Today, is the first day of spring: the perfect time for running outdoors. But you want to find the right shoe and avoid injuries.
“You want to make sure that you’re paying attention to your shoes,” said Physical Therapist Assistant Professor, Kimberly Tarver. “There are a lot of problems that you can get from your shoes.”
“I think a real common one is the toe box, so where your toes are in the shoe,” Tarver explained.
Sam Kucaba, manager of running shoe store, Dick Pond Athletics, emphasized how critical sizing is for running shoes. She said there should be “a fingers length by their big toe.”
The wrong shoe size can lead to injury.
“If it’s too tight and it’s crowding your toes, and you’re doing a lot of running, you can get, like a black toenail,” Tarver said.
Kucaba can help individuals find a suitable pair of running shoes and avoid the wrong fit.
“My advice would be to come into the store, have a scan on your feet. Then, walk on our treadmill so we can see your foot in motion,” she said. “We like to see which way your feet want to roll, what your feet are doing in motion.”
From this observation, Kucaba and her team can determine if a person needs a neutral or stability shoe.
“And then, we would look to see if you need more cushion, lighter cushion,” she said. “And then we would ask you what you’re running, what your daily miles are, and that’s how we would pick a shoe for you.”
For the college student budget, Kucaba recommends two shoes for $120.
“That would be the Brooks Launch or the Under Armour Sonic 7,” she said. “They’re both neutral shoes. They’re gonna be very lightweight.”
Tarver said shin splits and toe issues are common running injuries.
“Sometimes people have, like, some fasciitis on the bottom of their foot, some foot pain,” she added. “Ankle sprains are common. Falls can be common if you’re not used to the terrain that you’re running on, but a lot of overuse injuries.”
She said rest was is often a remedy for treating running injuries.
However, “it depends on what caused them,” Tarver said. “But the reason that they have the shin splint is usually because of some muscle weakness or a foot problem.”
She also offered a remedy to avoid injuries.
Tarver said, “I think it starts with making sure that you stretch and that you strengthen.”
