If you are experiencing discomfort and foot aches whenever you use your running shoes, then you might just consider replacing them. But in replacing, you should determine what type of shoes is appropriate for the shape of your feet. You see, the reason why you are experiencing a lot of problems with your shoes right now is perhaps the result of not knowing what the right shoes to use.
You can simply approach an expert on running shoes, a salesperson perhaps, to help you find the right pair of shoes to buy, or you can figure it out yourself. The easiest way to do this is to simply examine your own feet and there's a more accurate method to do this. You can either wet your feet and walk in the sand or apply a water color on your feet and step on a piece of paper.
According to physicians there are only 3 different types of feet. You either have a flat foot, high-arch foot, or normal foot. Knowing the characteristics of each type will make it a lot easier to figure out what type of feet you have.
Flat Footed
This type of feet is pretty obvious from the first look at your feet. If your foot does not have any curve or arch, then you are flat footed. This means that from your toes to your heels, and the bottom of your feet is flat. You can confirm this by doing the footprint test I have suggested above. If you don't see an inward curve and your footprint looks exactly like a foot-shape blob, then you definitely have a flat foot.
If you have this type of feet, you need to buy a pair of running shoes that provides stability and motion control support. Because when running your feet rolls inwards and that it requires stability and support. In some cases, if you are an athlete, you might want to use arc support or foot care products.
High-Arched Type of Feet
If a flat footed person does not have any arch on his or her foot, the opposite goes with a person that has a high-arched foot. You can also confirm this using the footprint test. If you see that the middle section of your footprint is almost like there's no print at all, that means that you have a high-arched foot.
People with this type of feet runs with their foot rolling outwards. If you have this condition, you should know that your foot size increases especially if you use your feet that often. That is why you need to look for flexible running shoes that can absorb shock. In buying shoes, check the box for terms like cushion support or flexible running shoes.
Normal or Neutral Type of Feet
If your foot is not like anything I have mentioned above, then you have what is called a normal type of foot. Basically when you do the footprint test you will see that you have print with an inward curve that is not more than an inch.
