Consumers in sporting goods stores today are faced with seemingly countless choices of footwear. But are any of those innovations really helping you run longer or jump higher? And are those expensive sneakers any better? At the Portland, Oregon, headquarters of sportswear maker Adidas, footwear developers are using motion capture technology to design their latest shoes. It’s called ARAMIS -- technology that NASA has used to analyze stresses on the outer hulls of space shuttles. Here, they look at how materials stretch on the foot while it’s in motion. “We are using it to map the body from head to toe,” Adidas Global Category Director Andy Barr told correspondent Anna Werner. “We’ve used it in the latest running products to show the way that the skin stretches and moved. By knowing more about the body, you can make better products.” They’ve used it while developing shoe lines like the Ultra Boost and Alpha Bounce, with new materials in the soles that the company claims give wearers an extra “boost” when running or walking.

They’re ideas Adidas hopes will give it an edge in the competitive athletic shoe sector -- a market worth an estimated $99.5 billion last year.  Manufacturers tout their latest innovations, with prices to match; some shoes sell for upwards of $300. But are they worth it? University of Nevada biomechanics professor John Mercer, who studies athletic shoes, said, “The way your shoe performs is probably not related to the price of the shoe.” “So if I spend $150, that shoe may not be any better than a $50 shoe?” asked Werner.The problem with the shoe industry is that everyone needs a little different shoe.” At Mercer’s lab in Las Vegas, he’s analyzed dozens of shoe brands and styles -- everything from the original Nikes, to unusual underwater running shoes with gills. His latest study examines new, ultra-cushioned shoes called Hoka One One.  Did they reduce impact for runners? Mercer found it depended on the person wearing them, which (he says) is what he’s generally found for athletic shoes on the whole.

“If we take one pair of shoes and put it on 10 different people, everyone could run a little bit differently in those shoes,” said Mercer. “So it might work for one person, that shoe, and wouldn’t work for somebody else?” Some shoe companies have gotten into trouble by making generalized claims. The Federal Trade Commission sued shoe companies Reebok and Skechers over their Easy Tone and Shape Up shoe lines. The government found advertising claims that the rounded shoe could help firm your backside and promote weight loss to be false and unsubstantiated. Both companies settled for millions of dollars but with no admission of liability. So what are Mercer’s recommendations? “Don’t be brand loyal and don’t be model loyal,” he told Werner. “You’ve got to be open to different types of shoes to figure out what is going to work for you.” He recommends taking shoes for a test run -- and if you’re a serious athlete, maybe have an expert analyze your running style.

Andy Barr at Adidas hints there are changes coming in the field. “I think the future is going to be a more personalized experience, trying to personalize product to your specific running style,” he said. And how do you do that?  “Well, that’s under wraps for the moment,” Barr smiled.nike jordan shoes for female Hoka had no comment on Mercer’s study, but as we said, research suggests the best shoe for you is going to be an individual choice.how much do custom nike shoes cost But Mercer does say, if you’re among the 90 percent of people who strikes the pavement with their heel first, he recommends a shoe with more cushion and support in the heel. nike shoes website uk

If you tend to run on the front of your feet (“forefront strikers”), he says you should look for a flatter sole.Nike Free does not think so; and neither should you. Read on to find out why this concerns every one of us, our health and a good deal of wasted money. This is not a story of the Nike Free shoe; running shoes ratings 2015it's about our freedom and growth.running shoe stores arizona It has been a really long time since a major shoemaker has stepped forward and acknowledged that the human foot is the perfect running, walking machine.top 10 nike shoes of 2012 Hence, a good shoe should be simple and that allows this perfect machine to execute flawlessly, rather than attempt to take over Nature's function. This is the core concept of the Nike Free line of shoes.

Shoes that both mimic and allow the foot its freedom to get things done - in this case, walking, jogging and running. Nonetheless, detractors argue that the lack of structural support and cushioning undermines the shoe's ability to be a serious running shoe. The experts are spewing out terms like - Stress Fracture, Calf Injury, Knee Injuries, Plantar Fasciitis. The Footwear Market & You In the footwear industry, structural support and cushioning are considered the benchmarks of shoe superiority. The more features a shoe has; the more acclaim it will receive and, coincidentally, the more expensive it will cost. Do we, as consumers, really need all that expensive support and cushioning? Is it really better for us? For centuries across civilizations, shoes were only worn as status symbols by aristocrats; while the common folk went about barefooted. The very people, who walked the most and ran the most, went about their daily lives barefooted! Obviously, shoes did not come about as an invention because our feet failed;

it came as an invention of luxury and ego. In the centuries that have gone by, our feet still maintain this same powerful ability. Today, we have barefoot marathon runners across the world and complete communities of tribal people who live barefooted. Our God given machine of motion still explodes power in this day and age! Yet, weekend runners who barely run a tenth of a marathon are spending hundreds of dollars to buy advanced technology for their feet! Why is the man on the street spending so much on high - tech shoes when marathon runners and hunters happily thrive without them? The answer is advertising and product branding. Shoemakers astutely noticed that city folks are mostly overpronators or underpronators. Hence, in an effort to capitalise on this underlying dysfunction, they design shoes that support and cushion shock. Consequently, detaching and depriving the foot from its primary role as locomotion point guard. Overpronation, Underpronation and Neutral Feet

More than 75% of city dwellers are either overpronators or underpronators. Essentially, it means that your feet lose their ability to accommodate ground unevenness and absorption of daily walking stress. Your foot has curved in one direction and cannot return to neutral state - think of it as a jammed window that cannot close. In its functional state, our feet are made to pronate; curve to suit the contours of the ground. This is how we can run side ways on slopes and edges without tumbling over. Hence, feet with full range of pronation can walk, run, jog barefooted and not injure themselves (assuming you are not silly enough to go running on broken glass). Since the foot has lost its ability to fully pronate, shoemakers generally believe that a shoe has to be padded, cushioned, gelled and reinforced. The reason being that it will make up for the feet's loss of pronation range. Hence, the natural progression towards spending millions on technology research and charging you hundreds of dollars more per pair.

On the other hand, I look at all these structured shoes like crutches. Yes, we may need it for a while. But, when we consistently wear them and use them, we can never regain our natural ability to move the way we were originally made to - Pain free, explosive and flexible. A plain simple running shoe that allows your feet to spread out is sufficient and good for any weekend jogger. It also happens to be much easier on the wallet! If you do want a fancier shoe, the Nike Free series would be a good buy because it goes beyond un-restriction of the feet; it mimics the shape of the feet and offers the feet much more control. Ultimately, the injury and pain does not come from the lack of a jazzed up shoe, but rather dysfunctional feet. My Feet / Knee / Shin / Calf hurts because of my Pronation. What do I do now? I would first make a wild guess that the sole of your shoe is eaten up excessively on one side of the shoe. This could occur on one or both shoes. Do not assume that both feet equally underpronate or overpronate.

The first thing to do is to throw away all your shoes that reflect this unevenness. Go buy new pairs of shoes; neutral shoes that do not have excessive support. Have fun shopping, do it with a friend, a spouse or alone! After a while, if you do not buy new pairs of shoes, your recovery will be impeded because you never throw away the "crutch". The next step is to slowly walk barefooted and as often as possible. You can start with your house, followed by the beach or park. The aim is to re-introduce your 26 foot bones and muscles to the sensation of the natural foot movement. They have been trapped in the shoe for all these years. Finally, you have to move into active rehabilitation to help your body recover its neutral state. It is not some costly procedure, but rather a series of simple movement patterns that specifically unlock your frozen foot muscles and reintroduce your body to its natural alignment. Some familiar exercises like yoga and pilates do help in this process.

to find out how you can be free of knee pains, shin splints, plantar fasciitis, flat foot, raised arch and other musculoskeletal injuries that are by-products of feet pronation. Even if you think that you are not suffering from any of this at the moment. Take 5 seconds to stand straight up, feet shoulder width apart?. Are your feet parallel to each other? It is a disservice to yourself to cheat by correcting them. You have to look at your feet when they are at a relaxed state. Take a look when you go to work, or go shopping. If your feet flare out or curve in or are not parallel pointing to the front. It is a very strong hint of future musculoskeletal injuries, that includes the above conditions coupled with back, shoulder and neck dysfunction. Nonetheless, you may be that rare 1 out of 4 who have neutral feet. Congratulations and keep up whatever good motion that you already have! = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Reproduction of this article You are free to reproduce this article on condition that it is reproduced in its entirety and with all the hyperlinks intact.

The article is not allowed to be sent out as spam, unsolicited mail or in print format. Phenogy Health Advisors Pte. Ltd. Reserves the right to ask any person to remove the article from their site or email in the event of abuse.- Receive Commission when you sign up for our Affiliate programmes. You can change the links to include you Affiliate Id and leave us to do all the rest! Earn money in your sleep without ever needing to know nuts about health! The author, Winston Ng, is an avid peak performance coach and CEO of Phenogy Health Advisors Pte Ltd, based in Singapore. His Health Consultancy programmes are renowned worldwide for their efficiency, simplicity and independent unbiased advice. The Phenogy Health Concierge? is unparalleled internationally in providing cutting edge Natural Health Alternatives to the busy individual who needs viable options to invasive surgery, dangerous synthetic pills and overpriced ineffective therapies! They want you to experience their service before spending a single dime!