Training Walk & New Shoes

I did a 7 mile training walk with a group of other 3 Dayers today. I woke up at 5:00 am (and hit the snooze button until 5:15). We met up at Foot Solutions in Litchfield Park. We did a four mile loop followed by a three mile loop. Total mileage was actually 7.34 miles. The weather was cool for a July morning is Arizona but very humid due to the monsoon season. It was a nice walk with some good company.

We ended the walk at Foot Solutions. They surprised us with fruit, water, and Gatorade. It was wonderful! Foot Solutions hosted a clinic about shoes and socks. They gave a short lecture about properly fitting your feet for good shoes and socks. There are three types of walkers, over-pronaters, neutral, and under-pronaters. After the lecture they measured our feet and watched us walk. Then a computer measured the pressure from our feet and printed a color graph of the pressure in different areas. I found out that I am an under-pronater. Only 5% of people are under-pronaters. They also recommended arch supports for my feet because my arches collapse when I walk.

I found some more information about over-pronating and under-pronating on http://www.runningforkicks.com/definitions.asp


Pronation is simply the process feet follow when hitting the ground during running or walking. The heel strikes first, then the foot rolls down through the arch to the toes. Ideally, weight is distributed evenly across the foot during this process– in a “neutral stance.” However, many runners inadvertently allow their feet to roll inward or outward– conditions called over- or under-pronation.

Without the proper support, over- and under-pronaters can suffer from:

• foot, leg and knee strain
• shin splints
• runner’s knee
• calluses
• or pinched nerves

With this in mind, we’ve hand-picked fitness shoes which help stabilize the foot and provide extra support– minimizing strain and enhancing performance.

NEUTRAL STANCE

• Tendency to maintain an evenly-balanced stance while running.
• Pull out an old pair of running shoes and look at the soles. You’re likely to have a neutral stance if the wear is relatively even across the inner and outer arch.
• Our recommended “neutral” shoes combine even support, stability and cushion.

SEVERE TO MODERATE OVER-PRONATION

• Tendency to allow the foot and ankle to roll inward while running—potentially causing foot, leg and knee strain, shin splints, runner’s knee, calluses or pinched nerves.
  
• Pull out an old pair of running shoes and look at the soles. You’re likely a severe to moderate over-pronater if there is extremely heavy wear on the inner arch.
  
• Our recommended shoes for severe to moderate over-pronaters provide extra support and stability– facilitating a more balanced stance and minimizing strain. You should notice a significant difference in your comfort level and performance.

MODERATE TO MILD OVER-PRONATION

• Tendency to allow the foot and ankle to roll slightly inward while running—potentially causing foot, leg and knee strain, shin splints, runner’s knee, calluses or pinched nerves.
• Pull out an old pair of running shoes and look at the soles. You’re likely a moderate to mild under-pronater if there is somewhat heavy wear on the inner arch.
• Our recommended shoes for moderate to mild over-pronaters provide extra support and stability– facilitating a more balanced stance and minimizing strain. You should notice a difference in your comfort level and performance.

UNDER-PRONATION

• Tendency to allow the foot to roll outward while running.
  
• This condition affects fewer runners than over-pronation, but it can also cause foot, leg and knee strain.
• Pull out an old pair of running shoes and look at the soles. You are likely an under-pronater if you notice heavy wear on the outer arch– from the heel possibly to the toe.
• Our recommended shoes for under-pronaters provide extra support and stability– facilitating a more balanced stance and minimizing strain. You should notice a real difference in your comfort level and performance.

I tried on some shoes that they recommended. The Brooks and New Balance were the best shoes for my feet. I thought the Brooks were a little too narrow in the right toe area. I decided on the New Balance. I can't wait to start walking in my new shoes.