flat outsole helps you stay
stable as you move side to
side and the midsoles are
made of very cushioned
materials to help absorb the
shock as you jump up and
down. The biggest distin-
guishing feature of Basketball
shoes is that the uppers are
made of leather and go up to
ankle height to provide some
extra support in case you roll
over on your ankle.
Court shoes
(
Tennis, Volleyball, Squash)
Court sports typically involve
a good deal of side to side
movement, during which you
want to stay on your feet, not
slide around and definitely not
roll over on your ankle. Court
shoes are designed with this
in mind and are made with
wide, flat soles to keep you
stable. The uppers are usually
a combination of synthetic or
leather for durability as well
as mesh for breathability.
Cross Trainers
Cross trainers are a category
of shoe that are meant to
bridge the gap between
several sport specific shoes
–
essentially a hybrid or
multipurpose shoe. Cross
trainers are often made with
a combination of leather and
mesh uppers, to keep the
shoes flexible, lighter weight
and still durable. The outsoles
are wider than a running
shoe, so will provide lateral
support for any activities that
involve side-to-side motions
such as tennis or aerobics.
Cross trainers do not typically
offer extra support for people
who are over/excessive
pronators. If you are a “jack of
all trades” athlete who plays
squash once a week, goes to
kickboxing class and does a
daily lunch time walk, cross
trainers were made for you!
So many sports…
not enough shoes!
So when can one pair of
shoes get you through your
weekly routine and when
should you be investing in
activity specific footwear?
Generally, you shouldn’t need
more than one or two pairs
of athletic shoes. If you stick
to a gym routine of cardio
machines, weight training and
the occasional aerobics class,
a good pair of running or cross
training shoes will suffice.
Once you pick up a specific
activity more than twice a
week (running, basketball,
squash, volleyball) it is worth
the investment in specific
footwear.
For more information on spe-
cific types of footwear for your
foot type or activity, consult
with your Canadian Certified
Pedorthist - a biomechani-
cal specialist who can assist
you with selecting the most
appropriate footwear for your
activity. Your BioPed Pedor-
thist will complete a verbal
history of your lifestyle and
medical history, perform a gait
assessment and make specific
recommendations based on
your lifestyle, foot type and
medical/injury history. He/
she will also provide you with
a copy of a very informative
“
Selecting Footwear” infor-
mation sheet that includes
suggestions specific to your
needs.
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