How to choose the right sneakers for physical activity?

“Feet and steps are not the same thing. The main types are the flat foot, which has a very low medial arch, characteristically more flexible and with a pronated axis; the cavus, which has a high medial arch, more rigid and with a pronated, supinated, and the neutral foot, which has a medial arch within normal limits, with a balanced axis.”, says Dr. Alexandre Leme Godoy, orthopedist.

avoiding injuries

Despite the anatomical differences between the feet, most shoes are made with only one profile in mind. However, dr. Alexandre Leme Godoy points out that there are four essential points in tennis that must be respected to avoid injuries:

• The part of the shoe that touches the ground must be stiff or inflexible, while the interface between the foot and the shoe must be soft and shock absorbing;
• The anterior box, the region of the shoe that welcomes the toes, must be wide so as not to compress one toe against the other;
• The buttress, the region of the shoe that welcomes the heel, must be firm to provide stability to the ankle and rearfoot;
• There should be a 3-4cm height difference between the heel and the toe.

The advantages of choosing the right shoe

According to Dr. Alexandre Leme Godoy, the use of correct shoes can possibly improve the mechanical performance of a step and optimize the exchange of forces between the foot and the ground, but it does not correct a wrong step.

“The use of the ideal footwear improves the biomechanics of the gait, reduces the mechanical stress on the various anatomical structures of the foot, such as tendons, ligaments and bones, and reduces the risk of injury and pain in the foot and ankle”, alert.

Comfortable sneakers!

Considering these features, the next step is comfort.

“People have different foot shapes and since there isn’t one shoe for everyone, the one you choose should be the most comfortable”says the teacher Julio Cerca Serraocoordinator of the Biomechanics laboratory at the School of Physical Education and Sport of the University of San Paolo.

A researcher in the field of footwear biomechanics, Júlio Cerca Serrão warns: “No one should be exercising in new shoes. You have to ‘break’ them. The more you use them, the better they will be.”

change over time

Regarding the changing weather, research conducted by Júlio Cerca Serrão and his team reveals that, as a reference, a shoe should be discarded when it has traveled 1000 kilometres.

“However, people who use tennis for physical activities, even daily, will hardly reach this goal, but we need it as a basis for understanding that taking turns or changing shoes so quickly is not necessary”. According to the professor, the shoes do not lose their characteristics and care is limited to the washing instructions.