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Shoe Style Tips :: Agility Shoes
Agility Shoes: A Guide to Buying Shoes Made for Agility
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Agility shoes are basically another term for athletic shoes that give your foot freedom to move while still supporting your ankle and keeping the foot in a safe position. They’re ideal for sports like tennis, trail running or even boxing.
If agility is a major concern for you and your sport, read this guide to choosing a good pair of agility shoes before you head out to buy your next pair of athletic trainers.
Quality Matters
Just choosing a name brand shoe isn't enough. Most of the name brands will make shoes in different tiers of quality. So, for example, a $40 pair of athletic agility shoes in a certain brand typically isn't as good as the $90 pair.
The main differences are the shoe's midsole, or shock absorbing component. The midsoles in the $40 agility shoe most likely aren’t made to absorb the same impact as the $90 shoe.
Running Shoes Won’t Cut It
Shoes that are designed specifically for running aren’t going to cut in a sport that requires a lot of side-to-side or cross motion. This is because running shoes are designed to propel the foot forward in a constant forward motion.
If you’re looking for agility shoes, stay away from the runner’s stores.
Proper Alignment on Agility Shoes is Critical
Don't assume you can figure out what kind of shoe you need by looking at the wear patterns on your shoe soles. Wear patterns aren't the same as gait patterns.
A more accurate way to tell whether your feet are properly aligned when you run is to take off your shoe and look at it from above. If your right shoe leans to the left, you probably tend to overpronate, meaning your feet roll inward.
Injection Molded Soles Are Best for Agility
For agility and support, buyers should look for shoes with injection molded soles rather than compression molded, because they provide increased shock absorption and durability.
While they'll cost more, they'll also last longer - 500 to 800 miles for injection molded, compared with 300 to 500 miles for compression molded. You’ll also find they provide better cross-motion support.
Don’t Forget Arch Support
Mostly, you need a good shoe with good arch support. Look for a store that custom fits arch supports designed to hold the foot in a more ideal position. That redistributes body weight more evenly and helps to relieve pain and pressure from the ankles, knees, hips and back.
For instance, two people with the same shoe size might need different size arch supports because one might have longer toes, while the other has longer arches. When it comes to agility shoes, this is a particularly important concept that can often be ignored.
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ShoeStyleTips.com :: Agility Shoes