With so many different athletic shoes available in stores, it can become confusing which ones you should purchase.

I used to think I only needed a pair of “running” shoes.  Well, I have learned from the injuries I have sustained over the years that this is not the case.  Apparently different athletic activities require different forms of support and cushioning.  I have since purchased orthotics, running shoes, cross-trainers, and spinning shoes!

This winter I hobbled into my chiropractor’s office with the following chief complaint:  “I think I have a stress fracture in my right foot, a right patellar tendonitis and I am in severe pain and spasm in my left lower back and neck”.   In case you are wondering why I know such fancy medical phraseology, it’s because I completed my Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy many moons ago – which means I should know better than to ignore my aches and pains!  How many of you are also guilty of ignoring your injuries until they become full-blown problems that sideline you from your fitness training and favorite sports? I have learned my lesson (the hard way) and will ALWAYS SEE A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL THE INSTANT I DEVELOP ANY TYPE OF ACHE OR PAIN IN MY BODY!!!  Why?  Because this is time when it is easily treatable, meaning you will be back in the game in no time!  Thanks to my decision not to see my chiropractor right away, I am now sidelined from many of my favorite training styles for months until I heal.

Remember the song, “the foot bone’s connected to the ankle bone, the ankle bone’s connected to the leg bone, the leg bone’s connected to the knee bone,” and so on?     This song explains that the human body is a KINETIC CHAIN, meaning each part of your body is interconnected.  This means and injury in one part of your body could lead to an injury elsewhere!  This explains why I presented to my chiropractor with 4 chief complaints.  After careful history taking and assessment, it was established that my primary (original) injury was my right foot.   Obviously I use my foot everyday, which was causing foot pain.  So my clever body tried to protect my foot by walking in a way that would take the pressure off of it.  This very subtle new walking pattern I adopted was not biomechanically favorable for my right knee, which is why I developed a right patellar tendonitis.  In order to protect my painful knee, my body developed a new posture and walking pattern, which placed tremendous strain on my left lower back, which is the reason why I put my neck out.  And now you see the pattern!  Had I treated my foot right away, I never would have developed the other 3 injuries.

Radiographs revealed a stress fracture in my right foot.  Let me confess to you why this happened.  I wanted to jump rope in my living room because I have a beautiful view of the water.  But my living room has a carpet.  I did not want to wear my running shoes on the carpet, for fear of soiling it.  I jumped rope in my socks for 2 months on my carpet almost everyday.  Then one day I noticed severe pain in my right foot.

As a physiotherapist, I know better.  I also know that I have pronated flat feet that make me more susceptible to injuries when I train, which is why I must wear orthotics if I want to stay injury-free.  So I wanted to write this blog to stress the importance of the following 2 concepts:

1. seeking immediate medical attention at the first detection of aches & pains
2. wearing the correct sports-specific footwear (and potentially orthotics) to prevent injuries.

I submitted the following questions to my chiropracter, Dr. Joy Simon.  Here are her responses:

1.  Do I require different shoes for running, jumping rope, spinning and weight training?  If so,  why?

Yes, because different activities cause different stresses on your body, a shoe should be chosen to meet the particular demands that the activity in question will place on your body.

For example, running is a high impact activity that is done in linear fashion.  Running shoes are designed to have lots of flexibility in the forefoot (the area where the toes meet the foot bones) so you can easily propel yourself forward without straining your Achilles tendon. It also has lots of cushioning to minimize overuse injury that may occur from all that constant impact. Other types of activities, think basketball and tennis, involve more lateral movements and therefore require a shoe constructed to hold the foot in place during quick side-to-side movements.  As a result, shoes designed for these activities usually have a stiffer sole and a leather upper, instead of the mesh fabric upper of a running shoe.

Because running and jump rope are the activities which put the most strain on your feet and leg joints, you should not use these shoes for lower impact activities, such as walking, spinning, weight training, and so on. For these activities, save your running shoes and your money by wearing your old runners, a pair of cross trainers or a less expensive running shoe.  Save the cushioning in your good running shoes for your runs... you’ll need it!

2a) I understand that jumping rope while barefoot can lead to a stress fracture, so does this mean that wearing those trendy minimalist shoes which mimic being barefoot might also lead to injuries?

Because the minimalist shoes are designed to mimic being barefoot, there is no cushioning to protect you during impact, so yes these could very easily lead to stress injuries. Some of these shoes look like the running spikes that sprinters wear.  An Olympic sprinter tends to have a very short career and spends countless hours prepping for his or her sport, pre-habilitating, re-habilitating, and in the end is cursed with various types of permanently disabling injuries to be suffered for the rest of his or her life.  For a sprinter willing to make such a great sacrifice for a razor thin advantage over the competition, the lighter shoe which might take a 10th of a second might make the difference between glory or defeat. However most of us exercise not for Olympic glory but rather for enjoyment, stress relief and physical fitness. Therefore unless you are an Olympian, do your body a favour and shun those minimalist shoes in favour of good quality footwear that will support you on a daily basis.

2b) So I understand why jumping rope in minimalist shoes is not a good idea. What about wearing them for running or engaging in other such activities?

The theory behind these shoes is based on the observation that certain Kenyan distance runners have been very successful running barefoot. And if it works for the Kenyans, then surely it will work for everyone else, right? Wrong! Few of us are built like long-distance marathon runners, nor do we train on the dirt roads of the Masai Mara. So whether you run, jump rope or perform aerobic exercises, always wear proper protective footwear in order to absorb the shock of your impact exercise and protect your body from painful injury.

2c) I love my ballet flats! But I have fallen arches (flat feet). Is this a concern?

People with over-pronated (flat) feet should NEVER wear a flat shoe, because flat shoes force your foot into even greater pronation. This includes the ever popular ballet flat, which (I myself must confess) I too love to wear!

Anyone with an over-pronated foot needs to be in a shoe with a heel of around one inch (the wedge shape of a running shoe is perfect). This puts your foot into the optimal position for support and correction. The other consideration for flat feet is shock absorption. Unlike the skeletal structure of normal feet, the bones of the pronating foot are unable to properly absorb shock. Therefore, shock is conducted through the foot and into the ankles, Achilles tendons, shins, knees, hips, and back, causing pain and injury. A properly fitted shoe supplemented by a custom orthotic will correct the pronation and provides shock absorption.

Please leave your questions for Dr. Sara Solomon and Dr. Joy Simon in the comments section below.  Please indicate if you would like orthotics addressed in an upcoming blog, and if there is another sports injury topic you would like addressed by Sara and Joy (“aka the  physiotherapy/chiropractic team”).

– Sara