Solemates
Choosing the right shoe for your workout, by Beau.
Shoes pictured (left to right, top to bottom): Nike Air Max 90, Nike Kobe Low, Nike Flyknit Racer Converse Lows, Nike Roshe Run, Nike Flyknit Free 3.0 Nike Free 5.0, Nike Hyper Dunk 2013, Adidas Energy Boost 2
When it comes to choosing what’s right to wear on your feet, whether you're heading to the gym, hitting the pavement or getting on the court you need to make sure you have the right stability and control to guarantee your best performance and safety. Selecting your footwear is more than just making sure it matches with your latest Lorna Jane motivational quote singlet, but also applies to the type of activity your are doing.
I find that a lot of people are wearing shoes that have the wrong soles, or the wrong support for their exercises, for example Nike Air Max 90s look really cool and I love them! But for deadlifts they are a big no no no! the Heel of an Airmax is too high and restricts you from putting the correct amount of pressure through the floor, mainly due to its air bubble and height.
People normally think wearing a shoe with a thicker sole is better for them because it means there is more cushioning, but being barefoot actually helps your body align through our feet, the way they are meant to be. So that’s why we have a system to rate out of 10 for a barefoot experience (3.0-5.0) within the Nike Free Range. A lot of the time when people need orthotics, its because of the shoes they have been wearing, so if you want to know the best fit for you see a podiatrist. To help stop the confusion here are some examples of what type of shoe can help for what exercises.
Weights When it comes to lifting there aren't really any shoes that you need to specifically wear, especially when its upper body stuff, I still like to wear something that’s pretty light and breathable so when you take them off after a long session they don’t stink out the house, so I'm going to talk about some shoes that are good for legs.
I'm going to start off and say barefoot is one of my favourites for doing deadlifts and squats. You’re closer to the ground, and have 100% feel for the floor, so you know where your weight is always going. The only problem is depending where you are people don’t want to see your ugly feet. The next step above that is some old skate shoes like Vans or Cons, these guys have a thin sole and make picking heavy stuff up easier by making you closer to the ground. If skate shoes are your thing and you want to be sporty and cool Nike Free 3.0 are your thinnest sole in the Nike Free Range and are ideal for legs day.
Here are some other recommended choices: *Vans Lo Pro *Converse Star Player *Nike Free 3.0 Flyknit *Adidas Adipower Weightlifting *Nike Romaleos 2
Running/Walking/Jogging Obviously the most concerning thing to people when running is what’s between them and the bitumen. Like I said in the weights section the Nike Free 3.0 has the thinnest sole out of the range which means it’s really not the best for running for long distances or for hard surfaces. so going higher will give you more comfort and support when choosing a light weight shoe, Out of the Nike range one of the best shoes recommended for running and a personal favourite of mine is the Nike Flyknit Lunar. With a Flyknit upper, perfect for comfort and a lunalon sole it actually feels like you’re walking on the moon and was voted best shoe by “Runner’s World” in 2013.
Here are some other recommendations: *Adidas Energy Boost 2 *Asics GT-2000 3 *Nike Zoom Structure 18 *Asics Gel-Kayano 21 *Nike Free 4.0 FlyKnit *Mizuno Wave Enigma 4 *Saucony Omni 13
Basketball I've wanted to write a review about basketball shoes for so long and now I get to! Yay! Some of you may know im a huge basketball fanatic and I play competitively but I also love shoes! Rachel hates how many shoes I have, but I don’t care! If you’re looking for a great shoe to get started in the Nike Hyperdunk is a great starter, with many colour ways you can look good as well as feel good when you step on to the court, the fly wire upper gives great support across the top of the foot as well as the high top giving great support, worn by many NBA players it really is a versatile shoe for a beginner to experienced baller no matter what position. Stepping up your game a bit you head towards a KD by Nike as well, I know it sounds like im kissing Nike’s butt but really they do make the best basketball shoes.
The Latest KD, a signature shoe by the reigning MVP Kevin Durant is a low cut design so suited for a smaller quicker player who wants to be light on their feet, with Air Max as the cushion, youre in for a cruisey ride all game. The main stand out featureon the KD 7 is the strap tacking it back to the KD 4 where it pulls the foot in and keeps your laces in place so you don’t have to trip over them all game. High on the list of the Elite shoes, and I say Elite because that’s what they are called is the Kobe 9 Elite HTM. Launching in Feb 14 the Kobe 9 made headlines through out the sneaker community for being high, like really High. Looking more like a boxing boot the shoe has extra support around the ankle and also boasts a really cool inner grip feature so your foot doesn’t slide around inside. Also released in a low cut and limited edition they have become my shoe of choice when it comes to game day being the first basketball shoe to come out in a fly knit so it gives you that locked down feel.
Other great basketball shoes: *Adidas D-Rose 5 Boost *Nike Lebron 12 *Jordan CP3 8 *Nike Kyrie 1 *Jordan 29 *Adidas Crazy Light Boost
Casual Now this may not be sports or training related but there are some damn cool kicks out there that can be used for going to the gym and for walking around town and shopping! How many times do you hear “OMG MY FEET ARE KILLING ME?” from spending to much time in a Westfield. When it comes to a casual shoe I like to chose things that are comfy, yet stylish. My personal preferences are Nike Roshe, Adidas Flux, Nike Fly Knit Racer, Nike Air Max 90s and Adidas Tubulars. I tend to go for a classic trainer that is now a casual shoe, because somewhere back in the 90s these were the fore front of foot technology!
When it comes to choosing my shoes I like to head down to my local Foot Locker, I find that they have a lot of exclusive shoes and the biggest range when it comes to running, casual and basketball wear, they also employ people who know what they're talking about. Like I mentioned earlier, if you are having pain when running or walking and think it may be due to the shoes you are wearing get yourself to see a podiatrist and they can tell you what you need.
What shoes are you currently wearing to the gym?
