Athletic shoes are an essential tool for the majority of sports. There are many choices in athletic shoes just as there are many different sports. Choosing an athletic shoe can be a difficult undertaking, as is defining what the best shoe is for any one individual and their sport.
The Shoe Recommendation Committee (SRC), of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine (the Academy) has carefully analyzed many athletic shoes to arrive at the shoe recommendations listed below. Our goal is to educate the athletic consumer as to the characteristics of a good athletic shoe and help to guide them in their athletic shoe selection.
The Academy evaluation process for athletic shoes is based on which shoes encourage and enhance proper function of the foot. We consider proper foot function as consisting of uninhibited forward motions at heel contact, at midstance (as the foot is flat and the ankle and upper body pivot over the fixed stable foot), and at toe-off (where the foot has lifted at the heel and is pivoting freely over the toes before heel strike of the opposite leg). The committee devised an evaluation process that corresponds to these demands and applied these evaluation techniques to all athletic shoes. The same principles are an effective tool for most types of shoes for the majority of sports. |
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Shoe Evaluation Committee Meets In Chicago
Mark Reeves and Bruce at Dinner after a long day of evaluating athletic shoes. |
Dr. Mark Reeves, far right, explains the Academy shoe evaluation process that he originated, to shoe committee members (L to R) Drs. David Levine, Lance Greiff and Paul Cannon. |
Rob Conenello evaluates an athletic shoe as Dr. Jeff Carrel looks on in the background. |
Drs. Paul Langer and Jamie Yakel work thru more athletic shoes at the Academies first athletic shoe workshop.
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The SRC of the Academy has identified ten components of running shoes that we feel are integral to proper foot function and essential to comfort . These components are included in the shoe diagram below.
For our sports medicine patients and the public, the SRC has broken down the evaluation process into a 3 Step Shoe Evaluation process. The diagrams below demonstrate the process and can be printed from a PDF included below. The diagrams are the sole property of Dr. Mark Reeves who has graciously allowed the Academy to reproduce them on this site. They may not be utilized in any other format without express permission from Dr. Reeves.
The video below also explains the 3 Step Evaluation process in live action. If you have further questions for our SRC, please do not hesitate to contact the Academy and we will attempt to answer your questions as quickly as possible.
The American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine feel that there are 3 basic tests that best define the stability and motion control in most any athletic shoe. Please play the video to learn about these simple tests that can be utilized by all when deciding if a shoe has the stability and motion control properties that your sports podiatrist has suggested!
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