to long jump etc.
Specialty sports
These are sports that do not fit into any of the categories or, they have special characteristics that set them apart from other sports within the same category. Usually these sports have unique footwear that are sold in a few shops.
Each sport usually requires different pairs of shoes. If you specialise in one kind of sport it would be best to have a shoe dedicated to it. For instance, if you trek on a regular basis, keep more than one pair of shoes dedicated to trekking. They should be ideal for the kind of trekking you do and your foot type, also, you shouldn’t wear them for any other activities like walking or jogging.
Also, keep in mind that a good pair of shoes should last you 350 – 650 km, after which, the soles and the padding will start to wear off. It will no longer give your feet proper support. For those who are in their shoe for more than a few hours every 3-4 days in a week, may have to change their shoes every 3-4 months. However, the duration after which you must change your shoes largely depends on the nature of your sport, workout and the time you dedicate to it.
The Right Kind of Socks
Now that you are dedicated towards your sport, finding the right kind of shoe should not be a problem. However, to provide maximum protection and optimisation, you should also take time to find the right socks. Sport socks should be those that are super absorbent so that it can protect your feet from sweat accumulation. It should also be form fitting so that the elastic band, that secures the sock in place, does not cut your foots oxygen supply. Syounaa sport socks provide you with this and so much more. The infrared technology used in a pair of Syounaa socks, converts your body heat to infrared energy. The energy is then emitted back to your feet to increase oxygen flow. This reduces cramps and improved your overall performance.
We hope this article was helpful. Sports men and women have a lot to gain from proper footwear. A small initiative can make a big difference in your performance. If you are dedicated to your sport, it’s time you take your footwear seriously.
