Best Walking/Running Shoes

As a specialist of the foot and ankle, I often get asked about recommendations for best shoes. Shoe gear is a broad topic with many considerations. For this discussion, I will focus on walking/running shoes and what to keep in mind while looking for shoes. Shoe gear recommendations vary widely from person to person and are dictated by a person's foot type, activities being performed, and pre-existing conditions.

Considerations While Looking for Shoes:

When evaluating shoe gear, below are recommendations to keep in mind that may help you find best fitting and comfortable shoes.

• Get Measured and Fitted

  1. Though this one might sound like a no-brainer, there are some tips and tricks to getting fitted appropriately.

  2. The best time to go shoe shopping is at the end of the day. Feet swell and expand throughout the day, so be sure to go shoe shopping with your largest measuring feet to ensure that your shoes will fit you well all day long.

  3. Use a Brannock Device while standing to measure your foot from the back of the heel to the tip of the longest toe. Keep in mind that the big toe isn't always the longest toe, in fact about 10% of the population has a Morton's Toe variation in which the second toe is longer than the first. Be sure to leave one fingerbreadth of room in the front of your longest toe to allow your toes to remain comfortable while walking/running and prevent microtrauma to the toes and nails.

  4. When measuring your feet, also be sure to measure the width of the forefoot. This is especially important if you have bony deformities such as a bunion, tailor's bunion, and/or other bony prominences. Most standard shoes come in different widths to accommodate for these variations of the feet.

  5. Look for a shoe appropriate for your foot type. Many athletic shoe brands have designs that support various foot types such as a high arch foot, a low arch foot, or a wide foot.

• Find the Shoes

  1. Look for the APMA approval/acceptance seal to find shoes that promote good foot health.

  2. As you look through different shoes, look for the following 3 factors to find the most supportive shoes.

     • The toes bend upward at the metatarsophalangeal joints during the toe off portion of the gait cycle. Therefore, your shoes should also bend slightly at the toebox to support the natural walking and running pattern.

• The heel and the hindfoot should be supported to prevent transverse sliding of the heel inside shoes. To ensure this, a supportive shoe should withstand squeezing of the back of the heel. Shoes that are minimalist or sock like in design may not provide adequate heel cup support.

• The arch requires support and shock absorbency while walking or running. A supportive shoe should withstand and hold its shape with wringing of the shoe. If you can wring the shoe as you twist it, it's likely not going to provide you with enough support to the arch.

• Try Them on

  1. Though online shopping is convenient, when it comes to shoes going to the store might be worth the trip. It is difficult to assess shoes for their support, comfort, weight, fit of the arch, and sizing using online descriptions and reviews. What might be comfortable for one person maybe the cause of irritation and pain for another. Before you buy shoes, you should try them on and walk around in them to ensure that they fit appropriately. The shoe size may vary slightly from brand to brand based on the last of the shoe and its style. Many athletic shoe stores have a dedicated area such as treadmills, or hiking surfaces where one can try shoes on before actually making the purchase. I highly recommend taking advantage of this.

  2. Keep in mind the break-in period. As you start using your new shoes, they may initially feel different or even cause some soreness in your feet/legs as you break them in. This is normal and usually resolves quickly as the shoes mold to your foot type with use and over time. However, if the soreness and pain linger around or cause blisters then the shoe fitting and/or sizing is not appropriate.

Walking/Running Shoe Recommendations

The following is by no means a complete comprehensive list of all shoes out there. Nor is it a paid promotion from the brands. It is merely a list of recommendations based on knowledge and experience. This list is a good starting point for one to try. I have personally tried wearing and walking in many of these shoes and have found them to be comfortable.

1. High Arch

   1. Altra (Paradigm)

   2. New Balance (880, 1080)

   3. Saucony (Ride, Trail)

2. Medium Arch

   1. Hoka One One (Bondi, Gaviota)

   2. Brooks (Adrenaline)

   3. New Balance (860)

3. Low/Flat Arch

   1. Brooks (Addiction, Ariel, Beast)

   2. Asics (4000)

   3. Saucony (Omni)