What’s your foot type: Part 5

And finally, the last foot type. Normal.

The normal foot is quite quiescent.  It rarely complains unless you abuse it.  Run too many miles with too few rest days, or put a shoe on it that is inappropriate such as a stability or motion control shoe and this foot will have something to say to you.  But for the most part, this foot being neutral, it has appropriate shock absorption through normal pronation and it has nice rigidity at toe off from normal supination.  This foot enjoys all of the perks of full joint motion ranges and nice skill, endurance and strength.  It adequately controls the normal amounts of internal and external limb spin, and affords the ability to stabilize the pelvis in a strong neutral position all the while plowing through dozens of miles a week with pristine neuromuscular movement patterns.  Like a run on a perfect early morning with the warmth of the sun on your face and wind at your back,  several miles on the neutral foot is a beautiful thing to behold.

Knowing your foot type is a true key to understanding your strengths and weaknesses,  as well as mechanical pathologies and propensity to certain injures.  Understanding how your body has to strategize over your foot type will lead to a better understanding of how your injuries mount and more importantly, how to resolve or cope with them better.  Finding someone who can help you discern your foot and bring the mechanical picture into clarity is of utmost importance.

The Gait Guys have designed a 3 part course fteaching you to fit your shoes to the appropriate foot type.  Certification begins this spring through the IFGEC.

Confused? Have no fear. Our shoe fit program is almost here! The Shoe fit functional testing module (also available separately from the 3 part program) discusses foot types in more detail.

The Gait Guys: promoting foot and gait competency everywhere!