Knowing your feet type

Running is such a simple sport. Just wear light, comfortable attire and grab your running shoes ... and off u go running. It is truely one of the sports that requires least amount of gear. Simplicity is convenience. Because it is almost hassle-free, it is very important for u to make sure that your only gear is in right shape to support your running.

A run can range from a leisurely jog of a few hundred metres to a longer run of a few kilometres. During these runs, your feet makes hundreds and thousands of steps. Each step made sends the impact directly up your legs. This impact increases with increased speed and distance. To minimise the potential damage that may result over time, an appropriate pair of shoes should be selected for your run.

The basic step to knowing which shoes to buy is knowing your own feet. There are 3 basic kinds of foot: Low arch feet, normal arch feet, high arch feet. The diagrams below show the back view and side view of each kind of feet.

You can do a simple test to ascertain the kind of arch your feet has. Wet your both feet and make 2 wet footprints by standing upright on a large piece of cardboard paper. Look at the footprint of yours. Which of the footprints below does yours resemble?

Low arch
A low arch feet is actually a condition known as flat foot. When you run, the sole of your feet tend to "roll inwards" excessively so that almost the whole feet is flatly compressed on the ground. This kind of feet with "rolling inwards" is also termed as overpronated. This might cause problems for the legs over time and needs to be controlled.

Normal arch
A normal arch is what most people would have, with slightly arched feet. This is the neutral / ideal feet that runners would like.

High arch
A high arch feet has a characteristic area of the sole not touching the ground when walking. This condition is called supinated. Supinated feet tend to be underpronated, meaning it does not really roll in.

Based on the kind of condition of your feet, you should then look for shoes that are best suited to support your arch and absorb the impact you are prone to receive.

Check out the upcoming article where we will feature more on shoe selection based on your feet type!