Your Foot

You can make a preliminary judgment about your foot by looking at the shoes that you wear most often. Find a pair of your favorite shoes. They don't have to be running shoes. A pair of shoes that you have worn long enough for the wear pattern on the bottom of the shoes to be visible will do. Set the shoes on a flat surface so that you can inspect them from behind. Look carefully at the wear pattern, especially in the heel.

If all of your shoes are worn slightly on the outside of the heel and the inside of the sole, chances are that your foot pronates normally. If the heels of your shoes are worn badly on the inside but not on the outside, it's likely that you are an overpronator. If the outside of your heels and soles are worn, you are probably a supinator.

The Wet Foot Test

You can also take the wet-foot test if you want more information. With the bottoms of your feet wet (but not soaked), step onto a piece of paper. If the imprint of your foot looks like a foot, you probably pronate normally. If the imprint looks like one large blob, you probably have flat feet and may need motion-control shoes. If you see separate marks for your heel and the ball of your foot, with nothing connecting them, chances are you have high arches and may be able to run comfortably in stable or cushioned shoes.

Once you've determined what kind of foot you have, the next step is to buy a pair of shoes that are appropriate for your foot. It's not really all that complicated.

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Penguin Thought of the Day
"My running shoes have become giant erasers on my feet. Every footstrike rubs away some memory of a previous indiscretion of food or smoke or drink."