Wardrobe Wednesday 11/12

Wardrobe Wednesday. Part of your wardrobe are shoes. You can do pilates and yoga and lift your own body weight instead of the dumbells at the gym. You can run a track at the park instead of in place on a treadmill. Or you can do zumba videos in your home instead of expensive classes. You don't even have to buy workout clothes (minus a decent sports bra). You can easily workout in a pair of sweats and a tank top.  There are so many ways to save money when it comes to working out but one thing that you really can't skimp out on are shoes.

There are so many brands: Nike, Skechers, Adidas, Asics, Jordans, K-swiss, Puma and the list goes on and on. More than brands there are different types, all promoting something to help weight loss and increase health.

Do you remember the Skecher Shape-ups released a few years ago? In case you don't I will include a picture below. There were sneakers that weren't leveled/even. I tried the shoes on once, it was fun but incredibly hard to walk in. Basically you have to train your legs and feet to balance on the uneven surface. As a result your calves and thighs will become better toned and you will have stronger muscles, well that is if you didn't fall and break an ankle first. The shoes were a hot sale and even had celebrities endorsing them such as Kim Kardashian and Brooke Burke. However this amazing shoe didn't come cheap and when they were originally released they sold for roughly $110. Thought that was a high price to pay? What about your health or safety?  Reports started pouring in, one woman claiming the shoes gave her a permanent hip injury, and many others reporting dislocated and/or broken ankles, dislocated knees, foot injuries, torn Achilles tendons and more. In 2013 Skechers ended up paying out 40 million dollars in a settlement for false advertising the effects of their miracle shoe.

So how do you find the right shoe for you? Whether you're going to go running, walking, zumba, or lift weights there is a shoe for you. All it takes is a little bit of research. 5 mistakes most people make when picking workout shoes are:

1.)Picking whatever is handy
2.)Picking the right shoe for the wrong type of workout
3.)Loving them too much
4.)Loving them too long

5.)Doing it yourself

For an in depth understanding of those mistakes, click the link above.

Here in North Carolina, to be exact Raleigh, there is a store called Fleet Feet Sports and you can get shoes designed just for your foot. I went with my cousin once, it took some time but they were very thorough and made sure the shoes were perfect for her. Understandably that can get expensive so another way to find shoes for you is to use the tool on this website it is called shoe advisor and there is a questionnaire to help you find the shoe for you. You will be asked your height, weight, gender, how often you run/walk and how experienced you are. The site also asks if you have a high arch, medium or flat arch. After answering the questions the site will give you a list of shoes and their prices that match your particular needs.

Never would've thought so much went into buying a good shoe did you?