By Sam Randall
What footwear should someone going to the gym wear? Would running shoes or cross-trainers be better? Or should it be something else? Why?
The person should be wearing a shoe that reflects the activities that the person is doing. Each type of sports shoe is designed specifically for that sport and if used for other sports may 1) not work as effectively 2) not last as long 3) increase potential for injury. Having said that, if the sport you are doing has similar movements to the sport your shoe was designed for (i.e. squash, tennis, badminton), it may well be adequate.
For example a shoe specifically designed for running would not be a good choice for a tennis shoe. This is because running is largely a straight forward-directional sport, with (hopefully!) very little lateral movement, so all of the engineering gone into the shoe would be designed to deal with the forces associated with running in a straight line. Tennis is a very lateral sport and involves much sidestepping and very fast changes of direction. This movement will place lots of force into the shoe for which it is not designed and therefore the shoe may not last as long as it should.
Another consideration is the height of the heel in the shoe. Running trainers tend to have a higher heel than tennis, basketball or cross trainers. This means that the participants foot is higher from the floor, therefore the centre of gravity is higher and requires less force to turn the ankle, placing the participant at potentially increased risk of ankle injuries.
If you look at the sole of a running trainer the grip tends to be one of ridges which run across the sole from side to side. This gives a good traction when running in a straight line but if you need to turn/pivot on the foot the tread will not be aiding this. With trainers designed for court based games and lots of stopping, starting and turning the sole will have a mixture of ridges and areas designed for a body to pivot on. Infact recently there was a football boot that was marketed with a pivoting stud under the ball of the foot to aid the sportspersons movement. In this instance however I am unsure how much difference this makes though and may just be a marketing gimmick. Also, shoes that are designed for sports with a lot of lateral movement tend to have a much stronger side panel, and in the cases of things like basket ball boots, the shoe/boot will come up higher to protect the ankle.
With regards to wearing a cross trainer for running, it really depends on how much running you will be doing. If you are doing 5 minutes as a warm up at the gym a couple of times a week then you will likely get away with cross trainer. A basket ball shoe is not neccessarily designed to cope with the forces associated with running, so may well lead to injury.
An important thing to remember about injury, especially chronic injuries sustained by populations such as runners, is that everyone is individual. As an example I am sure everyone hears of stories of a poeple who ran a marathon last year in 2hr 30 min in a pair of 1984 Hitec squash shoes. This sort of person has been blessed with very good biomechanics and may well be able to continue doing this their whole life. This doesn’t mean that everyone is able to do this. What I am getting at is that everyone is individual, and they are put together in a unique way, so what might work for one person may not work for another. Don’t buy a shoe because your friend swears by it. Go get assessed and find the shoe suitable for you.
If someone takes part in several sports, should he then have one pair for tennis, one for jogging, one for walking etc? Or would one pair of cross-trainer be good enough?
If you are playing several sports I think it is wise to have a shoe for each type of activity. Running and walking you can use the same shoes, unless the walking is on particularly rugged terrain, where you would benefit from a more rigid walking shoe. Tennis, badminton, squash it is best to find another pair appropriate to that activity. As I previously mentioned, think about the movements you will make during that activity and think about the sport the shoe is designed for. If they are similar then the shoe is possibly ok.
How does one pick a shoe that is suitable for them?
If you plan to do any sport consistently, lets use running as an example, then it is best to have a pair of shoes fitted by someone who knows what they are doing. There are a few specialist running shops in Singapore who’s staff have an understanding of correctly fitting footwear.
Correctly fitting means that the length, width, depth, weight, shape of the toe box, shape of the last, height of the heel counter, most appropriate lacing technique, appropriateness for activity, rigidity/composition of the sole and whether the shoe is a support or cushioning shoe (and where the various support and cushioning is placed in the sole) are all factors influencing picking the right shoe for you. If you are in any real doubt it is best to see an appropriately trained sports medicine practition, such as a Sports Podiatrist, who can provide a full biomechanical and gait examination and then discuss with you the options and pros and cons of various footwear.
When buying your shoe spend a bit of time with them on in the shop. 10-15min or more if you have to. If the shop has a treadmil (as some do) have a run in them. Always try an alternative shoe to compare the first choice with. If it isn’t comfortable now it is unlikely to get much more comfortable once you have done 10k in the shoe. If you are unsure, try another or don’t buy.
Are branded or high-end shoes necessarily better? Or are less expensive brands be equally as good? What’re the differences to look out for?
High-end branded footwear and expensive shoes do not neccessarily make the shoe better than a cheaper or lesser well known brand shoe. Often slightly lesser well known brands such as Mizuno, brooks and saucony have some excellent running shoes.
There was a research paper released recently that showed in the lab that the really expensive shock absorption shoes didn’t actually provide any more shock absorption than the entry level model for that brand. There is also a school of thought that believe too much shock absorption is a bad thing, because it can decrease the response of the in-built shock attenuation system the body has.
The main thing to look for in a shoe is fit, comfort and it is designed to support your body type and lower limb mechanics for the activity you are planning to do.