The Importance of Shoe Fitting!
What’s up party people?! How is it that it’s Monday again? The weekends are always gone in the blink of an eye. In that case, I hope yours was a good one and long enough for you to feel rejuvenated. I wanted to write a post for all the runners in the house. Today, we are going to talk about the importance of shoe fitting!
Anytime you need to buy new clothes, you try them on before forking over your hard earned cash, right? Unless it’s a piece you’ve purchased beforehand, you want to know how it fits. So why is it that we are spending money and running hundreds of miles in a shoe that we picked out just because it “looked cute”? Guys, this is the fastest path to injury! Shoe fitting is something that often goes overlooked at the beginning of your running journey.
I get it, having someone look at your feet or the way you run doesn’t sound like much fun. And you’ve been wearing the same shoe size your whole adult life, so why does it matter? Well, as I mentioned before, you are wearing those shoes for a few hundred miles and an ill fitting shoe will take its toll on you in the long run.
My first tip for getting fitted for shoes is to go to a specialty store. Hands down, they are the ones who know the most about what you need. Whether you are a speedy runner or are simply looking for a good pair of walking shoes, they can help you out. It’s may be a smaller shop and may feel odd at first but trust me, they have your back.
It’s important to get fitted because you feet can change over time. There’s many different reasons as to why this can happen but it’s better to know than assume you’re still the same size. Also, brands can be the same size but fit differently. Some models opt for roomier toe boxes while others may hug you too tight. It’s not uncommon for your running shoe to be a different size than your day to day shoes.
They key importance of shoe fitting is because you need the proper support for your feet to withstand all the miles. At the beginning of my running journey, I had muscle imbalances which we helped by a shoe with more support. As I have spent more time training and working on correcting that, I have been able to gradually switch to a different style of shoe. You will not be able to know the type of support you need unless you are properly fitted. Take it from someone who’s been injured from ill fitting shoes, this is extremely important. Your feet (and your body) will thank you in the long run.
It can seem like a bit of a hassle to go out of your way to a specialty store to get fitted but it’s truly worth it. Once you find what shoe works best, you can get a couple of pairs as well to maintain the rotation. If you’ve never been fitted before, I’d give it a try and see how it impacts your running!
Have you gotten fitted for shoes before? Have you ever had your support needs change?
