• Home
  • About Us
    • Our Story
    • Our Staff
    • My Running Story
    • Testimonials
    • Careers
  • What We Treat
    • Running Injuries
    • Sciatica, Back, & Neck Pain
    • Chronic Pain
    • Shoulder/Elbow Pain
    • Hip/Knee Pain
    • Ankle/Foot Pain
    • Balance/Vestibular
  • Specialities
    • Traditional Manual Therapy
    • Non-Traditional Manual Therapy
    • Running Services
    • Correct Toes
    • Kinesio Taping
    • OOV Services
  • Resources
    • Blog
    • Free Guides
    • Presentations
    • Videos
    • Running Portal
  • Patient Info
    • Forms
    • FAQs
    • For Your Doctor
  • Contact Us
  • Reviews
    • Read Reviews
    • Rate Us!
  • COVID-19

The Manual Touch Physical Therapy

Whole Body Approach

Reclaim movement, function and life
For information, call: 847-541-7600
or email: info@themanualtouch.com
  • The Manual Touch Linkedin
  • The Manual Touch YouTube
  • The Manual Touch Instagram
  • The Manual Touch Facebook

How to Choose the Right Shoes For Your Feet

February 18, 2020 By Denise Schwartz 1 Comment

Choosing the right shoes the manual touch

Do you go to the shoe store and get overwhelmed by the many choices?  Do you often choose shoes based on how they look, only later to realize they hurt your feet?

Debbie came to me after a two-week trip to Israel with an acute case of achilles tendonitis.  She told me that she did an extensive amount of walking, wearing a new pair of cute, gym shoes. I looked at Debbie’s shoes; they were designed for an underpronated foot, otherwise known as a neutral shoe.  Debbie’s evaluation showed that her feet overpronated when she walked, so she was wearing the wrong shoes for her foot type and, as a result, ultimately became injured.

The 3 types of shoes for walking/running

A good pair of walking/running shoes are organized into 3 categories:

  • Neutral:  A neutral shoe is designed for a person whose feet under pronate or pronate optimally
  • Stability: A stability shoe is designed for a person whose feet over pronate.
  • Motion Controlled: A motion controlled shoe is for a person who has poor ankle and foot control related to weakness, disability, or pathology such as neuropathy or diabetes.

To understand these terms, it’s good to know a little anatomy as well as how your foot works when walking/running.

Understanding the basics of foot & ankle anatomy

 

Supinated Footstrike
Supinated Footstrike

Your foot and ankle are a complex mechanism made up of 28 bones, 30 joints, and more than 100 muscles, ligaments and tendons that work together to provide stability, balance, and mobility.  As you step forward, your foot is in a supinated, rigid posture as the outside of your heel hits the ground first. Your foot then pronates and becomes flexible as it moves to the inside of the heel, then your arch, and ultimately rolling over your big toe to begin another step.  The rest of your body works together with your feet to move you forward and keep you stable.

What does a supinated, rigid foot posture mean? The subtalar (ankle) joint turns inward as the mid-foot engages the foot arch creating a rigid structure.

What does a pronated, flexible foot posture mean?  The subtalar (ankle) joint turns outward as the mid-foot/arch flattens and becomes flexible. 

 

How your foot works determines your shoe type

At The Manual Touch, we watch you walk todetermine your shoe type. But what are we looking for? 

  • Do you overpronate? If so, you need a stability shoe
  • Do you underpronate or optimally pronate? If so, youneed a neutral shoe
  • Do you skip the supinated, rigid foot posture completely? If so, you need a motion controlled shoe

Foot positions

Some people’s feet look like they are pronating because their arches collapse, but the subtalar (ankle) joint is not over-pronating. This means their mid-foot is too flexible and weak. The professional who is evaluating you should differentiate whether the subtalar (ankle) joint is actually over-pronating or if the mid-foot is collapsing.  This foot type may do well with either a stability or a neutral shoe. Your professional can determine which shoe will be better for you by watching how your body responds to the shoes while you are walking in them.

Here are some tips/tests to determine your shoe type 

When shopping for new shoes:

  • Determine what you plan to use your shoes for — running, walking long distances, only for errands, exercise class, etc.
  • Go to a specialty shoe store with salespeople who are trained to determine what foot type you are. In other words, they should watch you walk without shoes on. Some stores even do a 3D analysis of your foot to better match a shoe brand with your foot
  • Be prepared to spend anywhere from $100 – $200. Your feet and comfort are worth every penny!

When trying on new shoes, ask yourself:

  • Do they feel good when walking around the store?
  • Can you wiggle your toes? Do your toes feel like they have “breathing room”? Better to have a larger size than too small
  • Does your heel stay in the shoe or is it slipping?
  • Can the shoes be laced a variety of ways to improve comfort? 
  • Can you stand on one leg easily?

Tips especially for runners 

If you’re a runner testing out new running shoes, you should be able to pass these tests with ease and good neuromuscular control:

  •  Stand on one leg and…
    • Raise your leg out to the side
    • Bring your leg across
    • Reach your leg towards the inside of your foot – watch this video  
    • Close your eyes
  • Forward lunge without your knee collapsing in
  • Run on the treadmill in the store – do they feel good?
  • Determine the return policy after running in the shoes for 2-3 weeks
  • Have your running analyzed by a physical therapist  with your new shoes, to determine if the shoes are doing their job with the rest of your body – not just your feet

When I recommend a shoe type, I always provide this caveat: the shoe type recommendation is a starting point.  Sometimes the patient will feel better and their body will respond better in a different shoe type, and that’s okay! 

Anyone who has had foot pain will tell you how limiting it is and how wonderful the right pair of shoes can feel – no matter the cost. I hope this helps take the mystery out of buying shoes so you can feel good walking or running.

Want some help?

If you’re wondering if your shoes are ideal for you, feel free to set up a quick visit to determine the appropriate shoes for you. 

For more information, visit my running services page.

 

Filed Under: Running Tagged With: choosing a running shoe, pronation, running portal, Running shoes, Supination, trying on running shoes, under pronation

About Denise Schwartz

Denise Schwartz, PT, IMT, C is the owner of The Manual Touch Physical Therapy. For over 30 years, she has been helping patients reduce pain and improve quality of life using a whole body approach. Denise specializes in chronic pain, spinal conditions, running/triathlon injuries and prevention, balance/vestibular disorders, functional exercise, kinesiotaping, and various non-traditional and traditional & manual therapies. Contact Denise at denise@themanualtouch.com

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get Health Tips

Subscribe to our mailing list

* indicates required
I'm also interested in receiving:

Search Other Blogs

Recent Blog Posts

  • Staying Mobile as You Age: Spring Into Wellness
  • Alleviate Neck Pain | Your First Aid Kit
  • Hypermobility, hEDS, and EDS: Understanding Joint Flexibility and Pain Management

Blog Post Topics

Testimonials

I saw Denise at The Manual Touch recently for sciatic pain, that only the day before I saw Denise kept me from walking; I could only hobble for short distances before I would sit down and collapse. After some tissue work and gentle exercise with Denise, she put Kinesiotape around the affected area. I immediately noticed stability and pain improvement and could walk so much better that I was able to complete shopping trips to 4 stores I had been planning but did not think I could do. To me, the t… Read more
Read More
I was in Florida for vacation and developed an upper respiratory infection. I had annoying coughing and congestion in my chest. This went on for several days, and it was not getting better. It felt like I had a mucous plug stuck in my chest that would not break up. One night I remembered the self-treatment that Denise taught me at The Manual Touch where I had received PT, putting one hand over the afflicted area, and one hand near my abdomen where mucous could drain out. After about 5-10 minutes… Read more
Read More
The best physical therapist I’ve ever experienced is Denise Schwartz in Wheeling at the Manual Touch. I have seen Denise twice for over 6 months to treat 2 bouts of frozen shoulder that occurred 8 years apart. In addition to my shoulder, she has also helped with my back, exercise regimen, and overall health. She is a holistic practitioner expert in PT techniques and knows how to teach her clients how to fit her techniques easily into their lives. She relates with her clients about as well as any… Read more
Read More
As a young elite athlete I was involved in numerous accidents resulting in scar tissue causing loss of flexibility and restrictions as an adult. After each treatment I feel so much less restriction and experience greater range of motion.
Read More
Last winter our daughter Maddie had had several eye and ear infections, and all required topical and oral antibiotics.  These were instigated by a plugged tear duct.  A pediatric ophthalmologist said there was little chance the duct would open up on its own since she was well over a year old, and there was no harm in waiting a little longer before SURGERY. My husband and I did not want our little girl’s eye probed, and we definitely did not want her to have a general anesthetic, so we bro… Read more
Read More
The physical therapy I received at The Manual Touch PT helped reduce my sciatica pain to a manageable level in just a few sessions.  The exercises I was given strengthened and trained my muscles to prevent further back problems allowing me to return to playing basketball.
Read More
Just a note to thank you for the time you spent with me Saturday in evaluating my running technique and body alignment.  Your suggestions are already making sense and having an early impact.  After our meeting, I went out for a 5K run and found your suggestions “to shorten my stride” and “being conscious of not overlapping my steps” to be helpful. Thanks Denise  
Read More
I have been receiving PT therapy for pain and autoimmune disorders for over 18 months at The Manual Touch.  This also affects my kidneys and my lungs and other organs as I swell with fluid that my lymph system doesn’t seem to handle well.  I depend on the regular IMT tissue therapy I receive from Denise to help me function as normally as possible.  This therapy seems to work synergistically with the acupuncture and medication I also receive.  There are no cures for these disorders and as n… Read more
Read More
Excellent, professional assessment and treatment for an older woman who’s had lots of failed therapy. Kind and compassionate and caring! Thanks.
Read More
I can honestly say that Denise was the first physical therapist to listen to my story.   She has demonstrated more patience and compassion than any other therapist that I’ve ever met. For the past 8 years, I have been symptomatic with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a rare genetic condition which affects the connective tissue throughout my body. As a result of this disorder I deal with ongoing severe acute and chronic pain and a variety of other rare overlapping conditions such as thoracic outl… Read more
Read More

Our Mission


We believe all body systems and mental/emotional health are connected. We take a whole body approach to discover why patients are not healing and what were the initial causes of their current symptoms. 

Our mission is to use this whole body approach to help patients heal and overcome pain and limitations, resulting in improved quality of life. We also aim to promote wellness in our communities through ongoing education. 
Top 10 physical therapists in Wheeling

A winner of the
2015 Patients' Choice Awards
for
Wheeling Physical Therapist

Verified by Opencare.com

Paubox

Testimonials

I saw Denise at The Manual Touch recently for sciatic pain, that only the day before I saw Denise kept me from walking; I could only hobble for short distances before I would sit down and collapse. After some tissue work and gentle exercise with Deni… Read more
https://themanualtouch.com/wp/testimonial/m-d-evanston-il
I was in Florida for vacation and developed an upper respiratory infection. I had annoying coughing and congestion in my chest. This went on for several days, and it was not getting better. It felt like I had a mucous plug stuck in my chest that woul… Read more
https://themanualtouch.com/wp/testimonial/a-b-riverwoods
The best physical therapist I’ve ever experienced is Denise Schwartz in Wheeling at the Manual Touch. I have seen Denise twice for over 6 months to treat 2 bouts of frozen shoulder that occurred 8 years apart. In addition to my shoulder, she has also… Read more
https://themanualtouch.com/wp/testimonial/b-h-elmhurst-il
As a young elite athlete I was involved in numerous accidents resulting in scar tissue causing loss of flexibility and restrictions as an adult. After each treatment I feel so much less restriction and experience greater range of motion.
https://themanualtouch.com/wp/testimonial/s-northbrook-il
Last winter our daughter Maddie had had several eye and ear infections, and all required topical and oral antibiotics.  These were instigated by a plugged tear duct.  A pediatric ophthalmologist said there was little chance the duct would open up o… Read more
The physical therapy I received at The Manual Touch PT helped reduce my sciatica pain to a manageable level in just a few sessions.  The exercises I was given strengthened and trained my muscles to prevent further back problems allowing me to return… Read more
Just a note to thank you for the time you spent with me Saturday in evaluating my running technique and body alignment.  Your suggestions are already making sense and having an early impact.  After our meeting, I went out for a 5K run and found you… Read more
I have been receiving PT therapy for pain and autoimmune disorders for over 18 months at The Manual Touch.  This also affects my kidneys and my lungs and other organs as I swell with fluid that my lymph system doesn’t seem to handle well.  I depe… Read more
Excellent, professional assessment and treatment for an older woman who’s had lots of failed therapy. Kind and compassionate and caring! Thanks.
I can honestly say that Denise was the first physical therapist to listen to my story.   She has demonstrated more patience and compassion than any other therapist that I’ve ever met. For the past 8 years, I have been symptomatic with Ehlers Danlo… Read more
Read More

RETURN TO TOP OF PAGE

Copyright © 2025 The Manual Touch, LLC. · 325 n. milwaukee ave. · Ste D. · Wheeling, IL. 60090 · 847-541-7600

The information provided on The Manual Touch Physical Therapy website is for personal and noncommercial use only. The resources and content provided should be used for educational purposes only and not as a substitute for appropriate medical care. If you are experiencing pain or discomfort please seek medical attention.