Shoe shopping on the right foot

We went shoe shopping with Penn orthopedic surgeon Kate O'Connor's advice in hand to see what gear would fit her suggestions.

Our first stop was at the Walking Company at the Bellevue in Center City, where store manager Amy Collins said her footsore customers go for ABEO biomechanical footwear, which is more attractive than it might sound.

Collins said ABEO's B.I.O. system technology aims to create the appropriate level of support with built-in orthotics.

To get the right fit, customers' feet are digitally scanned in the store.

"We'll scan their foot for pressure points and figure out their particular type of arch and foot bed," Collins said. With that information, shoppers can pick the right flip-flop, sandal, sneaker or work-appropriate wedge for their needs.

For those who suffer from foot arthritis, Collins recommends the Chester County-based Dansko brand.

For bunion sufferers, Collins suggests Birkenstock or ABEO because the two brands offer wide toe boxes and adjustable straps, which make room for bony bumps.

Like a lot of doctors, trainers, and runners, O'Connor recommends a personal fitting at a specialized running store when you're in the market for active footwear.

At Philadelphia Runner in Center City, the fitting process includes measuring customers' feet and videotaping how they walk or run on the in-store treadmill. That information reveals how customers are landing on their feet, essential to finding the right shoe.

Associates will also ask about any history of injury, and which activities the shoes will be used for.

"If you're having pain on the tops of your feet, there are a few tricks with the lacing that we can show you to ease that," said Liz Pagonis, marketing and outreach manager at Philadelphia Runner.

As for which brand is best, that all depends on the customers' needs. So be open to trying brands and styles you may not have considered.

At Philadelphia Runner, the middle range of running shoes costs $110 to $170.

Runners looking for the most support might try the Asics GT series, with its Dynamic DuoMax Support System that balances both cushioning and stability.

Pagonis says that proper sizing is most important, as many customers wear the wrong shoe size.

"You want to have a half to full finger's worth of room in front of your toes because your feet expand when you're running and you don't want to restrict the movement," Pagonis said.

Numbness or tingling in the toes, a common complaint from runners, is a classic sign that a shoe is too small and cutting off circulation to the feet.

"A lot of people are wearing poor-fitting running shoes, so they're struggling to perform activities that shouldn't be that hard on their feet," Pagonis said.

koshea@philly.com
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