Anyone who has lower body pain at the end of a run should re-evaluate what
type of shoes he or she is sporting.

According to the website http://www.fitday.com, the best shoes are ones
that are gentle on the feet.

The benefit of investing in a good, solid pair of shoes will begin after
you finish running because your feet will not hurt, or at least hurt less.

“A good rule of thumb on how often running shoes should be replaced is
roughly every 300 miles,” said Jamie Fox, High Intensity Tactical Training
Coordinator aboard Marine Corps Air Station New River. “At this point in
the shoe’s life, it has begun to lose its ability to support your feet as
needed and can lead to foot, knee and back pain.”

“A good pair of running shoes will fit your feet snuggly, make your feet
feel lighter as you run and will not rub your heel, which will lead to
blisters and sore feet,” said Patrick Duncan, air station HITT instructor.

When choosing a reliable pair of running shoes, there are a few ways to
find a match.

“The best way to go about this is to go to a running or sports-orientated
store,” said Fox. “Most specialty stores have foot analysis machines that
can tell you what type of shoe would best match your feet.”

These machines measure how much pressure you put on your feet and where.

“The running-oriented stores will most likely have a treadmill and camera
system to observe how you are running in a neutral pair of shoes,” said
Duncan. “They do this to see how your foot strikes when you run and to see
if you have any pronation in your gait.”

 Pronation refers to the natural side-to-side movement of the foot when
someone is walking of running.

 “If you have an average arch, you most likely are a normal pronator
meaning that a shoe with moderate pronation support would likely best suit
you,” said Fox. “Runners with flatter feet tend to over pronate and a
motion-controlled shoe that controls pronation would be advised.”

High-arched people tend to roll their ankles out, or under pronate when
they run. A neutral-cushioned shoe is typically recommended for more
natural foot motion.

“Overall you want to listen to what your body is telling you,” said Fox.
“If it is hurting beyond normal running aches or stinging, it is likely
that something is not right, and if the problem is not quickly addressed it
can lead to more severe issues.”