How To Buy A Good Running Shoes According To Your Feet Arch?

Our feet support our body weight. They do that with arch formed by the bones and joint structure at the foot. In layman term, arch is the raised curve on the bottom of your foot. Knowing the arch shape of your feet may help you to get the right pair of running shoes.  But, many are confused about these arches and pronation concept. So, hopefully, this post will shed a light in this matter.


Your foot has three arches as shown in the diagram:

1. Medial longitudinal arch
2. Lateral longitudinal arch
3. Transverse arch

Types of Arch and What Shoes Should You According To The Arch Shape

First thing first, to find out your foot arch shape, walk on a piece of paper or or pavement with wet feet.

1. Low Arch
   
   • If your arch flattens out and pronate heavily (rolls inward on the arch side) when you stride, it is known as pronation. It was known as “flat feet”.
   • Instead of the characteristic semi-circle shape of your arch, the paper will show the imprint of your whole foot.
   • Pronators need a more rigid shoe with good motion control. These shoes have wide base and hard foam on the inner heal (medial midsole) to prevent your foot from rolling inward.
   • Motion-control shoes include Brooks Beast, Adidas Super Nova Control 9, New Balance 1122 and Reebok Premier Control DMX
   
   
2. Regular Arch
   
   • Your wet-feet test will leave a normal foot shape on the paper, with the whole bottom of the foot showing, except for a scooped-out place where your arch falls. You have normal arch with neutral pronation.
   • You can wear any shoe that feels most comfortable.
   • Some of the shoes recommended are Asics GT-2130, Asics Kayano, Adidas Adistar Fusion, Brooks GTS, New Balance 1050, New Balance 855 and Reebok Premier Road Plus.
   
   
3. High Arch
   
   • If your feet roll outward while running, this is known as supination or under pronation.
   • When you do the wet-feet-on-paper test, your foot leaves only the imprint of your heel and the ball of your foot.
   • Supinators need a flexible shoe with a lot of cushioning, narrower heel and have foam of the same density all sides of the heel. These shoes are soft and absorb shock. Therefore, these shoes are known as Neutral or Cushioning Shoes.
   • Some of the brands are Saucony Progrid Triumph 5, Adidas Adistar Cushion, Nike Pegasus, Brooks Glycerin and Reebok Premier Ultra DMX
   
   

For women runner, you may need a shoe with a wider toe box and narrower heel. Most brands have styles built specifically to suit the shape of a woman’s foot.
Selecting a running shoe that fits well to your foot shape will give you more comfort and protect your feet from injury. So, remember to find out your shape of your feet before you go shopping!