Look after your feet

Pound the kerb, not your feet. Hey, now, don't think I have let you all down by resorting to a topic that is perceived as boring.

Running, jogging, or 'pounding the kerb', and the shoe you choose to wear while you do it has made headlines in the health and fitness industry since it became fashionable as a way to quickly burn calories in the late 1960s.

Around this time, and early 1970s the very flat, very un-technical white canvas and vinyl Dunlop sneakers were born, especially for the avid weekend young adult to get his/her fix of the 'runner's high'. Gosh, I think I even had a pair!

On the contrary, if you examine your running shoes and more importantly what is in them, you will realise a lot more about your health (and your feet which I affectionately call my 'wheels') and begin to appreciate just what your poor feet go through everyday. I think it is very interesting indeed, and more people should occasionally look southward and give their shoes a critical analysis and their feet some tender loving care.

So, sit down and take off your running shoes.

There! Doesn't that feel better? If you have been in them all day or have just done a workout in them, you'll notice the heat escaping as you disrobe your feet. That is probably from all the friction and blood rushing to them. If you're an average healthy adult, you would have taken between 7,000 and 10,000 steps today.

Now that you have had your shoes off for a few seconds, you (or someone near you) might notice that charming (NOT) smell! That is normal and natural as your feet have more sweat glands than most other parts of your body, along with 25 times more layers of skin. Dead skin and old sweat in a hot shoe is a love nest for bacteria and fungi, and this is mostly the reason for the unique odour. Wearing socks made of nylon or other polyester will make the problem worse! And FORGET those silly stocking anklets because they are useless and very unhygienic. In fact ladies, throw out all pantyhose and stockings if you want healthy skin on your feet - NOW.

But let's examine the engineering marvel that is your foot more closely, from the inside.

The foot is extremely complex and designed to distribute weight, help you balance and propel you up and forward. Walking is even more complex and uses scores of muscles and sensory organs that send messages up via your nerves to your brain. If you wear platform shoes, high heels, or the incorrect runners for your foot, the sensory organs can get confused and that is one reason you misjudge a step or hole in the ground; or just can't move at all in a strong and balanced position.

There are nearly 30 bones in each foot, held together by strong ligaments and caboosed by a calcaneus bone (the heel) that can withstand enormous forces. Even your toenail beds play a part in keeping you upright or helping you to move safely!

Additionally, the ankle is a foot's best friend when it comes to full range of movement and shock absorption that can even prevent broken foot bones. When one is injured or 'sick', it usually affects the other to a degree.

However, as robust and clever as your feet are, it is not feasible in our world of concrete and extremely unnatural and unsafe surfaces, to walk around barefoot like our ancestors did thousands of years ago. We need to protect our feet, and when the occasion calls, even make them more aesthetically pleasing by wearing some fabulous Armani slip-on or Jimmy Choo strappy bling number - just watch for the steps and holes!

But ... back to our running shoe. Even if actual 'running' is not your thing to work up a sweat, you still need to find a training shoe that is right for your age, activity, foot type and lifestyle (for example - don't pick a white canvas shoe if you want to jog five times a week in the desert dust and dirt!).

Running shoes have grown to be a multi-million dollar industry, fuelled by the demands of comfort, support, trendy good looks and, for an elite group, an edge over the competition in terms of the performance the athlete can milk out of every step.

At the recent Beijing Olympics, a brand new running shoe was making those concerned, sit up and take notice. The days of canvas and vinyl shaped roughly to hug a human foot that a child could design are well and truly over. Vectran is the magic material in the muscle of the physical design. Vectran is used by NASA to help some space craft land more softly.

The design element that takes the credit for this is the 116 small cables of Vectran, that have been spun together providing unprecedented cushioning but keep the shoe light-weight so that it feels like the wearer is, well, naked from the ankle down. (Remember those sensory organs?). And because the athlete feels like he is wearing nothing, he runs like he is wearing nothing and his foot strike is changed and his running style is much more efficient. This particular shoe has been tested by some of the world's best athletes only to find that their times for running over various distances had dropped considerably.

When buying a running or training shoe for yourself, a good place to start looking is right at your own foot! Now that you know a little bit more about its physiology, take a good look at the shape of it and note how low or high your arch is. One way to work out all of this is to take a look at the shoes you currently wear a lot and honestly consider which are more comfy and why. Also, note where you get foot pain, if any, and when.

Now turn your shoes over to look underneath at the grip. Where is the grip worn out and where is the grip still reasonable? This will indicate if you are a pronator (your foot turns inwards) or a supernator (your foot turns outwards). And THIS will show you whether you need a straight last in your running shoe or a curved last in your running shoe. A 'last' is the term used to describe the overall shape of the grip.

Always try on both running shoes in the store while wearing your sports socks and (yes), do go for a little jog on the spot in them at various speeds. Don't forget to do up all the laces. Who cares what the other buyers in the shop think? It's YOUR feet and YOUR health and YOUR money! Now wiggle all your toes vigorously and move up and down onto your toes. To check the weight, don't take them off and hold them in your hand, keep them on and sit down and extend your leg. How does that feel?

Never get an unqualified sports shoe consultant to fit you, nor talk you into buying the most expensive shoe. Sometimes in life, what you spend is not a reflection in quality or appropriateness and this is one of those times.

And always ask the salesperson if the shoe comes with a warranty (some do!); if it is suitable for the sport you are going to do it in; if the shoe has a gel or air heel or other; if it is washable; if it is OK to be exposed to sunlight (rubber tends to disintegrate in strong sunlight); if they have reflectors on them to wear at night; what the laces are made of (thin cotton ones will break quickly); if it is breathable in the toe or heel; if it is suitable for lateral movement as well as high impact; if the inner sole is removable (useful to wash or replace); and finally, if there is a hard arch support or soft arch support in the sole.

Look after your feet, and choose your weapons for running and other sports carefully. May your 'wheels' keep spinning for many years to come. Good luck everyone! See, it wasn't boring at all...!