“When we walk, we put nearly 1.5 times our body weight on our foot,” said Dr. Robert Veith, a foot and ankle specialist at Valley Orthopedic Associates in Renton.
Activities like running and jumping increases the shocking impact of our body weight on the muscles, joints, ligaments and tendons in our feet, ankles and legs, Dr. Veith said.
Wearing the correct shoes for a particular activity helps absorb the impact and reduces the chance of painful injury.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) reports that in 2003 there were 11 million visits made to physicians’ offices for foot, toe and ankle problems. Two million of these visits were for ankle sprains and strains, and more than 800,000 were for ankle fractures.
According to the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS), there are seven categories of athletic shoe, each designed to protect the areas of the feet that encounter the most stress in a particular athletic activity:
- Running, training and walking shoes for hiking, jogging and exercise walking
- Court sports shoes for tennis, basketball and volleyball
- Cleated field sports shoes for soccer, football and baseball
- Winter sport footwear for figure skating, hockey and skiing
- Track and field sports shoes
- Specialty sports shoes for activities like golf, aerobic dancing and cycling
- Outdoor sports footwear for recreational activities like hunting, fishing and boating
When purchasing a new pair of athletic shoes, the AAOS and AOFAS recommend these tips:
- Try on athletic shoes after a workout or run and at the end of the day. Your feet will be at their largest.
- Wear the same type of sock that you will wear for that sport.
- When the shoe is on your foot, you should be able to freely wiggle all of your toes.
- The shoes should be comfortable as soon as you try them on. There is no break-in period.
- Walk or run a few steps in your shoes. They should be comfortable.
- Always re-lace the shoes you are trying on. You should begin at the farthest eyelets and apply even pressure as you crisscross a lacing pattern to the top of the shoe.
- There should be a firm grip of the shoe to your heel. Your heel should not slip as you walk or run.
- If you participate in a sport three or more times a week, you need a sports-specific shoe.
The 4-mile run and 2-mile walk goes along the Cedar River Trail towards Maplewood Golf Course, into downtown Renton. For more information or to register, visit www.rentonriverdays.org.