Have you ever wrapped up a workout only to find your feet are sore and achy the next day from your workout shoes? You’re not alone! The culprit of this uncomfortable and hindering aching and pain is improper support and stability for your feet in your exercise shoes. Your feet play an incredibly important role in your health and ability to do the activities you love, which is why making sure your feet have the proper supportive infrastructure to remain healthy is so vital. We know how wonderful it feels to get a good workout in at the gym and want to make sure your workouts are never overshadowed by residual foot pain again, which is why we have put together a comprehensive guide about supportive athletic shoes to educate you on why having athletic shoes with proper support and infrastructure matters and how to make sure you’re wearing the best workout tennis shoes for your favorite workouts. We’ve done the research to take the guesswork out for you and make sure you can find the right supportive exercise shoes for your lifestyle easily.
We not only want to help you understand why proper supportive infrastructure is important in athletic footwear, we have earned a place in the industry as a trusted resource that has dedicated foot doctors, research teams, and athletic shoe stylists to make sure you always have the support and style you need in your tennis shoes to make sure you feel comfortable all day long, no matter what HIIT workout you’re doing. When you are looking for the right supportive workout shoes, it’s important to understand the most critical features to look for in your footwear and to find both men’s workout shoes and women’s workout shoes that deliver the support, stability, and comfort you need. To make your search simple and worry-free, we have put together a guide to educate you on why proper support matters, how to make sure your footwear is tailored to your HIIT workout, and our top picks for supportive athletic shoes.
Breaking Down the Importance of Proper Supportive Shoes
Before you can start your search for the perfect pair of supportive athletic shoes, first let’s review why having the proper supportive infrastructure in your shoes matters and what the potential consequences of improper support can be.
You’ve probably heard that proper support matters in athletic shoes, but do you know why? If the answer is no, you’re far from alone. Proper support goes beyond just comfort, as some walking or running shoes may be comfortable to wear but may lead to foot pain, heel pain, and discomfort later due to improper support, shock absorption, and cushioning. We believe that to understand why support matters, it’s useful to take a look back at how our history of treading on surfaces has evolved over time and some of the unintended consequences of that shift.
In the past, human beings used to primarily tread on forgiving surfaces, such as dirt and sand. These forgiving surfaces are soft and contour to the foot when it meets them. However, in the modern world, we are surrounded primarily by hard surfaces, such as concrete, marble, tile, and hardwood floors. When our feet encounter hard surfaces, the ground in not flexible or soft, which means that it does not shape or contour to our feet. This lack of contouring can trigger a number of consequences as our feet try to contour to the ground, such as foot pain, heel pain, and discomfort. To prevent your feet from trying to contour to the ground (aka flat feet), it’s important to have an athletic shoe that contours to your feet and provides your feet with the support and cushioning they need to prevent common foot ailments.
We’re here to educate you on one of the most vital features to look for in supportive and durable gym shoes: proper arch support. The arch is a pivotal part of your feet and is responsible for absorbing the impact your body thrusts on your feet when walking, running, and jumping (to name a few movements). Did you know that the arch of the human foot bears two hundred thousand to three hundred thousand pounds of stress for every mile walked? That’s a lot of pressure to absorb! Every step in your stride puts pressure on your arch, which makes it vital to make sure your arch has the support it needs to counteract this pressure.
We know when it comes to arch support, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. In fact, the height of the arch of the foot varies significantly from person to person. We have found that identifying your arch height is vital to finding the right supportive sneaker to keep your arch appropriately supported. Proper support can help you prevent musculoskeletal issues from developing that can hinder your workouts and leave you in pain. We’re here to help make sure that doesn’t happen! At Vionic, we believe that when you are equipped with the information, you can find the perfect pair of athletic shoes to meet your needs (and your arch height). Everyone deserves to have shoes that make their workouts flow seamlessly without residual pain the next day and look great while doing it. To help you determine your arch type, we’ve compiled basic information about the three types of arches below.
- Low Arches: If you have low arches, sometimes called flat fleet, your arch sits very close to the ground and has a very little defined arch. Low arches make the feet more flexible, which makes them susceptible to over-pronation, which is when the foot rolls too far inwards with every step you take. If you have low arches, you are more susceptible to developing heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, post-tibial tendonitis, medial knee issues, and bunions.
- Medium Arches: Did you know medium arches are considered biomechanically efficient? If you have medium arches, your feet still have a defined arch, but are more flexible than feet with high arches. Despite their biomechanical efficiency, feet with high arches are still susceptible to common foot ailments, such as metatarsalgia, which can be caused by improperly footed workout shoe.
- High Arches: if you have high arches, the arch of your foot is well-defined and sits higher off the ground. Feet with high arches are more rigid than those with low or medium arches. Feet with high arches have a reduced amount of space to absorb the impact when walking, which causes the rearfoot and forefoot to have more pressure exerted on them. Feet with high arches are also more prone to underpronation, which is when the foot rolls too far outward. Because of these issues, feet with high arches can develop many foot problems, such as heel pain, arch strain, plantar fasciitis, ball-of-foot pain, and metatarsalgia, to name a few.
Now that you’re an expert on why proper support matters and the three types of arches, we want to explore why your footwear should be selected based on the types of activities and workouts you do most frequently.
Tailoring Your Footwear to Your Work Out
When picking the perfect pair of durable athletic shoes, we believe you should always consider the main workouts you do. Walking is one of the most common activities for individuals to incorporate into their lives as a form of exercise because it’s peaceful, relaxing, and can be done anywhere. If you love to go for a walk after work each day, it’s important to make sure your footwear is designed for walking to make sure you get the support you need on your walks. We want to make sure you never have to skip a workout because of residual pain from unsupportive footwear, especially during the winter. Did you know that staying indoors leads to getting sick and by prioritizing outdoor time you can help combat depression? We want to make sure you can always get out and enjoy the world in supportive walking shoes and running sneakers that contour to your foot with every step, which is why we want to make sure you have all the information you need to select the perfect pair of supportive shoes for your workouts.
Our Top Picks for Supportive Athletic Shoes For Working Out
If you feel like the foot health industry does not consider fashion and the fashion industry does not consider comfort, you’re not alone! At Vionic, we believe you should never have to choose between having athletic shoes that are stylish and athletic shoes that have the proper support and infrastructure, you can have it all! In fact, we’ve built our business on delivering exactly that. We want to make sure your athletic shoes have the supportive features and infrastructure to keep you moving wherever your favorite sneakers are taking you and that your foot is properly aligned with your body with every step. We’ve taken the time to do the research for you so you can find the right athletic shoes for your lifestyle and favorite activities without an issue. Below are a few of our top picks for supportive athletic shoes for workout out to keep your feet looking stylish and feeling great.
Sneakers
If you’re looking for the best athleisure sneakers that can easily move with you from your favorite workout to drinks with friends, look no further. Sneakers are classic athletic shoes that can elevate any outfit while giving your feet the breathable support they need. You can’t go wrong with any of our supportive sneakers, but to make sure you choose the perfect pair for everything you love, we’ve broken down our top three types of sneakers and what features are built into each sneaker style.
Active Sneakers
If you love to be active and want supportive athletic shoes that can keep up with your movements, our active sneakers are the perfect supportive athletic shoes for you. Our active sneakers are a type of shoe that make sure you can hit the road for confidence and comfort and never have to pause to sore. Unsupported feet. Our active sneakers are made with dual-layer breathable mesh to make sure your feet stay cool whether you’re working up a sweat or heading out for dinner with friends. Our lightweight EVA midsole will make sure you can walk for miles. Our active sneakers also feature Advanced Motion Systems (AVS) technology and a podiatrist-designed orthotic to make sure you can work, play, and walk comfortably every day. With built-in heel cushioning, breathable mesh material, supportive shock absorption, and good arch support, our athletic sneakers make for the perfect lightweight shoe for any kind of workout.
Casual Sneakers
If you’re looking for the best athleisure sneakers, look no further than our casual sneakers. Our breathable casual sneakers come in a variety of different styles to make sure they perfectly complement your style and you never have to worry about whether or not your sneakers match your outfit. Not only are our casual sneakers fashionable, but they are also biomechanically designed to huge your arches and support natural alignment from the ground up. We’ve done the work so you never need to worry whether your sneakers are supporting you and your foot type, they are!
Thrill Sneakers
Our thrill sneakers are the perfect fit for you if you are looking for sneakers with dynamic function and unparalleled comfort. Our thrill sneakers are the peak of wearability due to their walker’s insole, midsole, and outsole that are engineered into a single dual-density unit to deliver dynamic function. While the inset panels absorb shock, the outsole is made with flex grooves that help to boost flexibility. Our thrill sneakers also are designed with a contoured arch to increase underfoot contact and a deep heel cup to support your foot’s natural contour. Our durable thrill sneakers facilitate flexibility and motion of your big-toe joint with each step you take. The thrill sneakers are made with air-infused memory foam to make sure you’re comfortable no matter where your feet are taking you and come in a variety of colors and materials to make sure they boost your athleisure style. At a lightweight 7.7 ounces, our thrill sneakers won’t weigh you down on your adventures! Before your next adventure, check out our article on what to pack for a hike!
