Heart and Sole

Greetings blogophiles, 

Today's topic gets down to the very sole of health and fitness. No, we are not referring to the fish. I mean shoes. Footwear can be an integral part of the fitness experience. When the feet are not happy, the body is not happy. Just ask your local supermodel who has been on her feet all day. The feet are the beginning of the kinetic chain, the starting block for almost all functional movement. Therefore, having the proper shoes and socks is key. And for some, allowing your feet to go "commando" is optimal. 

There are several questions one might ask before purchasing shoes: "Is Reebok or Nike better for my feet? Will wearing Asics shave some time off of my long distance runs? Will New Balance make my butt look too big?"  These are all important questions. There are some general rules to follow before making a purchase.

1. Shoes for exercise should generally be kept for about six months. Naturally this time could vary depending on how dedicated you are to being awesome and physically elite. One could also pick up a second pair of shoes for light days, when you don't feel so fresh for working out.

2. Don't just try on the shoes, be the shoes. A good shoe salesman will allow you to give the pair a test drive to see how well your feet get acclimated. Just make sure you don't run out of the mall with them, or maybe leave behind some piece of collateral.

 3. Stick with what is most comfortable for you. Whatever brand that may be. Whatever ungodly color (or ungodly combination of colors) that fit your feet and personality, have at it. Or if going barefoot is your bag, work that into your repertoire. Our ancestors went barefoot for miles at a time, so it is a possibility.

Marlon