Have you ever questioned whether you're wearing the right trainers for your activity? Maybe, looking for new trainers but can't decide with so much choice on the market. Then this blog is for you, we are frequently asked by our athletic, sporting patients whether they are wearing the correct trainers or have their footwear choices have contributed to their injury.
Comfort is the biggest factor we encourage patients to consider, just because a particular brand is popular within your sporting discipline doesn't mean they are comfortable and the right trainer for you.
Tread is important for stability and injury prevention. Having the correct sole for your activity can drastically reduce the likelihood of injury and have the capacity to improve performance as a result.
Insoles/ sole shape are also another factor to consider. We've become more conscious of the influence our shoe shape has on our feet over the years and as a result the sole shape has been a fashion statement, as well as a way of influencing posture requirements for an activity. Similarly insoles for arch support based on your instep. All these factors relate back to comfort, so as long as your trainer of choice allows your foot to function free from pain and no compensatory pain elsewhere in the body.
Lace type has only really become a factor in more recent years with the emergence or elasticated laces and slip on trainers with a lace tightening feature. The relevance of this point is to make sure your trainers are well attached to your feet without any slopping around as this is more likely to contribute to blisters and has the potential for the shoe to come off, adding to injury risk.
What I've learned from personal experience
Some brands have a very narrow toe-box and these types of trainer give my feet more grief, people with narrow feet will most likely have preference to these brands and styles but before I started running in 2020 I spent a long time shopping around to find a pair that were comfortable and since foot surgery in 2021 I'm more conscious than ever before about ensuring I put my feet in shoes, that accommodate my forefoot width. When we weight bear our weight distribution often results in a flattening of the arches and widening of the foot, so ensure the trainers you choose work for your activity.
For more trainer tips, why not bring your trainers to your next appointment and we can look at the wear pattern and how your biomechanics alter around your footwear.
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