Don’t skimp on good shoes, podiatrist advises

Atlanta podiatrist Perry Julien recalls a patient who suffered from plantar fasciitis, a painful foot injury common to runners.

Julien asked how old her running shoes were, suspecting that they were chief contributors to her heel pain.

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Scott Bernarde / AJC

Dr. Perry Julien, showing the flex point of Shelley Jacobs’ shoe, says the right choice can alleviate injury problems.

THE DO'S OF SHOES
Atlanta podiatrist Perry Julien, author of "Sure Footing: A Sports Podiatrist's Perspective on Running- and Exercise-Related Injuries," devotes a chapter on selecting the right shoe. On shoe fit:
1. When trying on a shoe, use a similar weight sock — and orthotics if you use them — that you plan to wear.
2. Leave at least a quarter-inch between your longest toe and the end of the shoe.
3. Shop for shoes later in the day. Feet tend to swell when standing or exercising.
4. Try on both shoes fully laced and walk or run in the store to gauge comfort.

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“Five years,” Julien remembers the reply. “But they still look great.”

Looks should be the last consideration in selecting (or continuing to wear) a running shoe, says Julien, who has practiced sports medicine podiatry in Atlanta since 1989. That’s especially true for those who plan to take the approximately 9,300 steps to complete the 6.2-mile Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race.

The right running shoes, along with proper stretching and training beforehand, will make your Peachtree experience less painful and help you run at your best.

Many of the common overuse injuries — heel, shin and Achilles tendon pain — can be attributed to the wrong shoes. Julien, also the assistant medical director for the Peachtree, said with three times your body weight pounding on your feet with every step it’s important to have the right shoes.

“And that’s the same if you’re a novice or an experienced runner,” he said.

Julien offers these suggestions for getting right shoes:

• Specialty stores. Metro Atlanta is fortunate to have plenty of such stores, with experienced staffers who can fit you and help choose the right shoe based on your foot mechanics. Big-box stores have “walls and walls of shoes of different colors and shapes,” he said. “People get overwhelmed so they decide to choose based on what looks good.”

• Get the right fit. Fit is the most important element. Most runners go up as much as one size from their normal shoe size, which might help decrease toe injuries and blisters.

• Don’t wait five years. Replace shoes every 200 to 500 miles of running. Even if they look good, the important midsole material tends to break down first.

• Break them in. Don’t run the Peachtree on new shoes. Go at least 25 miles on them before you race.

• Don’t skimp. It’s tempting to shop clearance sales, but to get the right shoes, it might cost more. The June edition of Runner’s World magazine includes a shoe buyer’s guide, with many models around $100. With the possibility of injuries from bad shoes, “It’s still cheaper to get good shoes,” Julien said.