Gotta be the shoes...
Forget Converse, weíre talking high-tech, gel-filled and plastic-coated here
By Barbara Brown Bill Cosby did a routine once about his new shoes. He said they made him go faster, and ìstop on a dime, give you nine cents change.î Shoes were pretty basic then and most sports shared the same style of shoe: cloth upper with a rubbery sole that offered no shock absorption. The shoe business has come full circle since the era when shoes were just shoes. Looking good doesnít always equal feeling good
When basketball season was heading into full gear, the girls from the Rush City Girls Basketball team put their feet together and decided to invest in matching shoes. All over Chisago County, and other surrounding areas, more and more high school teams are leaning toward the look of togetherness and confidence by asking the players to purchase matching shoes. That strategy certainly makes the teams look great on the court or field, but shoes have become so technologically advanced that purchasing the same style of shoe for an entire team of players may not be the best idea. Dr. Jeff Ley, an orthopedic surgeon at Fairview Lakes Regional Medical Center in Wyoming, said feet are so particular and unique that a purchaser should invest some time into buying shoes ñ especially sports shoes. ìThe athletic shoe industry is big business,î Dr. Ley said.
Shoe companies from Adidas and Asics to New Balance and Nike use advanced technology to build the better shoe, Dr. Ley said, and a lot of advances have made shoe purchases a little more complex than finding a pleasant color scheme. Fashion and super star athlete endorsements drive shoe sales possibly more than any other factor in the business. Basketball shoes, running shoes and tennis shoes are some of the hottest selling categories, and therefore receive the most attention from shoe company advertising departments. When Michael Jordan signed a $2.5 million shoe contract in 1984 with Nike to market the first red and black Air Jordans, the shoes caused quite a stir. According to a Sports Illustrated article, the shoe, complete with a silhouette of Jordan hanging in mid-air, sparked a controversy in the NBA when Jordan wore them during a game. The league threatened to fine Jordan up to $5,000 for each time he wore the shoes in a game, citing the leagues uniformity in uniforms policies. Despite the threats, Nike marketed the shoe anyway, sales began to sky-rocket and so began the great basketball shoe race. Although consumers can often spend $100 for a pair of shoes that carries the latest ìcoolî design or celebrity name, their feet actually benefit from most of the advances in shoe design, Dr. Ley said. Air pockets under the heel and toe pad in the sole of the shoes create better shock absorbers. New materials like polyurethane make the shoes more sturdy, giving better support and making them more durable. ìThe bad news is that youíre going to be spending a bit of money on a pair of shoes,î Dr. Ley said. ìBut the good news, overall, is that thereís great support in them. Your money is better spent on a good pair of aerobic shoes than saving a few dollars.î The shorter, the better? Each day, kids and their parents are bombarded with images of the coolest new sports apparel, whether from television, billboards, magazines or shopping in malls.
But, being in style doesnít always mesh with being healthy and safe. One problem with todayís basketball shoes is that the upper of the shoe is shorter than in the past. ìHigh tops arenít high enough anymore,î Dr. Ley said. He said athletes increase their chances of ankle injuries when they give up the extra support of high tops for fashionís sake. ìIt seems that as the basketball shorts get longer, the shoes get shorter,î Dr. Ley said. However, fashion not only drives the highly-competitive basketball shoe market, it also has started a dangerous trend in ice hockey. Dr. Ley said NHL and college hockey players started to use shorter gloves and their team managements did not tell anyone the players added extra pads to their arms to compensate for the loss of padding from the old, longer gloves. Young hockey players have been getting injured because they seek out the shorter gloves, but do not know that NHL players have more padding on under their jerseys than cannot be seen. Look Ma: cool shoes Wrestlers also have special needs when it comes to their shoes. Itís not too advisable that wrestlers go bare-footed to the mat. No one needs to get poked in the eye by a toe or run a greater risk of breaking toes, but because wrestlers must be quick on their feet and their shoes have to stay out of the way, they wear slipper-like footwear. Wrestling shoes are high topped, soft upper shoes that have a no-slip surface underneath. They come with a variety of extras including gel soles. Soccer shoes are gaining a lot of attention lately from shoe manufacturers because the popularity of the sport multiplies yearly. ìSoccer is unique because itís probably the only sport you play totally with your feet,î Dr. Ley said. Soccer players need good tactile sensation in their feet so they can hit the ball just right to send it where they want it. ìThe shoes are really cool now, even down to the laces because soccer players can use the laces to put spin on the ball,î Dr. Ley said. What about the sports that donít require a special shoe?
Take gymnastics for instance. Shoes would only hinder a tumblerís floor routine. They could get in the way on uneven bars and they would just take up more room on the already slim balance beam. The market for gymnastics shoes is so small, Dr. Ley said, that shoe manufacturers have not spent much time to this day trying to find a shoe that would help gymnasts instead of hinder their performance. ìNo one has really developed a good shoe for that sport yet because thereís no market there so why would the companies invest in the research?î Dr. Ley said. Because of all the jumping during tumbling routines and hard impact during landings, gymnasts tend to have a lot of leg and foot problems, Dr. Ley said. There are a high number of injuries, including fractures, among gymnasts. Ley said several factors, including poor muscle and bone make-up because the sport tends to be heavy with athletes with eating disorders. ìThey are a unique group of athletes,î he said. ìThey donít report pain very often because they might lose their chance at competition and itís a badge of courage.î Get down to specifics ìTodayís shoes are comfortable and are well made,î Dr. Ley said. He said running shoes of most types are the best everyday shoes to wear, but what about sport-oriented footwear? ìThere is a lot of sports footwear that people donít realize exists,î Dr. Ley said. He said athletes should buy a shoe that best suits their activity. Shoes are so specifically designed these days that a shoe designed to play basketball in may not be the best option for someone who wants to run a marathon. If itís a running shoe youíre after, check out the bottom of the shoe you want to buy, Dr. Ley said. The hatch-mark pattern is indicative of the shoeís intended usage. A simple herringbone pattern is good for acceleration and deceleration, like in jogging activities. For something more aggressive, like tennis, racketball or basketball, look for an irregular pattern. ìItís not just to leave a cool footprint,î Dr. Ley said. ìThose patterns help when you want to move side to side or up and down.î Women who are seeking a comfortable sports shoe should try to find one made for women specifically, Dr. Ley said. ìThe womanís foot is different from the male foot,î he said. ìIt wasnít until recently that some companies have paid more attention to fitting a womanís foot.î Not only will a manís running shoe fit differently on a woman, a manís alpine ski boot wonít fit quit right either, Dr. Ley said. ìThe womanís alpine ski boot has a heel wedge because the achilles is shorter in a woman.î Dr. Ley offered one bit of advice for runners to remember. ìIf youíve got 250 to 300 miles on a pair of running shoes, itís time to get a new pair,î he said. Dr. Ley said court games, like tennis and basketball, demand different styles of shoe depending upon how the player uses his or her body. In tennis, for example, if a player is more of a serve and volley competitor, a shoe with a larger toe box is warranted. For the player who tends to play a fast-paced game, they should look for an irregular pattern on the bottoms of the shoe to help with their side to side movement. To find a good every day walking shoe, spend some time in figuring out how unique your foot is, Dr. Ley said. ìThere used to be a time when if a woman had a wider foot or a bigger toe box, doctors would just tell them to wear a manís shoe,î Dr. Ley said. ìThat just wonít do anymore.î Dr. Ley said buying shoes is more than finding a cool color scheme. ìA lot of people will go into a shoe store and buy a shoe because they like the way the upper looks and they end up buying a shoe thatís completely wrong for what they need,î Dr. Ley said. ìThere are so many shoes out there that people should be able to find one that fits their foot properly.î Dr. Ley said he tells his patients to trace their foot onto a piece of paper. Then, he has them trace their shoe. ìYouíd be surprised at how many people have foot problems just because their shoe is too small.î Dr. Ley said the shoe tracing should be no more than one-quarter inch smaller than the tracing of the foot. Take the measurement of the foot tracing and mark it on an index card that can be carried to the store. Shop in the afternoon and evening when your feet are swollen from walking all day. ìWhen you find a pair of shoes you like, pick them up and flip them over,î Dr. Ley said. He said holding the measurement card to the bottom of the shoe will not only allow you to purchase a shoe that will fit your foot nicely, the action also should garner you personalized attention from the shoe store clerks. ìIf they see that you know what you are doing and what you are looking for, they might work harder to get you what you want.î
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