There is no best running shoe. There never will be a best running shoe. All runners have different styles and foot types and different characteristics. The secret to proper running shoes prescribing is matching up those characteristics to the different design features of the running shoes. It really is a very complex task to get the match up right. There is a potential from increased risk from injury if the match is wrong. There is also a potential for a decreased risk of injury and increased performance if the match is wrong. To further complicate things is that the running shoe companies are constantly changing things, so it can be a difficult task to keep on top of the running shoes changes that are constantly happen. From a podiatry perspective it is very helpful to develop a relationship with a local specialty running shoes store to help out.
June 20, 2011
June 1, 2011
Bunions and Footwear
Bunions are probably the most common alignment problem in the foot that Podiatrists see. A bunion is an enlargement of the big toe or first metatarsophalangeal joint. Bunions usually accompany hallux abducto valgus. The cause of bunions is probably a combination of genetic predisposition combined with biomechanics and the use of restrictive footwear. Footwear are widely believed to be the cause of bunions, but those who do not wear shoes still get bunions. The big difference is that the bunions in those who do not wear shoes usually are not painful. It is believed that the role of the shoe is to perhaps bring the bunion on at an earlier age, accelerate the progress of it and provide the resistance that cause the bunion to be painful. So even if the footwear plays no role in the actual cause of the bunion, they still do certainly play a big role. Bunion surgery (eg Austin bunionectomy) is generally the only way to actually get rid of them.