Let’s lace up those shoes and get going, Lakeland. Whether you’re hitting the gym, hitting the ground running, or playing your favorite sport, you need a supportive shoe that can keep up.

Before you head out on your search for a new pair of shoes, allow us to help you take a step in the right direction.

Below, Dr. Colton Faza, a Lakeland Regional Health physician in orthopedics and sports medicine, tells us more about finding the perfect shoe.

Dr. Faza specializes in non-operative sports medicine with an expertise in treating a variety of acute and chronic sports-related and musculoskeletal problems. | Photo provided by Lakeland Regional Health

Here’s why the right shoe is important

“Getting the right athletic shoe is incredibly important because our feet are the contact points with the ground during our exercise or while playing sports.

The force of impact gets translated through the arch of the foot and all the way up the legs, into the back. I often see patients coming in with knee, hip, or low back pain who wear shoes that don’t offer appropriate support, which is a significant contributor to their pain or difficulty that develops in the rest of the legs and low back.”

Look for support and stability

“My general recommendation is to pick an athletic shoe that provides significant arch support and stability.

There are several brands that cater to athletes and active people of all ages including Brooks, Nike, Asics, and Adidas, to name a few. Within those brands, different lines of shoes are made for different athletic purposes, largely based on the design of an individual’s foot.

It’s important to determine characteristics of your foot and gait to help select the right shoe or insert.”

Be sure to swap out your shoes

“Changing your athletic shoes out periodically is a must-do. For runners, this is necessary every 400-500 miles.

Properly supportive, appropriately fitting athletic shoes assist with optimizing workouts, reduce pain from issues like shin splints, and reduce the risk of recurrent injuries, which make them a very important element in an athlete or active individual’s repertoire of equipment.”

Dr. Faza and the entire Sports Medicine team at Lakeland Regional Health are ready to support you and care for your unique health needs.

More on LRH Sports Medicine services

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