Fashion and Function in Athletic Shoes

It’s important to look good in today’s fashion conscious society but as an athlete or fitness buff, the function of your shoe is even more important than what it looks like. The bad news is that not all athletic shoes can be used equally well for cross training.

The good news is that most of today’s top designers pay careful attention to function and the overall health of your feet when designing new styles. To find which shoes are actually trending so that you can research their functionality, check out sites like toptenselect.com that provide reviews and comparisons between some of the leading brands.

Beware of Hidden Dangers

While the athletic shoe you choose may meet with both fashion and fitness, there are often hidden dangers that you are unaware of. A good example of this comes from the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine, AAPSM. In an article released by this esteemed group and addressed to podiatrists around the country, they cite a common problem in many current styles of running shoes. In the document they mention the fact that sufficient cushion is a very good thing but too much cushion in running shoes can result in subtalar joint motion that is excessive. This could lead to injury.

How Much Stability Does that Shoe Really Provide?

What the AAPSM suggests is that you look at key features in the construction of athletic shoes prior to choosing a style you find fashionable. It may appear to have all the built in functionality but key points to consider include:

• Cushioning in the mid-sole devices
• Durability
• Fit

These three factors will add up to offer the stability you are looking for. Bear in mind that to ‘fit’ properly you should have a thumbs width when measured just above the big toe and the width of your foot should be considered as well.

Research Manufacturers that Take All This into Consideration

One company that is perhaps the most well-known and widely used in the sports world is Nike. Many podiatrists and athletic podiatrist specialists have found that the company takes key safety and podiatric health concerns very seriously. Perhaps this is why more basketball players, as a good example, wear Nike shoes than any other major brand. Nike is the perfect blend of fashion and science.

Even though there’s a high demand to be fashionable, it is more important to understand what type of shoe you require for the activity you will be participating and whether or not the brand/fashion you like meets necessary criteria. Pick shoes first by the functions you need and secondly by a designer that is able to offer those functions. What good is fashion if you sustain an injury from improper choice of athletic shoes? You can have both fashion and function but first you have to find a designer that offers both. That’s why you compare products! The perfect shoe is out there, now it’s up to you to find it.