[quote]belligerent wrote:
First of all, why do you believe that you overpronate? Although many running injuries are invariably attributed to excessive pronation, the presence of such injuries should not be considered indicative of such. Also, low arches do not necessarily indicate overpronation. The arch of my right foot is about twice as high as the arch of my left foot, and the right foot actually pronates about twice as much as my left foot. And, it is the leg that pronates LESS that gets shin splints! So most of what you have heard about pronation is somewhere between overly simplistic and outright wrong.
With regard to footwear, it has been proven that conventional running shoes INCREASE pronation due to the raised heels and thick midsoles present in virtually all models. Motion control features do counter this somewhat, but the best way to prevent overpronation is to run barefoot or in shoes with very thin midsoles, rather than in thick-soled shoes with motion control features that interfere with the natrual biomechanics of the foot. The human foot attenuates force more effectively than ANY shoe.
If you insist on wearing motion control shoes, the primary features that reduce pronation are a wide last and a firm midsole in the midfoot and heel regions. What you do NOT want is a shoe with a soft midsole and a lot of cusioning. There are dozens of different models with varying degrees of pronation control, so I recommend you go to a running speciality store, where the staff will be trained to fit you with the best shoe for you.
Someone recommended the Brook’s Beast in a previous post. That shoe is at the ludicrous extreme end of the motion-control spectrm; it’s like a box of cement for your foot. IMO anyone who needs that much support probably should not be running at all.
As for podiatrists, I really dislike them because they tend to be zealous pushers of orthotics. And if you do not need orthotics, they can do you a lot of harm. Furthermore, most podiatrists spend their days pulling ingrown toenails and treating diabetic foot ulcers in geriatric patients- they really don’t know shit about running.[/quote]
Seems like you know a lot about this topic. Where did you learn this stuff? Is there a site online or books I could look into with this type of information?