Choosing Trainers - do you value your feet?
I have been examining feet and their mechanical effect on the rest of the body for fifteen years now and they never cease to amaze me. In my practice I’ve seen all sorts of stressed out feet and legs owned by all sorts of characters from prima ballerinas to professional footballers to squash playing accountants. No engineer could design something as capable as the foot to help to support, move and protect body.
In our busy lives we give little thought to our feet and legs, so just to raise awareness of their work here are some general facts about what we put them through:
- Each time the heel strikes the ground during walking the equivalent of 4-5 times our body weight goes through it. The more you weigh or the faster you walk the greater the impact so the more shock your feet and legs have to absorb to protect the back
- The knee joint is loaded to 3-4 times body weight when climbing stairs and 7-8 times body weight when squatting. If your knees are not properly aligned during these activities then potential of damage to knee is massively increased
- The average step takes only 700 to 800 milliseconds, therefore think about the number of times a day your feet have to cope with the repeated stress of heel strike, accepting body weight and then propelling the body forward.
Unfortunately if there is a weakness in the musculoskeletal system we soon know about it through walking or performing poorly and symptoms of pain. If this is you then Podiatric Biomechanics may be able help you by not just treating the symptoms but by establishing the cause of the problem.
Trainers why wear them?Good trainers assist hard working feet to support and protect our bodies from the stresses of sport and daily activities. Here are six ways in which trainers help our feet:
- Trainers are designed to improve foot movement and position which has a significant effect on the posture and stability of the entire body
- Trainers help to dampen shock. This reduces the risk of injury to joints such as the knees, hips and back by dissipating the shock waves that go up through the foot during running and walking.
- Trainers are designed to allow easy toe off, therefore taking the stress off the big toe joint. If the big toe joint becomes jammed then overuse back pain is often triggered
- Trainers cup the heel and ankle, so you are less likely to twist or sprain your ankle
- Trainers are generally more ‘foot’ shaped than shoes so you are less likely to develop deformed toes.
- Trainers generally have laces, which if you tie them properly each time, help to prevent the foot ‘slopping’ around in the shoe. Sloppy shoes can cause problems such as retracted toes and back pain.
What to avoid when buying trainers
- Spending too much money, you’re better off buying cheaper trainers more regularly.
- Flexible sole, you need a little flexibility in the sole but make sure you cannot bend them too much around the midsole.
- Too much arch support, the main arch of the foot should not be ‘propped up’ as this can jam some of the joints in the foot.
- Too much shock absorption. Some trainers have too much shock absorption such as those with air or springs in the heels, this can cause the heel of the shoe to collapse too much causing instability around the ankle.
- Most decent sports shops selling trainers have staff that can advise you on the best trainers for your feet. I suggest you make full use of this service but with one warning, if they don’t feel right don’t buy, not every pronated (rolling in) foot needs an anti-pronating trainer!
If you are suffering with your feet or legs and you want to know how you can help yourself get better contact the Orchard Clinic and ask to see one of our podiatry and chiropody team.
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