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Choosing the Right Fitness Shoe
What to look for when shopping for sneakers
Sep 15, 2009
Apr 11, 2024
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If you've been walking, running or high-stepping in the same pair of sneakers since last year, you're probably due for a change. By now, those well-cushioned athletic shoes that felt so comfy on the first day you wore them have given you all they've got.
As startling as it sounds, if you weigh 150 pounds and walk one mile, you've exerted 63.5 tons of force on each foot, according to a study from the American Podiatric Medical Association. No wonder that the average life span for fitness shoes is only the equivalent of 200 to 400 miles. For those of us who break the rules and use the same shoes we exercise in for daily wear, that mileage can be reached in as little as two months (figuring roughly 2,000 steps per mile)!
Yet choosing a new pair of athletic shoes can feel like an overwhelming task. The selection is often vast, with models designed and marketed for varying activities. Follow these tips to help you get the pair that's best for you: