Shoes can give real clues for pronation problems. Look at the soles of your favorite running shoes and check for:
- Extra wear along the inner edge of the sole—the classic clue to overpronation, where your foot rolls too much to the inside as your arch flattens out with each step.
- More wear on the outer edges, indicating possible high arches and supination (also called underpronation), where your foot rolls out too much.
- A wear pattern from the outside of the heel to the middle of the forefoot, meaning you have a neutral arch—one with the right degree of foot movement for the most efficiency and the least risk of injury.
Shoes can be used to compensate for abnormal foot movement as well as identify it. Choose the correct type of shoe last (inner structure) for your feet—straighter for those that roll in, more curved in the instep for those that roll out, and something in between for a neutral pronation pattern.
For help with gait problems, visit the foot doctors at Rocky Mountain Foot & Ankle Center for an analysis and information for choosing the right shoes. Call our Wheat Ridge, Golden, Evergreen, or Granby offices at (303) 423-2520 for an appointment.
