Date: Fri 18-Jul-1997

Publication: Hea

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

shoe-feet-podiatrist

Full Text:

If The Shoe Fits, Doctors Say You Should Wear It

BY STEVE BIGHAM

If you're an athlete looking to update your gear, you should consider starting

with your feet. Afterall, it's your feet that keep you firmly planted on the

ground.

But, if you're like most people who buy a new pair of sneakers every couple of

years, finding a good sports shoe or sneaker can be a perplexing experience.

Today's major shoe stores offer quite a choice. And while the guys at Foot

Locker can be of some assistance, you need to find out the hallmarks of a good

sports shoe from the experts.

According to local podiatrist Dr Joel S. Segalman, the shoe you wear can make

all the difference in the world.

"Years ago, there were only Keds. Today, there are all different types of

shoes for each sport," he said.

In order for consumers to be sure they are getting a good product, the doctor

said they need to know the true components of a good sports shoe. He said

there are three major things that you need to look for when buying a shoe.

First, the shoe must be flexible. Your foot flexes, so should your shoe, he

said.

Second, the back of the shoe, known as the cup, needs to control the heel. If

your rear foot moves when you try on a shoe, you better look at another one.

"If you can't control the heel, it's like not being able to control the car,"

Dr Segalman said.

Third, the shoe must allow your foot to move properly while you are running or

walking.

Also important, Dr Segalman said, is the shoe's ability to roll as it comes

down. It must be well padded around the Achilles heel and it needs to be wide

in the front (toe box) for expansion. The tip of the big toe should be about a

quarter of an inch from the end of the shoe. And, of course, the shoe needs to

be the same shape as your foot.

The bottom line, the doctor said, is that the shoe has to fit. People have

told him about buying a new pair of shoes and having to break them in because

they were still a little tight. "No way," he said. "If it's not fitting, it's

not fitting."

The podiatrist said there is a perception out there that if the shoe looks

good, it must be good. Not so, he said, the key is in the quality of the shoe.

"I sometimes have people come in and say `Look, I got these for $9.95 at

Kmart.' If you're a serious runner, that's no good," he said.

Dr Segalman said New Balance is one of the companies that takes the time to

design its running shoes from a bio-mechanical standpoint. It's not a pretty

shoe - no flashing lights, or pumps, or Michael Jordan endorsement - but it

has been known to soothe even the widest and most crooked feet.

A staff podiatrist at the Boston Marathon, Dr Segalman has seen how a good

shoe can help a runner. A top flight runner, he said, gets about 500 miles out

of a sneaker. After that, some sneakers tend to lose their duro-meter, their

cushioning or their ability to bounce back.

Today's top-of-the-line running shoes are being worn by more than just

runners. Dr Segalman, who was a track standout in both high school and

college, said he often puts elderly patients into running shoes. They provide

plenty of cushion and are wide in the front to accept everything from hammer

toes and corns to bunions and blisters.

"I tell them, `If a man can run 26 miles in them, you can walk around Newtown

in them,'" he said.

As the doctor points out, all feet are different and no one shoe is ever going

to create a perfect fit. He recommends orthotics for certain feet, comparing

the devices to wheel adjustments on a car. The orthotics, he said, help align

the human skeleton to the ground.

Dr Segalman said the best time to shop for shoes is on Friday afternoon, at

the end of the week, after you've been on your feet all week. That's when your

foot is biggest. If you've had a relaxing weekend off your feet, you shouldn't

plan to buy shoes Monday morning. That's when your feet are the smallest.