Feet. Shoes. Stack. Width. Support. Orthotics. OH MY!
Wooosh....this is a loaded topic! I have literally gone from a massive stacked Hoka to a minimalist Altra back to a moderately stacked Brooks back to a zero drop like a rat on a wheel chasing down the right shoe for my running needs. Every single one of these shoes led me to injury. In fact, I don't think I had one triathlon season without a running injury. Needless to say, IT SUCKS! I just want to run and enjoy it...not run and pay for it the next day as I get out of bed shuffling in pain like I am 100 years old. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I've been to every running store in the vicinity of my home. I've had my feet scanned (at a tiny 6.5 Left and 7 Right). I was told that I need a 6.5 wide from one store, then another store measured me the old fashioned way and I was a 7 Left and 7.5 Right and was told I needed to wear an 8 wide. My head was and is spinning. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I have used orthotics, changed laces, thick socks, thin socks...you name it. Got homeopathic injections into my heel. Dry needling of my calf. PEMF, TENS, cryo and scraping. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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STOP THE MADNESS! As a Physio, I finally decided (healer, heal thyself) to assess my biomechanics. I do have a slight leg length discrepancy, an imbalanced pelvis and a major strength discrepancy...but all I did was chase the shoe because we are being sold the ideas that this one shoe will "correct" this or that orthotic will "support" that. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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When all we need to do is find out where our biomechanics has gone awry and fix that! Look up the chain if your foot is an issue. If you have plantar fasciitis, do you also have a tight hamstring? If you have a bunion, do you have weak toe control? If you have a pronated foot, whats going on at the inside of your calf? If you have a hamstring strain, is your glute firing? If you have low back pain, are your hip flexors tight? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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None of these things will be "fixed" with a shoe! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀