The weekend has arrived!

It’s Saturday! Which is no surprise as it is the usual day to follow Friday..but nonetheless it’s a reason to celebrate. How am I celebrating may you ask? Well my bf is taking me out for a special early birthday dinner at Restaurant Two in the city. I am very excited as eating at fine dining restaurants are always a special treat and they make you feel all swanky and posh- it’s also fun to dress up and get your heels on!

But first I need to get through a shift at work. I’ve already done a 45 minute Body Step class and half a body pump class (such a sin to leave half way through I know but I had to get ready for work!). And I’ve had a tasty brekky of 6 grain oats, honey, milk, banana and crushed almonds. I know it’s usually typical for bloggers to photograph their food and share it but I don’t have a great camera and although I regularly take photos of food when eating out I’m not sure how I feel about doing it for every meal yet haha! It was tasty but, so you’ll just have to take my word for it 😉

I wanted to talk about the topic of exercise footwear today. My main reason for doing so is because I’ve recently had alot of pain in my feet, particularly the balls of the feet, as my shoe support has worn down. I’ve had the shoes for 18 months and I guess after wearing them everyday pretty much it was time to invest in a new pair. That’s where these babies come in- drum roll please..

What are these you may ask? Well just the love of my life (haha sorry babe). I LOVE these shoes- they are the most recent model of my old asics so they fit like a gem with the right support but are also the brightest most beautiful pink- and you know I like pink (ahem, blog is pinkified). My feet also love them since they’ve stopped the excruciating pain I was putting them through with my old shoes.

Although, I’ve been wearing those shoes for a couple of weeks now my feet are still dealing with some of the pain I caused them with my old shoes. It’s definitely not getting worse and they are improving but it’s as if I’ve bruised them. But anyways that’s put me onto the topic of choosing the right footwear for your feet and for your workout!

To start, being materialistic, I usually always go for what looks good instead of what is good for me (which lucky for me these current shoes are both)- but apart from looks I am not a lover of asics shoes. That’s not to say I won’t buy other runners from different brands in the future but as I and other family members have always found asics to be reliable and a fantastic shoe I will most likely stick with them. So there’s two elements of choosing the right show- according to look and brand. There’s also money you have to factor in- is it worth spending a bit extra to get a better shoe that will last longer or do you want a cheap quick fix and risk it? Seeing as though gym is a very big part of my life I prefer to invest in shoes I know I love and are great quality.

Another thing that is important is your foot type. There are different foot arch types including a low arch or flat foot, average arch and high arch. The arch of your foot impacts on how you land, absorb shock and push off. The wrong shoe for your arch can cause future injuries which is no good (especially if staying away from the gym is torture hehe). One way to find out your foot’s arch is to dip it in water then step onto a piece of paper. Below is a picture of first a flat/low arch, then an average arch followed by a high arch to use as a guideline. You can also go to shoe stores and get them to assess your feet professionally.

Average Arch= normal pronator

If you are a normal pronator you are lucky enough to wear just about any shoe but may be best suited to one with moderate arch support. Normally, the outside of the heels lands first and then the foot rolls inwards 15% allowing the full foot to be flat on the ground and distributing the impact. As you push off it is done so evenly throughout the front of the foot.

Low arch = Overpronator

Overpronators will need something that offers dual-density midsoles and supportive posts to reduce pronation. Typically after landing the foot rolls inwards more than the typical 15% meaning that shock is likely to not be absorbed as efficiently. When pushing off you typically do so with the big and second toes.

High arch = Underpronator

Underpronators need a softer midsole to encourage pronation. This is because after landing the foot rolls in less than the typical 15%, enabling the force to occur on a small concentrated area of your foot. When pushing off most of the work is being done by the small toes on the outside of the foot.

Now, I am definitely no expert when it comes to shoes or choosing shoes but this is just some information I learned when researching new shoes for myself. It is really important we look after our feet not only so we can effectively exercise but so we can still do our daily activities pain free.

Oh and a shout out to my dadda who bought me these shoes for my birthday- early bday present mind you. I just could not wait and my feet were threatening to stop working if I kept forcing them into my old shoes.

Tell me about your favourite pair of workout shoes?

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