Shoe fitting? Real or Hocus Pocus?

RobynLB

I've been a runner since middle school, and I've never been fitted for shoes. I just pop some on and roll my feet around to see if they feel good, but I know what kind of shoes I like by now: snug fit, low profile, thin soles, usually new balance... I also run barefoot and in non-running shoes.

Running shoe stores will do shoe fitting for you at no charge. It's a neat service. They will sell you super pricey shoes, and I think that's mostly the point, but hey, get yourself a nice pair of running shoes if it'll motivate you. Don't expect it to do wonders for any biomechanics problems you might have with your feet, ankles, or knees. Learning proper running form is more important for those issues.

cubbies77

1. Has anyone done this before?

I weigh 304 pounds now. I kept having this incredible, cramping pain in the top of my left foot, right above the inside of my arch. My doctor said tendonitis or arthritis could be forming and recommended I get fit for new walking shoes.

2. Is it real or just a bunch of hocus pocus?

It's real.

3. IF it is real is it worth it?

Definitely. I feel like I can stand for hours in these shoes, and I don't have any pain when I walk. My foot is still a little sore on occasion, but I think that's because it's still healing. It's nowhere near as bad as it was before. I'd say the pain is a 2 instead of an 8 (on a scale of 1-10). I've only had them for two weeks, and the difference is amazing.

4. Speaking of worth it how much does it cost?

It was free.

5. Who does it?

I went to Gazelle Sports, which is a local chain (I believe). I told them I'd like to get fit for walking shoes, and the sales lady had me take my shoes off and roll up my jeans so she could see my calves/ankles/feet. She knelt on the floor and watched my feet as I walked away from and toward her (to check for over/under-pronating). Then she had me balance on each foot for ten seconds. Finally, she felt my arches and ran her hand down the bottom of my foot to get a sense of how deep my arch was. She also used the foot measuring thingie to check my size and width. Then she had me try on three different pairs of shoes, and I repeated the walking and balance tests in each pair.

6. And finally after getting "fit" do I know what shoes to buy in the future when these wear out or do you have to get "fitted" every time.

She recommended I replace them every six months or so many miles. She created an account for me in their computer and said they'd have my shoes on file so I don't have to remember which ones they are. I can try those next time and/or check my fit again. Since some obese people lose weight in their feet (I've gone from a 9WW to an 8.5W), she recommended I get fit every time all the way down to goal weight just to be sure nothing has changed.

Doodlewhopper

I will be the dissenting voice and say it is hocus pocus. I don't mean that a shoe should not fit properly but the idea of correcting a natural foot movement ie pronation is wrong.

The US military gave recruits motion correcting shoes based on the shoe manufacturer fitting procedure. They randomly assigned anther group shoes. The group properly fitted (again according to the shoe manufacturer procedure) had a higher injury rate. The US Military decided that they would not provide properly fitted shoes to their troops based on this study. The military recommends a neutral (non correcting) shoe that fits properly.

Link to articles about the study: http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/07/07/us-running-shoes-idUSTRE6665PZ20100707 and http://www.army.mil/article/42842/.

I do not subscribe to the website where I could download the study directly.


Me, I run barefoot. The picture is my feet at the finish of last Novembers Philly race.

^^^This

The running industry is all about hocus pocus. Running & runners are a golden goose. Stop and consider why the podiatrist wouldn't tell patients to go barefoot every chance they get instead of selling them orthotics; and why wont $150 running shoes last more than 500 miles; and why do the running manufactures change your favorite shoes every year or two?

Planned Obsolescence - A manufacturing decision by a company to make consumer products in such a way that they become out-of-date or useless within a known time period.

The running industry has addicted runners by nurturing weak feet. Strong & healthy feet dont need correction. Pronation is a natural motion as it helps to disperse impact. Over pronation is caused by weak arches. Dont use arch supports; strengthen your arches. Go minimalist and you will run correctly.

Running minimalist or barefoot will stop you from heel striking & reduce joint & back pain. Let your feet work as intended. I weigh 235 & wear New Balance Minimus. When I grind these down I will try Merrell Road Gloves. I would go barefoot but I am an early morning runner and cant always see where I stepping in the dark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JWUhW5yRdI

stumblinthrulife

I will be the dissenting voice and say it is hocus pocus. I don't mean that a shoe should not fit properly but the idea of correcting a natural foot movement ie pronation is wrong.

What about correcting supination? I can certainly see where it makes more sense to address the root cause of gait issues - like muscle imbalances - but as someone that suffers knee problems it's freaking painful in the meantime. I don't want an issue like supination to get in the way of me increasing my cardiovascular health through running.

dorothytd

I was very happy with my fitting, which I did for the first time in October. The ones I ended up with were, interestingly, the same brand I had been buying off the rack at Kohl's. But they really do feel so much better, AND I was wearing the wrong size.

I don't think anyone has mentioned ... A number of specialty stores will actually take them back - yes, after you've run in them - if they don't work. Ours does. It made me feel less nervous about the process, and less guilty about shelling out the $$ for them.

macdiver

I will be the dissenting voice and say it is hocus pocus. I don't mean that a shoe should not fit properly but the idea of correcting a natural foot movement ie pronation is wrong.

What about correcting supination? I can certainly see where it makes more sense to address the root cause of gait issues - like muscle imbalances - but as someone that suffers knee problems it's freaking painful in the meantime. I don't want an issue like supination to get in the way of me increasing my cardiovascular health through running.

Correcting supination using a shoe is equally as wrong. My understanding is that pronation is normal and supination is caused by weak leg and foot muscles. The best way to strengthen the foot muscles is by walking and running barefoot. Using correct form will stop supination. Again read the articles those fitted with control shoes for either pronation or supination had more injuries than those who had regular shoes wether they supinated or pronated or not.

strawberrytoast

Not shoe related but if your calf muscles are tightening up badly it might just be that you havnt warmed your body up enough before running~? 5 minutes of jumping jacks, jogging ect then stretching. I used to get this pain and also shin splints- I found making sure your muscles are all warm and ready to go has helped a lot. Also make sure you do a cool down stretch.

lonecorndog

I used to go to a place in Boise, Idaho called Shu's Idaho Running. Free, as always, from a trained staff member. They then bring out shoes that are appropriate for you. They put one type on one foot, another shoe on the other, and you go out for a jog! You always see people jogging in unmatched shoes around Shu's. Go a couple dozen yards, back in the shop to try on another shoe. Eventually you find one you love. When I lived in Idaho I was religious about going to that shop because they were great (they would even keep track of what you had bought in the past so you never had to think, even!

One time I got a pair that I ended up hating. After a 10 mile run in them, I took them back a week later. No questions asked, and they refit me. Having someone with knowledge makes all the difference in the world. And FYI, I have no affiliation with Shu's, so this aint an ad for them!! Good luck!

SRH7

I will be the dissenting voice and say it is hocus pocus. I don't mean that a shoe should not fit properly but the idea of correcting a natural foot movement ie pronation is wrong.

What about correcting supination? I can certainly see where it makes more sense to address the root cause of gait issues - like muscle imbalances - but as someone that suffers knee problems it's freaking painful in the meantime. I don't want an issue like supination to get in the way of me increasing my cardiovascular health through running.

I agree. For those of us with mechanical problems caused by supination issues running barefoot or in minimal shoes is not an option. The cartilage under my knee cap has been rubbed away and I now have osteoarthritis - all due to overpronation since I could first walk.

Some days I struggled to get out of bed or get off the sofa due to chronic knee pain, not to mention daily doses of strong anti-arthritic drugs. Now, just a year after seeing a podiatrist and using orthotics in all my shoes and running shoes that are right for my feet, I am running up to 5k at a time. My feet are in the right place, so my kneecaps and joints are lined up correctly. And all it cost was £90 for the podiatrist (£60 for two visits and £30 for two sets of orthotics - she adjusted off-the-peg ones to save me money) and £80 for a pair of running shoes. A damn sight cheaper than the prescription drugs I was taking every day.

A year ago I struggled to walk down the street some days, now I can run. Yes, I still get knee pain and I know that the arthritis will never go away, but I'm confident that the damage being caused has been halted or at least slowed down. The outcome from getting proper advice has been nothing short of a miracle for me.

3dogsrunning

I will be the dissenting voice and say it is hocus pocus. I don't mean that a shoe should not fit properly but the idea of correcting a natural foot movement ie pronation is wrong.

What about correcting supination? I can certainly see where it makes more sense to address the root cause of gait issues - like muscle imbalances - but as someone that suffers knee problems it's freaking painful in the meantime. I don't want an issue like supination to get in the way of me increasing my cardiovascular health through running.

Correcting supination using a shoe is equally as wrong. My understanding is that pronation is normal and supination is caused by weak leg and foot muscles. The best way to strengthen the foot muscles is by walking and running barefoot. Using correct form will stop supination. Again read the articles those fitted with control shoes for either pronation or supination had more injuries than those who had regular shoes wether they supinated or pronated or not.

I've done all the reading. I was totally sold on barefoot running. The head of my running club, also a doctor, is a big proponent of it and I respect his opinions. I really really wanted to be able to do it.
I have done everything I can, but I cannot run injury free without a corrective shoe. I still believe that minimalist shoes are better for the majority, however, I don't believe that it is a one size fits all thing. I still strongly believe that some people benefit from motion control shoes. I will continue to run, pain and injury free, in motion control shoes.

I also don't understand, I am a barefoot person. As soon as it gets warm enough, I have nothing on my feet or sandal. I constantly walk barefoot or without sneakers. I can't see why my feet would be that weak.

ETA - I've also worked on my form.

Gizziemoto

I just did this. Have plantar faciaitis. Went to try a regular shoe store and ended up leaving in more pain than when I got there. When to a running store that does the full foot strike analysis, I cannot run due to my knees, but they showed me how high my archers really were and recommend shoes and inserts for regular shoes. The shoes where pricey but my feet and knee are both happier now when I walk, pain free. It was worth it for me. Plus they showed my how I roll my foot when I walk and offered advice on how to adjust my walking to straighten this out.

samantha1242

I've had running shoes "fitted" because I have a bad knee from dance and it was starting to hurt from a boot camp I was going to in mediocre run of the mill shoes. They just watch you walk, ask to see your old running shoes to see how you wear them out (on the bottom) which helps them see how you step, I guess. She told me I needed arch support and grabbed a bunch of shoes for me to try with arch support. The moment I put on my saucony running shoes it felt like I stepped into heaven. Heaven in a shoe. No more knee pain!

In my opinion, I'd go and get fitted and then see how they feel. Go home and buy them online. They boost the price a lot at the stores which I understand, but still. Expensive!

Doodlewhopper

I've had running shoes "fitted" because I have a bad knee from dance and it was starting to hurt from a boot camp I was going to in mediocre run of the mill shoes. They just watch you walk, ask to see your old running shoes to see how you wear them out (on the bottom) which helps them see how you step, I guess. She told me I needed arch support and grabbed a bunch of shoes for me to try with arch support. The moment I put on my saucony running shoes it felt like I stepped into heaven. Heaven in a shoe. No more knee pain!

In my opinion, I'd go and get fitted and then see how they feel. Go home and buy them online. They boost the price a lot at the stores which I understand, but still. Expensive!

I am in the petrochemical industry & in no way associated with anything related to sports retailing; but it's wrong to use the store's resources & not buy their merchandise. Right is right and wrong is wrong and there is no way to justify what you advocate.

It takes time, money, and equipment to analyze a runner; plus just maybe the store lost a sale because they were busy helping you & couldnt get to a legitimate buyer who couldnt wait.

Trade places for a moment and consider how it would feel to have to work for free an extra 45 minutes a day.

Hope you reconsider & give our local merchants a fair shake, cuz one day we will miss the services of those who went out of business.

macdiver

I agree. For those of us with mechanical problems caused by supination issues running barefoot or in minimal shoes is not an option. The cartilage under my knee cap has been rubbed away and I now have osteoarthritis - all due to overpronation since I could first walk.

Some days I struggled to get out of bed or get off the sofa due to chronic knee pain, not to mention daily doses of strong anti-arthritic drugs. Now, just a year after seeing a podiatrist and using orthotics in all my shoes and running shoes that are right for my feet, I am running up to 5k at a time. My feet are in the right place, so my kneecaps and joints are lined up correctly. And all it cost was £90 for the podiatrist (£60 for two visits and £30 for two sets of orthotics - she adjusted off-the-peg ones to save me money) and £80 for a pair of running shoes. A damn sight cheaper than the prescription drugs I was taking every day.

A year ago I struggled to walk down the street some days, now I can run. Yes, I still get knee pain and I know that the arthritis will never go away, but I'm confident that the damage being caused has been halted or at least slowed down. The outcome from getting proper advice has been nothing short of a miracle for me.

My experience is just the opposite. I had to quit running twenty years ago because my knees would swell after each run. I had the left knee "rebuilt" when I was 19. The right knee cracks and pops more than the left knee. At 30 I was told I would need new knees by the time I was 50. I am 47 now. I did two things that I think has really helped me. First the doctor who rebuilt my left knee told me to never quit moving, either run, bike, hike etc. After I quit running I started mountain biking. I also hike alot. This his kept the arthritis and pain in check. Second, I discovered barefoot running 3 - 4 years ago. I started running again since that is the cardio I love the most. I finished a marathon with no swelling or pain. I am sure that if I continued heel striking I would still have swollen knees. Running barefoot I get immediate feedback on my form but people do run with proper form with shoes. I will say this is all my opinion and not heavily backed by studies one way or the other.

I also do not believe that we need shoes to correct our natural form. Some people supinate some people over-pronate. Both are mostly a heel strike issue Trying to fix the motion with shoes is the problem. Learn to land on the fore or mid foot and it is very difficult to supinate or over-pronate. Some pronation is natural. Again, just my opinion.

3dogsrunning

I agree. For those of us with mechanical problems caused by supination issues running barefoot or in minimal shoes is not an option. The cartilage under my knee cap has been rubbed away and I now have osteoarthritis - all due to overpronation since I could first walk.

Some days I struggled to get out of bed or get off the sofa due to chronic knee pain, not to mention daily doses of strong anti-arthritic drugs. Now, just a year after seeing a podiatrist and using orthotics in all my shoes and running shoes that are right for my feet, I am running up to 5k at a time. My feet are in the right place, so my kneecaps and joints are lined up correctly. And all it cost was £90 for the podiatrist (£60 for two visits and £30 for two sets of orthotics - she adjusted off-the-peg ones to save me money) and £80 for a pair of running shoes. A damn sight cheaper than the prescription drugs I was taking every day.

A year ago I struggled to walk down the street some days, now I can run. Yes, I still get knee pain and I know that the arthritis will never go away, but I'm confident that the damage being caused has been halted or at least slowed down. The outcome from getting proper advice has been nothing short of a miracle for me.

My experience is just the opposite. I had to quit running twenty years ago because my knees would swell after each run. I had the left knee "rebuilt" when I was 19. The right knee cracks and pops more than the left knee. At 30 I was told I would need new knees by the time I was 50. I am 47 now. I did two things that I think has really helped me. First the doctor who rebuilt my left knee told me to never quit moving, either run, bike, hike etc. After I quit running I started mountain biking. I also hike alot. This his kept the arthritis and pain in check. Second, I discovered barefoot running 3 - 4 years ago. I started running again since that is the cardio I love the most. I finished a marathon with no swelling or pain. I am sure that if I continued heel striking I would still have swollen knees. Running barefoot I get immediate feedback on my form but people do run with proper form with shoes. I will say this is all my opinion and not heavily backed by studies one way or the other.

I also do not believe that we need shoes to correct our natural form. Some people supinate some people over-pronate. Both are mostly a heel strike issue Trying to fix the motion with shoes is the problem. Learn to land on the fore or mid foot and it is very difficult to supinate or over-pronate. Some pronation is natural. Again, just my opinion.

I have changed from mild heel strike to a mid foot land, I still have issues. Like I said, I agree with you mostly, however, I don't believe it is for every one. The majority, yes, everyone, no.

meshashesha2012

it's real. people can run in anything but there are tons of people who ran in the army and marines in combat boots and years later have all kinds of knee problems. so even though it might not seem important NOW wearing proper footwear can have effects years don the road.


with that said, OP you are over 300 pounds. that's a lot of pressure on your joints so you definitely want to make sure that you get yourself the correct pair of shoes with lot of cushioning in the heel and lots of motion control if you're a heel striker. as you lose weight you may find that your run technique changes which means your shoe needs will change.

i'm still large (over 200) but i've always been a fore front runner, sometimes mid foot, so i can get away with minimalist shoes. in addition to just feeling more natural, running on the fore foot means you can run faster and i love running fast :happy:

mapnerd2005

Definitely REAL. I was a skeptic until my brother-in-law took me with him to get fitted (he's an elite marathoner). I had heel and shin pain prior to the fitting, and after running was actually enjoyable. While my muscles were still worked and I had occasional soreness from hard work, it was a world of difference with my properly fitted shoes.

SRH7

My experience is just the opposite. I had to quit running twenty years ago because my knees would swell after each run. I had the left knee "rebuilt" when I was 19. The right knee cracks and pops more than the left knee. At 30 I was told I would need new knees by the time I was 50. I am 47 now. I did two things that I think has really helped me. First the doctor who rebuilt my left knee told me to never quit moving, either run, bike, hike etc. After I quit running I started mountain biking. I also hike alot. This his kept the arthritis and pain in check. Second, I discovered barefoot running 3 - 4 years ago. I started running again since that is the cardio I love the most. I finished a marathon with no swelling or pain. I am sure that if I continued heel striking I would still have swollen knees. Running barefoot I get immediate feedback on my form but people do run with proper form with shoes. I will say this is all my opinion and not heavily backed by studies one way or the other.

I also do not believe that we need shoes to correct our natural form. Some people supinate some people over-pronate. Both are mostly a heel strike issue Trying to fix the motion with shoes is the problem. Learn to land on the fore or mid foot and it is very difficult to supinate or over-pronate. Some pronation is natural. Again, just my opinion.

Completely agree about keeping moving! I've been hiking practically since I could walk and while my knees are a real issue when climbing mountains, I've no doubt they would be far, far worse if I didn't get out hiking every weekend. I do find running has helped my hiking technique too - letting my feet take the strain by using them correctly, and not heel striking, is vital to keeping my knees working. I just wish they taught us this when we were at school!

Contrarian

Someone recently told me to get fitted for some running shoes because my out side shin muscles begin to tighten as I run and it limits my running. I am 300 lbs and trying desperately to increase my exercise in my short 30 minute time limit.

Any way so my questions are:
1. Has anyone done this before?
2. Is it real or just a bunch of hocus pocus?
3. IF it is real is it worth it?
4. Speaking of worth it how much does it cost?
5. Who does it?
6. And finally after getting "fit" do I know what shoes to buy in the future when these wear out or do you have to get "fitted" every time.

Thanks in advance to the wonderful MFP family.

1. Has anyone done this before? yes
2. Is it real or just a bunch of hocus pocus?real
3. IF it is real is it worth it?yes
4. Speaking of worth it how much does it cost?nothing
5. Who does it?lots of people
6. And finally after getting "fit" do I know what shoes to buy in the future when these wear out or do you have to get "fitted" every time? up to you

dsjohndrow

1. Has anyone done this before? YES!
2. Is it real or just a bunch of hocus pocus? NO!
3. IF it is real is it worth it? It's free at a good running store.
4. Speaking of worth it how much does it cost? $0 around here.
5. Who does it? A trained sales person who is a runner.
6. And finally after getting "fit" do I know what shoes to buy in the future when these wear out or do you have to get "fitted" every time. If you are losing weight, or switching from walking to running, I would get fitted every time. When you stabilize your weight, you can buy the shoes they recommend online for a 20% savings.

And I would like to add, I have had knee surgery, arthritis and all that crap. I ran 5ks in the service with a backpack at 16:58. I wrecked a motorcycle, had skiing accidents - it's bad. Your joints are what they are. I suggest you take care of them. If you have pain, get a doctor, a chiropractor or a podiatrist (I have all 3). Do your best to stretch, rest, drink lots of water, and work your way into walking running, or biking.

waldo56

I agree. For those of us with mechanical problems caused by supination issues running barefoot or in minimal shoes is not an option. The cartilage under my knee cap has been rubbed away and I now have osteoarthritis - all due to overpronation since I could first walk.

Some days I struggled to get out of bed or get off the sofa due to chronic knee pain, not to mention daily doses of strong anti-arthritic drugs. Now, just a year after seeing a podiatrist and using orthotics in all my shoes and running shoes that are right for my feet, I am running up to 5k at a time. My feet are in the right place, so my kneecaps and joints are lined up correctly. And all it cost was £90 for the podiatrist (£60 for two visits and £30 for two sets of orthotics - she adjusted off-the-peg ones to save me money) and £80 for a pair of running shoes. A damn sight cheaper than the prescription drugs I was taking every day.

A year ago I struggled to walk down the street some days, now I can run. Yes, I still get knee pain and I know that the arthritis will never go away, but I'm confident that the damage being caused has been halted or at least slowed down. The outcome from getting proper advice has been nothing short of a miracle for me.

My experience is just the opposite. I had to quit running twenty years ago because my knees would swell after each run. I had the left knee "rebuilt" when I was 19. The right knee cracks and pops more than the left knee. At 30 I was told I would need new knees by the time I was 50. I am 47 now. I did two things that I think has really helped me. First the doctor who rebuilt my left knee told me to never quit moving, either run, bike, hike etc. After I quit running I started mountain biking. I also hike alot. This his kept the arthritis and pain in check. Second, I discovered barefoot running 3 - 4 years ago. I started running again since that is the cardio I love the most. I finished a marathon with no swelling or pain. I am sure that if I continued heel striking I would still have swollen knees. Running barefoot I get immediate feedback on my form but people do run with proper form with shoes. I will say this is all my opinion and not heavily backed by studies one way or the other.

I also do not believe that we need shoes to correct our natural form. Some people supinate some people over-pronate. Both are mostly a heel strike issue Trying to fix the motion with shoes is the problem. Learn to land on the fore or mid foot and it is very difficult to supinate or over-pronate. Some pronation is natural. Again, just my opinion.

I have changed from mild heel strike to a mid foot land, I still have issues. Like I said, I agree with you mostly, however, I don't believe it is for every one. The majority, yes, everyone, no.

I would wager that most people that switch from heel striking to midfoot striking, without going through forefoot striking first, are still heel striking, and just fooling themselves.

Midfoot striking in a variant of forefoot striking. IMHO you cannot midfoot strike if you cannot sustain forefoot striking. I used to think I was a midfoot striker after switching from heel striking, until I tried true forefoot striking. I now LOL at what I used to think was midfoot striking.

It isn't about where the foot touches the ground, a heel striker has no concept of using the arch and calves as cushion. Putting your foot down a little differently does not fix that, you have to learn to run with flexed calves. Midfoot striking is forefoot striking with a slightly less flexed calf, so that you can better engage your posterior chain for propulsion (you let your heel kiss the ground instead of keeping it up).