Finding the perfect pair of athletic shoes for sale is a thrill many of us know well. Finding them, however, can be a very confusing process, particularly given how large the selection of athletic shoes on the market is. Rather than leaving it up to luck, stick around to find out how to plan and strategize the search to help you narrow down your choices, and find the perfect shoes for your needs.
Become a scholar of shoes
Although most of the good shoe stores put significant training time into educating their staff, who in turn are very good at helping their customers navigate this confusing journey, no-one knows your body, or your lifestyle better than you do. Even if you find the most amazing pair of Nike shoes for sale, it’s not to say they will automatically be the right fit for the activities you habitually do, or that they will provide the support that your particular build requires.
What exactly do you do?
When it comes to choosing between running shoes, walking shoes and hiking shoes, how on earth do you make the right choice? Simple. Let your activity dictate your choice of shoes. There is a trend towards selling “multipurpose” shoes, but on the whole, this is a vague, sales-based strategy, designed to dupe people into buying things without thinking about their needs. It is easy to step into the trap of supposed convenience if you believe that you don’t have the time to do research, but your feet and your spine will soon tell you that something is not right. The wrong shoes have a painful way of affecting your alignment and posture – a pretty good reason to get the right shoes for the job.
Running along
Running shoes provide more cushioning around the heel, as this is the area that takes the most impact when you run. They are often also designed with greater ventilation capacity, in the form of a mesh, than walking shoes, to combat the great amount of body heat given off when running. As a rule, running shoes are also lighter than walking shoes.
Just keep walking
Walking is probably the singular most natural movement, so you would think it comes without a catch. In spite of the belief that it can be done without gear or equipment, advances in our human knowledge, as technology has advanced, has taught us that even the most natural movement can cause injury if it’s not managed appropriately.
For those who are keen on very vigorous or long walking activities, performance shoes are likely to be the best choice. Some extra cushioning tends to be beneficial for those who are drawn to long-distance walking, and stability shoes are best for those who require a bit more assistance on the motion control front, in order to prevent injury.
Trail running shoes are great for those who prefer to run off-road, while cross-training shoes are good for going to the gym.
I hope you find the right shoes for you!
