See how to choose the right sneakers for physical activity

The choice of the ideal shoe should not be based only on a selection of brands and prices. Before buying shoes, it is necessary to take into account the anatomical characteristics of each one and the type of exercise that will be practiced.

“Feet and footsteps are not the same. The main types are the flat foot, which has a very low medial arch, characteristically more flexible and with a pronated axis; the cavus, which has a high medial arch, more rigid and with a supinated axis; and the neutral foot, which has a medial arch within normal limits, with a balanced axis.”, says Dr. Alexandre Leme Godoy, orthopedist and associate professor at the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology at the University of São Paulo.

avoiding injuries

Despite the anatomical differences between feet, most shoes are made considering only one profile. However, Dr. Alexandre Leme Godoy points out that there are four essential points in tennis that must be respected in order to avoid injuries:

• The part of the shoe that touches the ground must be rigid or inflexible, while the interface between the foot and the shoe must be soft and absorb impact;
• The anterior box, the region of the shoe that accommodates the toes, must be wide so as not to compress one toe against the other;
• The buttress, the region of the shoe that accommodates the heel, must be firm to provide stability to the ankle and hindfoot;
• There should be a height difference of 3 to 4 cm between heel and toe.

Advantages of the right choice

According to Dr. Alexandre Leme Godoy, the use of correct shoes can eventually improve the mechanical performance of a step and optimize the exchange of forces between the foot and the ground, but it does not correct a wrong step.

“Using the ideal footwear improves the biomechanics of stepping, reduces the mechanical demand on the different anatomical structures of the foot, such as tendons, ligaments and bones, and reduces the risk of injuries and foot pain and in the ankle”, he warns.

comfortable shoes

Considering these characteristics, the next step is comfort. “People have different foot shapes and, since there isn’t a shoe made for each of them, the one chosen should be the most comfortable”, says Professor Júlio Cerca Serrão, coordinator of the Biomechanics laboratory at the School of Physical Education and Sport of the University of Sao Paulo. A researcher in the field of footwear biomechanics, Júlio Cerca Serrão warns: “Nobody should do physical activity with new shoes. You have to ‘soften it up’. The more you use it, the more suitable it will be.”

changeover time

Regarding the changing time, the research carried out by Júlio Cerca Serrão and his team reveal that, as a reference, a shoe should be discarded when it has traveled 1000 kilometers.

“However, people who use tennis to physical activities, even if daily, will hardly reach this goal, but it serves as a basis for us to understand that taking turns or changing shoes so quickly is not necessary”. According to the professor, the shoes do not lose their characteristics and care is limited to washing instructions.