Hi all. I am in need of a new pair of shoes. Finding a good pair of shoes has always been difficult because of how my lower body is structured. I am knock-kneed (has gotten much better since I lost weight) and my feet tend to roll outwards (I don’t remember the technical term, I always get them confused). What’s interesting though, is that my feet are definitely flat.
I have looked online and it would seem that I am a classic pronator. The thing is, however, all my shoes end up bulging outwards. When you look at the soles of my feet, they are always much more worn down to the outside than to the inside. I currently wear orthotics, but they are more than five years old and are probably completely useless. My knees tend to pop when I squat (tracking problems in the knee).
I am thinking about trying out the Nike Frees (without the orthotics) because I have heard great things about them. I plan on using these shoes for athletic activities as oppose to just lifting, so lifting shoes are out of the question. Does anyone have any good suggestions? Also, if you need more info let me know.
For your feet problems, I recommend New Balance. They are usually the best for your feet, and should ease your pronating issue. I recommend the NB 992. I lift and run in New Balance shoes all the time and I love them.
I would check with your doctor as well to see if he/she recommends anything specific in terms of footwear.
Can’t go wrong with at least trying a pair of Frees - they are on sale at your local Nike Outlet if you are in the USA…
I have 2 pairs myself and the are staple lifting shoes for me when I lift (e.g., deadlift, standing shoulder work, etc.) I run in Asics though so you should try different makes & models suited to what you do most - running or lifting, etc. & take it from there.
I thought about the New Balances. I owned a pair when I was younger and didn’t particularly like them, they felt so blocky. I like my shoes as light as possible.
I went to try on a pair of the Frees tonight but they didn’t sell them anywhere in the Mall. Guess I have to go to downtown Boston to find them.
What about orthotics? I feel like some of my problems could be alleviated if my feet were stronger… I’ve heard great things about strengthening arches with the Frees.
Oh, and because my knees are at a weird ankle the patella tendon has trouble tracking in the groove.
[quote]TheTank123 wrote:
I thought about the New Balances. I owned a pair when I was younger and didn’t particularly like them, they felt so blocky. I like my shoes as light as possible.
I went to try on a pair of the Frees tonight but they didn’t sell them anywhere in the Mall. Guess I have to go to downtown Boston to find them.
What about orthotics? I feel like some of my problems could be alleviated if my feet were stronger… I’ve heard great things about strengthening arches with the Frees.
Oh, and because my knees are at a weird ankle the patella tendon has trouble tracking in the groove.[/quote]
Orthotics made my feet almost dependant on them. After wearing the frees for a while, I can’t even tolerate the orthotics. If you have severe issues with your feet, maybe you need an appliance made. For minor to moderate issues, I would suggest someone at least try it first with the frees if you can afford it.
Go to several stores and try on as many shoes as possible without regard to appearance. When you slip your foot into the perfect shoe for you, you’ll know it, its like stepping into heaven.
I love lifting with Adidas Sambas. It’s an indoor soccer shoe, very flat, good traction. They feel good right away, but I have a few pairs that have been very worn in and they fit the foot like a glove (or sock in this case).
Just a thought: If your feet are weak, try some barefoot walking a couple of times a week on grass. If that doesn’t bother you, progress to some light-to-moderate running (again, barefoot on grass). Pay attention to your carriage/alignment throughout.
I used to do this semi-regularly years ago when I ran a lot and (back then) never had any knee or foot issues. Tried it again recently (now that I’m recovering from knee injury/surgery) and when I was done I stood up straighter and felt better aligned. My feet also felt better and a lot more “awake” when I slipped my shoes back on again.
Lots of cross-country runners do this – the idea being that the barefoot training helps strengthen and “educate” your feet and associated stabilizers (which can help in turn with issues at the knees, hips). I know of a couple of people who squat and deadlift barefoot for what I assume are similar reasons.
I’ll be doing this once or twice a week in my warm-up before my track workout. Will report in several weeks on any positive/negative effects noticed. In the meanwhile, you might give it a shot. Start slowly if you’re worried and use good judgement if something hurts.
Yeah I’m not really sure what to call it. My feet are definitely flat, but like I said, all of my shoes end up bulging outwards. I’m wondering if this may have something to do with my orthotics?