Why You Should Get Fitted To Your Running Shoes

by Ankur Garg
Why You Should Get Fitted To Your Running Shoes

When I lived in Tampa I used to LOVE running.  I’d say 5 days a week I’d run anywhere between 3 and 8 miles.  Sometimes I’d run in the morning and at night.  Sometimes I would run to take care of an errand.  But most of the time I was just running to lose/ maintain my weight.  I ran with friends, I ran alone, I ran with music, I ran without.  You know the obsession…

And you know what it’s like to suffer an injury that keeps you sidelined…

I noticed after my runs my right heel would be sore from time to time.  Then I noticed that right heel would be sore when I woke up in the morning.  Then I noticed that right heel would be sore for a good part of the day, especially if I was in flat shoes like flip flops.  Then I noticed that it hurt so bad to step on my right heel that I would walk on the outside of my foot to avoid the heel pain.

I knew something wasn’t right and made an appointment with a podiatrist.  He took a few x-rays and told me I most likely had plantar fasciitis, which is common in runners and athletes, and is a swelling of thick tissue that connects the heels to the toes, in the bottom of the foot.

Luckily it required no surgery, just some time to heal, a little PT and some anti-inflammatories.  I was all for those things, except the rest part.  I went ahead and got a couple of cortisone shots to ease the pain and swelling, but I kept on running.  I would stick my foot in a bucket of ice after runs (which was god awful, btw), I would roll golf balls around under my desk, I would freeze water bottles to massage under my feet as well.

The doctor mentioned I get fitted for shoe inserts, but my insurance wouldn’t cover them, and the only way I was spending $300 on something for my feet was going to be on something made by Chanel!!!

Long story short, one day I decided to check out Fit2Run in Tampa, FL with a friend.  He was getting fitted to some running shoes so I figured I’d let them tell me what I should be wearing.  I got fitted to these adorable green and white Sauconys.  Those Sauconys saw many a mile, let me tell you…

And guess what.. the heel pain went away.  Gone.  Bye-bye.  I started walking normally (not on the outside of my foot).  And I was stylin’!

Now, I’m not saying Sauconys are for you, but what I am saying is that EVERYONE WHO RUNS SHOULD BE EVALUATED BY A PROFESSIONAL.

According to a local running store, this is how it goes down:

EACH CUSTOMER, REGARDLESS OF THEIR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OR ACTIVITY LEVEL, RECEIVES A PERSONAL CONSULTATION WITH ONE OF OUR HIGHLY TRAINED STAFF TO DETERMINE HOW THE FOOT BEARS THE BODY’S WEIGHT DURING THE GAIT CYCLE. THROUGH THIS OBSERVATION―AND BEARING IN MIND ANY PAST OR PRESENT INJURIES OR CONCERNS, ORTHOTIC USE, AND TRAINING LEVEL―AN ACCURATE SHOE RECOMMENDATION CAN BE MADE.

DURING THIS UNIQUE FITTING PROCESS, THE STAFF MEMBER WILL EDUCATE THE CONSUMER ABOUT THEIR FOOT STRUCTURE AND BIOMECHANICS, AND HOW OR WHY A PARTICULAR SHOE RECOMMENDATION IS THE RIGHT CHOICE. AFTER OBSERVING THE USER IN ACTION, IN THE RECOMMENDED FOOTWEAR, SIMILARLY CONSTRUCTED FOOTWEAR WILL BE SHOWN TO HELP THE CONSUMER CHOOSE FOR THEMSELVES THE MOST APPROPRIATE FIT.

If you are active on any level you absolutely should have this done.  Here’s a list of places around the country that will fit you to the right shoe:

Fit2Run, Tampa, Orlando, Wellington, Sarasota, FL

Marathon Sports, Boston, Brookline, Melrose, Cambridge, Norwell

The Lincoln Running Company, Lincoln, Nebraska

Fleet Feet, Chesterfield,Mo,

Fleet Feet – Cincinnati Ohio

Fleet Feet, Chico, California.

Fleet Feet, Atlanta, GA

Pr running in Westborough, MA

Luke’s Locker, Houston,TX

Bayside Runner in Plymouth

The Running Lab in Orange, CA

DB Sports, Plainville, MA

Salt lake running company. Slc, ut

Fit Niche. Several locations in central FL

Heart and sole, Santa Rosa, CA

Front Runner in Columbus, Ohio

Blue mile, broad ripple in Indianapolis

RunTex, in Austin, Texas

New England running Company in Beverly, MA

Inside Track, Harrisbug, PA

The Pulse Running, Idaho locations

Fitness Meridian, Idaho locations

Running room, rochester mn

The Big Peach in Atlanta, Ga

Aardvark Sports Shop in Stroudsburg, PA

 

Just go and do this.  You do not want to end up on the sidelines!

 

The post Why You Should Get Fitted To Your Running Shoes appeared first on About Time.

by Ankur Garg

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