Footwear – Do You Buy by Look or Feel?

In a surprising study by the American Podiatric Medical Association, 42 percent of women said they’d wear shoes that are uncomfortable in order to look more stylish. That’s scary.
     I hope that doesn’t carry over to women involved in sports. Footwear is too important to overall foot heath—and success in the sport to be left to the whim of style. Imagine the following scene. It happens more than we like to admit—but I’d bet money that athletic shoe sales people could tell stories.
     You are casually looking over the running shoes in your local shoe store. In walks a women who spends a few minutes looking over the shoes on the wall—and then asks to see several shoes. As she tries on the shoes, she seems more interested in the style and color of the shoes then their features. You overhear her saying she is a beginning runner who wants to run a few road races with her friends. In the end, she selects a pair because. “I like their color and how they’ll look with my running shorts.”
     Is this wrong? Generally, yes, it is wrong to buy shoes based on anything but fit and whether the shoe is a match for your sport. Whether walking or running, the sport requires very little – shoes and socks, and shorts and a top. Of these, the shoes are the most important choice. Do yourself a favor and keep your feet happy by buying shoes based on fit and function—not on color and style.