10 Tips for Choosing Athletic Shoes

Proper-fitting shoes make all the difference whether you walk or run.

By Christina Frank
WebMD Feature

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Running and walking are among the purest, most natural forms of exercise around. With newfangled innovations like Freon-filled midsoles and pump-it-up tongues, it's knowing which shoes to buy that seems to require an advanced degree.

Choose the wrong athletic shoes and you could end up lying on the couch nursingshin splints or aching heels instead of enjoying a brisk walk or run.

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While most specialty sport-shoe stores have knowledgeable staff to guide you, you'll be a few steps ahead of the game armed with some basic knowledge about your feet and their specific needs. Here is some expert advice to heed before buying new footwear:

Don't make shoes multitask. Walking shoes are stiffer; running shoes are more flexible, with extra cushioning to handle greater impact. If you do both activities, get a pair for each one.

Know your foot. Sure, we've all got 10 toes and two heels, but beyond that, feet come in a variety of shapes -- and knowing your foot's particular quirks is key to selecting the right pair of shoes. Most major brands now offer a model to suit every foot type.

One way to determine your foot's shape is to do a "wet test"--- wet your foot, step on a piece of brown paper and trace your footprint. Or just look at where your last pair of shoes shows the most wear.

If your footprint shows the entire sole of your foot with little to no curve on the inside -- or if your shoes show the most wear on the inside edge -- it means you've got low arches or flat feet and tend toward overpronation -- meaning your feet roll inward. Overpronation can create extra wear on the outside heel and inside forefoot. You'll want a shoe with a motion-control feature and maximum support.

If the footprint shows only a portion of your forefoot and heel with a narrow connection between the two -- or if your shoes wear out mostly on the outside edge -- you have high arches and tend to underpronate (also called supinate), meaning your feet roll outward. Underpronation causes wear on the outer edge of the heel and the little toe. Look for a cushioned shoe with a soft midsole.

You have a neutral arch if your footprint has a distinct curve along the inside and your shoes wear out uniformly. Look for a "stability" shoe, which has the right mix of cushioning and support.

Feet Change

Measure your foot frequently. "It's a myth that foot size doesn't change in adults," says Steven Raiken, MD. "It does change as we get older, so have your feet measured twice a year. Sizes also vary between brands, so go by what fits, not by what size the shoe is." Raiken is director of the foot and ankle service at the Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.

Shop toward the end of the day. Feet swell over the course of the day; they also expand while you run or walk, so shoes should fit your feet when they're at their largest.

Bring your own socks -- the ones you wear while running or walking. If you wear orthotics, bring those, too. Shoes need to fit with the orthotic inside.

Don't believe in breaking in. Running and walking shoes should feel comfortable right away, Raiken tells WebMD. Walk or run around the store a bit to make sure they feel good in action.

Use the rule of thumb. There should be about 3/8-1/2 inch between the front of your big toe and the end of the shoe -- about a thumb's width. The heel should fit relatively tightly; your heel should not slip out when you walk. The upper part of the shoe -- which goes over the top of your foot -- should be snug and secure, and not too tight anywhere. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons writes that when fitting in to an athletic shoe you should be able to freely wiggly all of your toes when the shoe is on.

Understand the bells and whistles. Some models of running shoes look better suited to a space mission than a run in the park, but some of those groovy-looking features actually serve a purpose. Clear inserts, filled with gel, Freon, or air, provide extra shock absorption, as do those springy-looking things. These features are especially good for people who tend to get heel pain, says Raiken, and not so good for people whose ankles twist easily, as shoes with extra cushioning tend to provide less traction.

Some shoes allow you to pump up the tongue, which lets people with difficult-to-fit feet achieve a more customized fit.

Don't over- or underpay. Good-quality running and walking shoes are fairly pricey -- and usually worth it. "A $15-shoe will not be as good as an $80-shoe," says Raiken. But you'll pay a premium for super-fashionable styles or those associated with a celebrity -- and they won't be any better for your feet.

Know when to replace them. The average pair of running shoes should be replaced after about 350-400 miles of use, says Clifford Jeng, MD, a foot and ankle surgeon at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Md. Better yet, go by how your shoes look and feel. Once the back of the sole is worn out or the shoe feels uncomfortable or less supportive, it's time to take those tootsies shopping again.

The Nike Story!!!

When most people think of Nike, they think of superstar athletes like Michael Jordan, Mia Hamm, and Tiger Woods. When Nike's own employees think of their company, they think of a retired university track coach, an Olympic runner whose career ended tragically in a 1975 car crash, and a so-so athlete whose achievements as an entrepreneur far outpaced his accomplishments as a runner.

Most people have heard of Nike CEO Phil Knight, a middle-distance runner who turned selling shoes out of his car into a footwear-and-apparel colossus. But few know of Nike cofounder Bill Bowerman, Knight's coach, or of Steve Prefontaine, the now-deceased runner who was also coached by Bowerman and whose crusade for better equipment inspired Bowerman and Knight to build the Nike empire. Yet, inside Nike, those three figures are more relevant to the company's sense of identity than any of its superstar spokespeople.

Why? Because Nike has made understanding its heritage an intrinsic part of its corporate culture. Think of this approach as internal branding: The stories that you tell about your past shape your future. Which is why, these days, Nike has a number of senior executives who spend much of their time serving as "corporate storytellers" -- explaining the company's heritage to everyone from vice presidents and sales reps to the hourly workers who run the cash registers at Nike's stores. "Our stories are not about extraordinary business plans or financial manipulations," explains Nelson Farris, 57, Nike's director of corporate education and the company's chief storyteller. "They're about people getting things done."

And like all great stories, the ones about Nike offer archetypes that people can learn from. When Nike's leaders tell the story of how Coach Bowerman, after deciding that his team needed better running shoes, went out to his workshop and poured rubber into the family waffle iron, they're not just talking about how Nike's famous "waffle sole" was born. They're talking about the spirit of innovation. Likewise, when new hires hear tales of Prefontaine's battles to make running a professional sport and to attain better-performing equipment, they hear stories of Nike's commitment to helping athletes.

Over the past couple of years, Nike has experienced the roller coaster that lots of companies ride: euphoric periods of growth followed by setbacks and public backlash. But through all of these ups and downs, winning companies hold on to their values. "To survive those downtimes," explains Farris, "you have to understand what real teamwork is -- keeping promises, keeping commitments. Not everyone understood this, but both Knight and Prefontaine did, because that's what Bowerman taught his athletes. As one of our first employees said, 'Not everyone grew up on the track with Bowerman. They didn't understand what it took to be great.' "

To foster that kind of understanding, the company launched its corporate-storytelling program. When the program started, in the late 1970s, it was an hour-long lesson given to new employees when they arrived to sign their W-2s. Today, orientation lasts two days, and the story of Nike's heritage is the first item on the agenda. With the company back on the growth track, Farris envisions a day when the orientation process will last a week and take place at "Nike University."

Storytelling isn't just for new hires. Each "Ekin" ("Nike" spelled backwards) -- Ekins are tech reps known for their Swoosh ankle tattoos -- undergoes a nine-day Rookie Camp at Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. A full day is spent in Eugene, where Ekins run at the Hayward field track (where Bowerman coached) and visit the site of Prefontaine's fatal car crash. "We're connecting what we're doing today back to Nike's heritage," says Dennis Reeder, 45, Ekins training manager.

As Nike gets even bigger, its storytellers feel that their mission becomes even more critical. "Every company has a history," says Dave Pearson, 43, a training manager and storyteller. "But we have a little bit more than a history. We have a heritage, something that's still relevant today. If we connect people to that, chances are that they won't view Nike as just another place to work."

FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY IN USA

ABSTRACT
The history of footwear goes back many thousands of years. Early footwear undoubtedly grew out of the necessity to provide protection when moving over rough terrain in varying weather conditions. Initially, footwear was probably made of plaited grass or rawhide held to the foot with thongs. Soon the rich and influential began distinguishing themselves by the craftsmanship and decoration, which characterized their shoes. Today the footwear industry manufactures a wide range of footwear ranging from leather, rubber and other synthetic materials, and styles ranging from casual, formal, work, and athletic shoes. On average, every man, woman, and child in the United States purchases more than four pairs of shoes each year, a level of consumption that establishes the U.S. as the world's largest importer of footwear. The U.S. accounts for about 40 percent of footwear imports. In 1998, Americans spent approximately $38 billion to purchase more than 1.1 billion pairs of shoes.
The footwear industry is labor intensive and as a result is subject to pressure from imports. The U.S. footwear industry has been severely affected over the past decade; imports account for about 90 percent of shoes sold in the country.

Since 1976, imports have grown at an average rate of 5.6 percent a year. Exports have been declining over the last three years but this trend may soon level off. Only in a few other industries such as apparel, autos and consumer electronics is the U.S. trade deficit higher than in footwear. And more than half of the footwear deficit is with one country -- China. China accounts for about 68.3 percent of all footwear imports into the U.S. Brazil is second with 8.3 percent of the market. The low cost of labor in China makes it a very attractive place for foreign shoe manufacturers to build factories. Since 1986, U.S. imports from China have increased by a staggering 2,700 percent.

The U.S. industry, hard-pressed to compete with low-priced imports, probably will shrink again this year, analysts are predicting. Last year, domestic output fell by 9 percent to less than 100 million pairs, the lowest level on record, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission.

Issues and Concerns: It is extremely difficult for the U.S. footwear industry to compete with low-priced imports. In 1960, shoe imports averaged 2.2 million pairs a month. In 1976, shoe imports totaled 29.2 million pairs in one month. And by 1980, they rose to a monthly average of 30.5 million pairs. That number shot up to 74.8 million in 1990 and to 90 million in 1995. More significant, in 1960 foreign shoe manufacturers held just 4 percent of the U.S. market. In 1976, imports accounted for 47 percent of the market. By 1995, they controlled 89 percent. Last year, domestic output fell by 9 percent to less than 100 million pairs, the lowest level on record, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission. In the past four years, production has dropped by nearly one-third, as more and more plants shut down. Last year alone, reports Footwear Industries of America, eight factories closed, reducing the number operating to fewer than 300, compared with more than 1,000 in 1968. Nevertheless, U.S. Commerce Department analysts believe there is hope for the industry. Productivity has been climbing, particularly in men's footwear. Further gains could lead to increased investment, improve competitiveness and return the production of some types of footwear to the U.S. Additionally, virtually every domestic footwear producer now imports finished shoes and/or components, in order to offer a balanced product mix.
The intense competition faced by the United States footwear industry reflects the ongoing global shift in comparative advantage. Labor remains the most important cost factor in footwear production. Wage rates in the Asian developing nations are as low as 5 percent of those in the United States. There are many manual steps involved in the assembly process of shoes and no amount of technological innovations of the manufacturing process can narrow the gap in labor costs between the United States and the developing countries.
Another issue that concerns the footwear industry is the increasing trade imbalance between the U.S. and China. In 1999, Footwear was one of the top five U.S. imports from China. More than half of the footwear deficit is with one country -- China. Only in a few other industries such as apparel, autos and consumer electronics is the U.S. trade deficit higher than in footwear. Another concern is the working conditions in these Chinese factories. Critics charge that China uses child labor in shoe factories.
Trends: Until the second half of the 19th century, individual cobblers working either alone or with one or two apprentices or journeymen produced practically all shoes. The goal of every apprentice cobbler was to learn how to make an entire shoe as soon as possible. Cobbler craftsmen were mostly male. The advent of the sewing machine enlarged craftsmen's shops and converted them to factories. New York City became the garment-manufacturing capital of the world at the turn of the 20th century.

World footwear production has continually moved to those areas with comparatively low labor costs. Assembly of shoes (as well as low-cost apparel, footwear, radios, TVs, toys, sporting goods equipment, and consumer electronics) began shifting offshore in the 1960s Ñ first to Japan; then to Korea and Taiwan; and starting in the 1980s to Southern China. In the mid-1980s, Taiwan and Korea supplied 45 percent of the world footwear exports. Production began to shift to other Asian nations when labor costs rose. By 1994, the share of world exports supplied by Taiwan and Korea dropped to 7 percent while China's share grew to 50 percent from 8 percent in 1986. In the meantime, the U.S. was supplying less than 1 percent of world footwear exports.
For many years, under U.S. tariff laws, U.S. footwear companies have sent items overseas for partial production and brought them back to the U.S. for finishing, only paying duties on the value added by the overseas work. China has historically been the main source of work for the U.S. and remains the world's largest shoe producer and the main source of footwear imported by the U.S. Under the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement of 1995, apparel and textile quotas are being gradually eliminated by2007, and firms are responding by cutting down on domestic manufacturing. For example, NIKE markets shoes but is not involved in manufacturing. The danger of outsourcing is that manufacturers have less control over overseas factories, some of which badly exploit workers.

Athletic Shoes -
Athletic footwear makes up about 35 percent of the U.S. footwear market. The exercise boom (and the related boom in people who want to look like they work out) sent athletic shoemakers NIKE (#1), Reebok, and adidas-Salomon to the front of the pack. Athletic footwear includes aerobic dance, baseball/softball, basketball, cross training, hiking, running, sportssandals, tennis, walking,"athleisure" (athletically styled casual shoes, canvas, suede and alternative sports) and "other," such as golf, football and volleyball. The wholesale value of athletic shoes for the U.S. market totaled $8.7 billion in 1998 down 8.5 percent from the year before. According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, athletic footwear accounts for almost 35 percent of all footwear purchases. In general, consumers are spending less worldwide for athletic footwear. The current domestic industry focus is on casual and comfortable shoes. Although athletic footwear sales appear to be recovering, demand is still leaning toward the "brown shoe" casual footwear with a comfortable and rugged design. This switch is due to the increasing number of workplaces adopting casual dress codes.
LEGISLATION/INTERNATIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS

China/Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR): PNTR with China passed the U.S. House of Representatives in June (the Senate will take up the measure in September). The Clinton administration and business heavily supported PNTR. Labor unions and other powerful lobbies opposed permanent normal trade relations with China. The footwear sector is heavily dependent on China, which shipped more than 1.2 billion pairs of shoes to the U.S. last year. PNTR affects the footwear industry in that the annual review of China's trade status will be eliminated.
STATISTICAL INFORMATION

United States Census - Footwear Industrial Report   2000   1999   1998   1997
Footwear Data, Office of Consumer Goods, International Trade Administration

CONTACTS AND LINKS

Footwear Industries of America (FIA): FIA is the national association for footwear manufacturers, importers and distributors and suppliers to the leather and allied trades. Members produce in the U.S. and in all areas of the globe. FIA's mission is realized through programs that help members maximize productivity, enhance marketing effectiveness, and ensure that the footwear industry is represented in Washington, D.C.
Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA): FDRA is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association whose 100 member companies operate some 20,000 shoe retail outlets and account for nearly three-quarters of U.S. shoe sales. FDRA's primary mission is representation on U.S. and international footwear specific, government relations issues for members' U.S.-based retail chain shoe retailers and the footwear brands, and importing agents that supply them.
National Shoe Retailers Association (NSRA): NSRA is a trade organization representing independent shoe retailers. Founded in 1912, NSRA provides independent shoe retailers with solid, practical workplace benefits that enable them to operate their business more profitably and successfully.

Athletic Footwear Association (AFA): AFA was founded in 1982 to serve an international group of manufacturers and marketers of athletic footwear. It has about 140 members. AFA provides a range of marketing, management and other services to its members. It also identifies and monitors key issues affecting the industry and serves as a liaison or source of information to those interested in the industry. AFA is one of 14 non-profit associations and committees that are part of the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA). SGMA, the trade association of North American manufacturers, producers, and distributors of sports apparel, athletic footwear, and sporting goods equipment, is dedicated to increasing participation in sports and fostering industry growth and vitality. 

DISCLAIMER
Information in this report relies on sources including Government Publications, Opinions of industry experts and other public sources. Infomat can accept no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such information or for loss or damage caused by any use thereof. All prices subject to change without notice.

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