How I run
September 8th, 2011 at 9:03 pm (Exercise)
Have you ever watched yourself run? Beyond simple vanity, examining how your feet strike the ground can help determine whether you have the right support (and can also help pinpoint causes of foot, knee, and hip pain). Sole Sports, a shoe store in Arizona, has taken this to heart with their free Video Gait Analysis. My sister stopped in to see if she might learn something useful, and my mom and I tagged along.
We all ended up jogging on a treadmill while a small camera recorded us from behind from the knee down. It was fascinating to see a view that is otherwise physically impossible to achieve, and we did learn some things. My mom and I both run in a mostly neutral position, while my sister has some pronation. My mom and sister both run with their feet in parallel tracks, while I run in-line, with my toes slightly turned out. The Sole Sports guy said that both ways of running are common and neither one is better than the other.
The goal of the analysis, of course, from the store’s perspective is to recommend a particular shoe for you to purchase. My sister was recommended the “stability” shoe which helps compensate for pronation. After testing several options on the treadmill, she went home with a shoe that performed admirably the next morning during a run. She said that her knees felt much better than they had with her old shoes, which is great! Thumbs up for Sole Sports.
David Kempe said,
September 8, 2011 at 9:41 pm
Gait analysis at running shoe stores is actually quite common, though I haven’t seen stores actually videotape you; the normal way seems for employees to just watch you. I’m a massive overpronator, so my shoes supposedly compensate for that a lot.
jim said,
September 9, 2011 at 11:52 am
Like David, I hadn’t heard of the video analysis – that would be pretty cool so I could see what’s going on, too. The one time I went, it was primarily an employee watching me walk around.
One nice thing about buying shoes from a store like that is they have good return policies if it’s not working out for you.
Tim said,
September 11, 2011 at 7:18 am
I actually had this done in 2000 in a shoe store in Christchurch, NZ. Those shoes were the most comfortable one I’ve ever run in. I need to find a place in Pasadena that does this because I could sure use a new pair of running/gym shoes.
Cheers,
Tim.