Pro guide: Picking the right shoe for your activity

How often do you think about your feet? If you’re like most people, the answer is probably not enough.

Your feet are the foundation of your body, though. They carry the weight of daily life and get you where you need to be. Without the right care and support, you may find your arches aching, toes cramping or worse.

Whether you’re hiking with your dog, playing pickleball or running MultiCare’s Sound to Narrows, picking the right shoe is key to keeping you on the move.

The team at Fleet Feet Tacoma is here to help.

Build a solid base

Wearing the wrong socks, insoles or shoes increases your risk for both immediate and long-term injuries or pain, explains Samantha Quigle, retail experience manager at Fleet Feet Tacoma, retail experts in running shoes and accessories and longtime supporters of Sound to Narrows.

You may find that your arches, heels or toes ache if your shoes don’t have the proper support or are the wrong size, she says. The wrong insole or cushion could cause discomfort, and non-moisture-wicking socks may lead to irritation or blisters.

“It also doesn’t necessarily have to be in the foot, either,” Quigle adds. “You could experience pain in the Achilles tendon, calf or knee if you’re moving around in the wrong shoes.”

Fleet Feet takes a foot-out approach to build a strong base, starting with understanding your individual foot anatomy and how you move.

“We see people for running, walking, daily activities and people who work on their feet all day,” she says. “We’re going to look at the same things no matter what you’re doing.”

An analysis at Fleet Feet involves a staff member looking at your bare feet (seated and standing) with a 3D scan that measures length, width, arch height, instep, heel width, etc. They finish by watching you walk across a dynamic pressure plate, which will show pressure distribution (medial, center or lateral) and arch flexibility.

From there, Quigle can pull the appropriate type of shoe and insole to personalize for your specific needs, like cushioning, stack height, heel drop, etc.

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“If you have a hiking boot or skateboarding shoe you love, we can help make it more comfortable by looking at what you need and fitting the right insole,” Quigle says.

But there are some tried-and-true tips to stick to when it comes to your favorite activity:

• Road walking/running: You’ll likely want more cushion to support your feet on hard surfaces like roads. Competitive runners may like a nylon-plated or even carbon-fiber-plated shoe.
• Trail walking/running: Cushion isn’t as important when you’re on softer surfaces, but due to the unpredictability of trails, ensuring you have the right shoe for things like ankle support will be important.
• Tennis/pickleball/court sports: The primary difference between court shoes and running/walking shoes is the mid and outsole, Quigle explains. Court shoes will give you more lateral support and grip, while running/walking shoes focus on forward motion, cushioning and shock absorption.