Diet & Fitness

By Joanne Eglash
eDiets Contributor

The right exercise sport shoes can turn a tough workout into a lovely, light-hearted joy. And the wrong exercise shoes can make that same experience almost as nasty as a root canal!

I recently went through an intense try-on-exercise-shoes experience. The first store that I tried had those inventory protection attachments on one shoe of each pair. When I asked to have them temporarily removed so that I could try on both shoes, the clerk refused. I promptly moved on.

The next store contained an enormous variety of sport shoes for tiny feet (size 2, anyone?) and large feet (any size 12's out there?) but nothing for me (size 8).

At the third store, though, I felt like Goldilocks: The clerk helped me by finding my size and letting me run around the store to make sure that I had more "bounce to the ounce" when I moved. My favorite brand: New Balance, because I have narrow feet with a relatively low arch. These shoes made me feel like jumping around -- the perfect sport shoes solution for a would-be step aerobics exerciser!

The good news: An increasing number of manufacturers are offering just as many options for women as for men when it comes to exercise shoes. Katrina Hartwell, a product manager at New Balance who has more than a decade of experience in the footwear industry says, when choosing a shoe, "women should first consider their exercise and fitness habits (i.e. do they enjoy running over weight-lifting or cardio class, or do they participate in one activity with more frequency?)."

After you've reviewed your interests, get ready to shop! "Because your feet expand during the day, the best time to shop for shoes is in the late afternoon or evening," Hartwell says. "Bring your old athletic shoes with you to the store. Tread, wear and stress on the shoe upper and sole will give the salesperson information to help guide you in your individual needs."

In addition, Hartwell recommends wearing the same type of socks that you use for exercising. If you wear your dress-for-success nylons to try on the shoes, for example, but exercise in thick athletic socks, you just may end up with shoes that are too tight at the gym.

When you shop for exercise shoes, follow these additional tips for toe-to-heel happiness:

-- Make time to really try out the shoes. Run up and down the aisles. Hop up and down. Use the shoes for a variety of motions.

-- Focus on the fit. It's all too easy to say, "Oh, I love that silver-blue combination of colors -- they'll go so perfectly with my new tank top." But if the outside doesn't equal how your feet feel on the inside, you'll regret it at the end of that long exercise class!

-- Know your feet. Do you have high arches? Flat feet? Narrow feet? Wide feet? Different manufacturers size their products in distinctive ways. So rather than be "married" to a certain name brand, try out different brands until you find the one that's right for your type of feet.

In addition to trying on both shoes (your right and left foot may not be precisely the same size), ask if you can do more than just walk around the store. Some specialization shoe stores will even "let you take a test jog/walk around the block before buying," Hartwell says.

Walk, run and jump in the shoes to make sure they are comfortable doing multiple activities.

Remember: You're the one who's paying for those shoes, so be sure to ask for help at the store if you need it. So try them out, test them out -- and get fit!

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Joanne Eglash is a writer and an editor specializing in health, weight control and fitness. She's written for a variety of publications and websites, ranging from Energy for Women magazine to KidsHealth.org.

Labels: clothes, exercise, workout

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