Choosing the best shoes for pronation involves assessing your level of pronation to gauge how much support is required. Manufacturers usually rate their shoes as suitable for mild, moderate, or severe pronation, so it’s important to know how much you overpronate. Shoes for pronation should provide a high level of support and contain firm insoles. Perhaps best way to ensure that you purchase the right running shoes is to get them professionally fitted. Other considerations include which type of terrain you run on and whether you have orthotics.
A normal foot is said to have a neutral arch. If you overpronate, however, your foot arch is lower than it should be. This puts the kinetic chain of the lower body out of alignment, and can cause serious problems, especially during high impact activities such as running. The best shoes for pronation help to support the foot arch and realign the ankle, knee, and hip.
To realign the foot and leg, shoes for pronation need to provide extra support and stability. Motion control shoes, which are rigid, durable and built to control pronation, are often the best type for severe overpronation. If you only have mild pronation, then a stability shoe may be enough to keep the arch from collapsing too much while running. A runner who over pronates usually should avoid shoes that have a lot of cushioning.
As with any shoe, it’s important to ensure that shoes for pronation are correctly fitted. Buying from a professional running shop is important for this reason. Shoe sizes measure the length of the shoe, but it’s also necessary to get the right width. If you wear orthotic inserts to correct for overpronation, then it’s mandatory to wear these while the shoe is fitted.
There are two main types of running shoe: trail and road. If you plan on trail running, it’s important to buy durable shoes for pronation that are built for this purpose. A trail running shoe will provide more grip and often extra protection from rocks and roots. Road running shoes tend to require greater shock absorption to protect the joints.
If you use orthotics, it’s important to purchase a shoe that will work in conjunction with them. In some cases, using highly supportive shoes and supportive orthotics can prevent the foot from pronating enough. For this reason, you should discuss the options with a podiatrist before choosing a pair of shoes for pronation.
