Healthy Handlers – Foot Care and Agility Shoes

Foot Care

I used to think foot care meant buying an expensive pair of shoes and treating myself to a pedicure once or twice a year. However, I quickly learned that agility means being on your feet for hours, alternating between running, walking and sprinting, being able to handle all types of surface and traction types (mud, rocky ground, bumpy grass, field turf, fluffed dirt mixtures) and of course climate features (hot days, rainy and slick grass, cold hard ground and more).

First, Know Your Foot

According to Runners World there are three basic types of feet, each requiring a different level of support and shoe type. You can figure out your foot type by using their “ ’Wet Test’, below or, preferably, to visit a biomechanics expert or experienced shoe retailer.” We will have additional links below for you on this service.

“The Wet Test works on the basis that the shape of your wet footprint on a dry floor or piece of paper roughly correlates with the amount of stability you might need in your shoe…

	The Normal Foot Normal feet have a normal-sized arch and will leave a wet footprint that has a flare, but shows the forefoot and heel connected by a broad band. A normal foot lands on the outside of the heel and rolls inwards slightly to absorb shock. It’s the foot of a runner who is biomechanically efficient and therefore doesn’t need a motion control shoe. Best shoes: Stability shoes with moderate control features. Next step: RW Shoe Finder More about stability shoes | Just show me the reviews
	The Flat Foot This has a low arch and leaves a print which looks like the whole sole of the foot. It usually indicates an overpronated foot – one that strikes on the outside of the heel and rolls inwards (pronates) excessively. Over time, this can cause many different types of overuse injuries. Best shoes: Motion control shoes, or high stability shoes with firm midsoles and control features that reduce the degree of pronation. Stay away from highly cushioned, highly curved shoes, which lack stability features. Next step: RW Shoe Finder More about motion control shoes | Just show me the reviews
	The High-Arched Foot This leaves a print showing a very narrow band or no band at all between the forefoot and the heel. A curved, highly arched foot is generally supinated or underpronated. Because it doesn’t pronate enough, it’s not usually an effective shock absorber. Best shoes: Cushioned (or ‘neutral’) shoes with plenty of flexibility to encourage foot motion. Stay away from motion control or stability shoes, which reduce foot mobility. Next step: RW Shoe Finder More about cushioned shoes | Just show me the reviews“

To read the entire article, click HERE.

For even more information on foot mechanics, I encourage you to read this article from The Running Advisor.com on How to Choose Running Shoes. This article goes into detail on:

• Understand Pronation
• Determine Your Foot Type
• Select Your Gait Type
• Choose the Right Running Shoe for You
• Go to a Local Speciality Running Store
• Ensure Your New Running Shoes Fit Properly
• Top Recommended Online Running Shoe Merchant

Last, but not least, here is a short article from Orthopaedist Foot and Ankle Resource that includes descriptions on the different types of athletic shoes.

 

Custom Fit Arch Support

Now that you know what kind of foot you have, focus on the type of arch support required for your feet. Did you know you can get customized shoe inserts that are made specifically for each of your feet?

There are several foot stores that will offer this service either free or for a small fee. For the agility competitor who are on their feet all day, this is a small price to pay for foot comfort and support.

Shoe Stores that Create Custom Inserts:

• Road Runner Sports is just one company that is located in several states and has a program designed to help you get the best custom shoe insert as well as ensuring you purchase the appropriate shoe that will support your foot type.
• Marathon Sports located in Minneapolis, MN

I’m sure there are plenty more stores out there, so be sure to ask around in your area.

Online Custom Insert Resources:

Don’t have the time or unable to find a retailer near you, but still want a custom insert made for each of your feet? There are several online resources and you’ll find their ready-made kits to be easy.

• Arch Crafters – custom kits you can do in your home.
• Foot Smart – custom kits you can do in your home as well as pre-made inserts
• Your SOLE – custom inserts as well as custom shoes

Pre-Made Arch Molds

• ArchMolds – pre-made, multiple choices based on foot needs

 

Custom Shoes

Did you know that each style of shoe is specifically made to support a particular style of foot? Until about a year ago, I didn’t either! Long gone are the days (or at least they should be) where you blindly go in to try on a bunch of shoes and hope the price, style and 30 second fit will comfortably support you for the next 6+ months.

Take the time to go to a store that lists what style of foot each shoe was made for. After all, if you tend to roll your ankle, you’re going to want a shoe that won’t encourage that behavior. Remember the pronation, foot type and gait style mentioned above? Take all of these things in when considering what shoe you’ll going to place your beloved feet into.

 

Like to Run Barefoot?

Here is a great article from Runners World that shares a bit of history on running barefoot as well as sharing that “…scientific studies have had a hard time proving that shoes represent a big step forward from the naked foot.”

The Science Daily also has a factual article titled “Barefoot Running: How Humans Ran Comfortably and Safely Before the Invention of Shoes.”

So in honor of our barefoot agility friends, here are some resources that allow handlers to run barefoot as well as protect their feet from objects such as glass and other sharp items often found hidden in the ground.

• REI’s Vibram FiveFingers foot protection
• Be Real’s Barefoot Science foot protection

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3. Junior Handlers & Their Dogs