In addition to a stability test, conducted at an outside lab, a tester also wears reflectors as he runs on a treadmill. A computer then analyzes all the data to determine a shoe’s stability. In another test, a 19-pound weight is dropped on a shoe to see how well it will cushion your feet.
Panelists also exercised in the shoes to size up the fit and flexibility. Fit is by far the most important feature, and a couple of the shoes didn’t perform so well.
For example, the men’s and women’s Reebok SmoothFit Mobile II Trainer. The tongue was attached on one side and detached on the other, which means you can’t lace up the shoe as tightly as you want to.
And many panelists didn’t care for the women’s Champion C9 Rocksie, which uses elastic bands to secure the shoe. One tester’s foot actually slipped out of the sneaker. There’s absolutely no support because there’s no shoelaces.
In the end, the Asics GEL-150-T-R for both men and women came out on top. Both provide excellent fit and cushioning and cost $65.
Consumer Reports says it’s a good idea to go to a store that has knowledgeable salespeople so you can get help fitting a shoe. What’s important—your toes should fit snugly but have enough room to spread during exercise. Your arch needs adequate supported. And you want to be sure that your heel does not slip when you take a step.

This has been one of my favorite shoes for the wide, deep foot. It’s especially good for walkers due to it’s wide base and seemingly firm midsole. Or, so I thought.

Today, someone came in having worn this shoe while walking for the few past months with a recent onset of ball of the foot pain (metatarsalgia). When I turned the shoe over, I was shocked to find that the thin firm, rubber outsole had worn clear through, exposing a butter soft EVA midsole. The midsole was so soft in fact that it provided little in the way of forefoot shock absorption, causing the ball of the foot to be pounded with each step.

If you own this shoe, make sure to check the outsole monthly. If it has worn down like this shoe has, replace it immediately or you may do your feet severe harm. Otherwise, I still like this shoe.

I am a huge fan of this series as it is one of the few shoes that works for the narrow foot.  Although the GT-2150 model is ever so slightly wider than the GT-2140, I don’t think this will be a problem for most feet.

All in all, the 2100 series remains one of my favorite running shoes and I will continue to recommend it for many of my runners feet.

The Olympics are winding down, so I thought I’d give another shout-out to the golden shoes (Puma, of course) Usain Bolt, now officially The Fastest Man in the World, kissed after winning the 100 and 200 m races. The shoes were customized to bear his nickname “Ugo” and were prominently displayed by a clownish, giddy Bolt after he won in style (also setting world records in the process). Apparently, there were complains about Bolt’s unabashed displayed of his sponsor’s logo, which Puma rushed to dismiss (”We didn’t tell him to kiss the shoes!”)–oh so much drama! Truth is, with or without the shoes, he’s a phenomenon any which way.
The History part of this post comes now: the previous world record holder in 200m was Michael Johnson (at the Atlanta Olympiad) also wore gold athletic shoes. He also won the 400-meter race, setting an Olympic-record, then tossed his gold shoes into the crowd. These are those famous gold shoes (Nike this time) which helped make Michael Johnson a legend at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996:
I believe it is clear by now what you’ve got to do if you want to run just a bit faster–right?

Low-top kinda gal?  Then there’s an adorable gingham and patent version of the Gallow or a grapey, stripey, corally version of the Cesario.

But really, they’re all funky and cool.
And there are plenty of options.  So peruse and pick the one you like, and you’ll always be that awesomely cool woman walking to or from work with your snazzy suit and equally snazzy sneaks.
 

Style…brand…price? What do you shop for in athletic shoes? Experts say at the 'sole' of many women's aches and pains is bad footwear."We see patients all the time wearing inappropriate shoes for the activity," says Christian Royer, M.D., orthopaedic surgeon specializing in foot and ankle surgery on the medical staff at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas.Runners wearing tennis shoes, tennis players wearing cross trainers it's one major mistake say experts. Another big problem is buying too small.
"People don't realize that their shoe size changes over time and that their foot can get bigger and wider as time goes on," says Dr. Royer. "And most people haven't had their foot measured in years."
Dr. Royer says that your foot can not only grow through the years, but throughout the day as well. Because of normal swelling, the afternoon is the best time to shop, and don't forget to take a test-run before you buy.
"Don't believe in the myth of breaking the shoe in," advises Dr. Royer. "If the shoe doesn't feel good in the store, no matter how good it looks, you need to get a different shoe."
 

The Man Who Invented Modern Athletic Shoes Inadvertently Revolutionized Commerce and Sports
 
 I grew up in the 1950's playing basketball hour after hour on city playgrounds.The public courts of the day were nothing like those found today in most American towns. There were no lights, a steel, kidney-shaped backboard (ugh!) with bent rims, occasionally a steel chain net and no lines painted to properly delineate the free throw line and out of bounds. The surface was often rough and cracked. You had to know where the ball would give a true bounce and where you could lose control because of the uneven surface.But we played on for endless hours in all weather. The worst nights were when there was no moon to play by. We had to quit play early on those nights. Every Christmas I would find a new Voit basketball under the tree. It was a glorious site, sparkling, hard, looking just like a ball you would see the pros play with on television. ..