Jonathan Rose, DPM
Jonathan Rose, DPM, is a podiatrist in private practice in Baltimore. He is coauthor of The Foot Book: A Complete Guide to Healthy Feet, PodiatryAssociates.org.
Wearing the right running shoes can mean the difference between safety and injury when you take to the road (or the track). But there’s no one-size-fits-all definition of right—so a type of shoe that’s perfect for your running partner may be totally wrong for you.
Simple safety strategy: “When it’s time to buy a new pair of running shoes, bring your old pair along to the store. Because the wear pattern on the soles is a visual representation of what your foot is doing mechanically, it provides clues that a knowledgeable salesperson can use to fit you with the most appropriate shoe,” said podiatrist Jonathan D. Rose, DPM, coauthor of The Foot Book: A Complete Guide to Healthy Feet. For instance, here’s what it means if your old soles have…
Where you shop matters, too. “Clerks at discount chains may not be knowledgeable enough to recommend the right shoe, so it’s worth paying a bit extra to buy from a specialty retail store with experienced salespeople,” Dr. Rose said. Some top stores even have a treadmill on site so salespeople can observe your gait firsthand to confirm what they learned from the wear pattern on your old shoes and make the best recommendation for your new pair.