PODIATRIST DISCUSSES IMPORTANCE OF BUYING THE RIGHT ATHLETIC SHOE

posted: Jan. 10, 2022.

Ronald Lepow, DPM, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, specializes in podiatry and helping patients fix their feet. He’s also an avid tennis player and has trained for marathons in his free time. The most important purchase for any runner is the right athletic shoe, he said. “If you go play tennis, you don’t take a ping-pong paddle with you,” Dr. Lepow said. “You need the right equipment, and the main equipment you need to be concerned about with running are the shoes.” 

 

Dr. Ronald Lepow

 

Before buying a shoe, Lepow said it’s important to find a store that specializes in athletic apparel and shoes, and take advice from a knowledgeable salesperson. Athletic shoes should be a half size or full size larger than your regular shoe size. There should be a thumb nail’s distance between the end of your big toe and the end of the shoe, and you can determine that once you are standing with the shoes on and laced up. “Athletic shoes are broken down into two categories: running shoes and training flats,” Lepow said. “A running shoe is best on a track or running outdoors. A training flat is better inside a gym for lateral or side-to-side movements on machines.”

 

Source: Baylor College of Medicine [1/4/22]

Courtesy of Barry Block, editor of PM News