How to choose sneakers? - Podomedical Center

How to choose some sports sneakers?

Depending on the level of overpronation, sports shoes with structured cushioning or shoes with motion control are needed. Runners who do well in neutral-type shoes are generally biomechanically efficient runners or need minimal arch support. Depending on the degree of pronation, one type of shoe or another is advisable.

Heavier runners should choose a shoe with moderate stability or with motion control. You should not choose shoes that weigh little. Among the brands of sneakers, choose the one in which the width fits you best when you try it on.

It is important to analyze the step in order to choose the right footwear. It would be advisable to be able to analyze the tread with the shoe on before buying it. It is also very useful to bring to the consultation the shoes you have been running in up to this point, as they will give us a lot of information about your style.

HOW LONG DO SNEAKERS LAST?

Running shoes, on average, last between 800 and 900 km, although it depends on different factors, including weight, running style and the surface on which you run. Sports shoes lose their ability to absorb impact and their stability over time and continuing to run in them usually leads to muscle or joint pain.

To see if the shoe is worn we can do two tests:

The first, press the insole and the sole at heel level with the thumb and forefinger to check the resistance from the midsole, which is responsible for cushioning and stability,
The second is to place both running shoes on a flat surface and if they ostensibly tilt inward or outward, this is a good indicator that new running shoes should be purchased. If you put a new shoe on one foot and an old one on the other, you should notice a considerable difference.

WHEN DO YOU NEED TEMPLATES?

When you need to correct your footing, when the sports shoe does not fix the step properly, when there are recurrent injuries, when there is an asymmetry...

Usually with insoles only a stable neutral shoe is needed, as the correction is made by the plantar support fitted to the runner's foot and not by the standard shoe. But it's not like that for everyone. Sometimes there are brands and models that can help with the correction you want to get with the plantar support.

If you need a plantar support you will usually need a model with a deeper, wider shape and a size and a half bigger.

WHY IMPROVE RUNNING TECHNIQUE?

For two reasons: to avoid injury and to run faster with less effort.

Sports shoes

TRUNK

Keep your face relaxed.
Do not tense and keep your jaw in a fixed position.
Swing your arms back and forth slightly at a 90° angle. Avoid clenching your fists tightly, as the tension will spread throughout the trunk. Imagine holding a small piece of paper between your thumb and forefinger.
Do not make lateral movements.
Gently engage the pelvic floor muscles. Gently contract this muscle at about 30% effort, as this will help activate your core muscles, which will also support your back and help reduce the risk of injury. Do it during workouts.
Keep your trunk straight in line with your hips.
Do not lean forward.

LOWER EXTREMITIES

The effort made by the lower limbs in races is very great. So the cheaper your actions are, the less likely you are to get injured.

Lift your heel towards your butt, this maximizes the use of your hamstrings and glutes and also propels your leg forward.
Don't lift your knees too much.
Wear appropriate footwear to avoid injury.
Beware of overpronation, supination and asymmetries. Pronation is an important part of the running stride and contributes to the impact absorption process. Problems usually occur with excessive pronation, which can cause injuries to the knees, ankles and even the back.
Try to keep as little contact with the ground as possible. Think of yourself as gliding along the surface, and not so much that the soles of your feet are heavily on the ground.
Do not press your feet hard on the floor.
Practice your running form during workouts.
That your running form does not involve an added element of tension.

THE STEPPING

Notice which part of the foot hits the ground first.
Don't try to change your stomping style overnight.
Incorporate stretches suitable for your specific type of stride.
Don't ignore the pain. It could lead to future injury.
Tread lightly on the floor.
Avoid exerting a lot of force when stepping with your heel, and avoid running with very straight legs.
Place your foot directly below your center of gravity.
Do not take excessively long strides.

The style in which the heel is the first part to hit the ground provides the best absorption of the impact, causes the stretching of the calf muscles and generates less load on the Achilles tendon.

Initiating the step with the forefoot can help you improve your running style and make it cheaper and faster. This is because the foot spends less time in contact with the ground, which naturally leads to lifting the heel towards the butt. It is a style that also puts less strain on the ankles and knees. The main problem, however, is that twins are constantly contracted and do not rest, they can suffer from Achilles tendinitis and iliotibial tract syndrome. In this form of running, extraordinary stretching sessions must be incorporated, emphasizing the calves and the iliotibial tract. Also accompanied by regular sports massages, they can help prevent future injuries.

Running by stepping on the central part of the foot causes the calves to contract little, the Achilles tendon and the iliotibial tract are not overloaded.

CADENCE

Place your feet under your center of gravity.
Don't take too long strides.
Keep the cadence at roughly the same pace.
Do not increase the amount of strides when trying to move faster.
To pick up the pace, lift your heels higher.
Don't swing up and down.
To increase the pace, reduce the contact time between the foot and the floor.
Don't drag your feet.

Your feet should land directly under your hips (your center of gravity) as this prevents excessive stride that can lead to injuries such as knee pain, locked glutes and hamstrings and, most commonly, periostitis.

The recommended cadence is 175 to 185 per minute, about 90 steps for each leg. Professional runners run faster not because they increase the cadence but because the power they have in their legs to propel themselves is higher, so they maintain less contact time with the ground.

If you suffer from cramps in the buttocks or the back of the leg, it is probably because you take too long strides and you should avoid placing your feet in front of your center of gravity.

RHYTHM

Keep your intensity level constant.
Do not change the intensity levels. Your body has a hard time adapting to different levels of exertion.
If it seems to you that, at the beginning of a race, everyone is ahead of you, then you are doing well.
Don't start too fast.
Reduce speed on uphills.
Don't try to maintain speed on the climbs.
In the 10 km races you have to get to your stride early.
Don't go too fast in half marathons or marathons.

HILLS

Keep your body relaxed.
Do not increase the stride.
Keep your eyes fixed on the distance.
Don't try too hard to get to the top early.
Don't be afraid of hills, they are part of running.
Maintain technique when running uphill.
Don't lean forward when running uphill.
Moving your arms when going uphill facilitates blood flow and can help you remove lactic acid from your body.
Maintain a comfortable and relaxed running style, and accept that you will need to slow down on the climbs.
Keep the technique of placing your feet directly under your body, and don't force your stride in an attempt to get off the rise as best you can.