What Is Overpronation And What Kind Of Sneakers Will You Need

Overprontaion is when your foot leans inward, or rolls inward when it lands. Everyone has either neural pronation(rare) underpronation, or overpronation. The easiest way to tell if you overpronate is to take a pair of old running sneakers, or even your everyday dress shoes. Hold them up and look at the heel. If the inside of the heel has worn faster than the outer edge, then you overpronate.

What Causes Overpronation

• Tight Glute Muscles
• Flat Foot
• High Arches
• Bad Sneakers
• Limb Length

As you see, there are lots of reasons. One interesting thing to notice is that people with both flat feet, and high arches, can suffer overpronation. Also, if you have the wrong sneakers, your body might compromise and land inward too much.

There are special sneakers called “motion control” that are designed to handle severe overpronation. However, some experts don’t like these sneakers because they can alter your bodies’ natural movement. What most runners and joggers do is get sneakers that have more support in the area.

It is also important to stretch out your glutes and soleus muscles. These are the but and calf muscles. If they are too tight you can end up with problems such as Achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis, as well as an overpronation problem.

One possible solution to overpronation is barefoot running. The concept behind this is that the sneakers cause your body to land in an unnatural way, so your body compensates.

There are few types of barefoot running. Pure barefoot running involves no shoes or socks. Some really intense practitioners will run barefoot outdoors. This can be dangerous though, especially if you live in an urban environment. If you have a clean, private running track—like the type at a gym or university, then it is much safer.

Other barefoot runners will actually wear sneakers that are marketed as “barefoot”. There has been some debate as to how helpful these sneakers are.

Some proponents claim that the fact that they fit like a glove, and have little to no cushioning, means that they allow your foot to have a perfect “strike” or landing.

Regular Running and Jogging Sneakers For Overpronation

I personally like Asics. They make a really quality running sneaker and they are modestly priced.

Other people prefer a more traditional sneaker. I recommend one that has support in the inner area where overpronaters are likely to hit.

I don’t recommend stability sneakers. Some people use them, but unless you have severe overpronation, then you should try and use regular sneakers. There is some debate as to how helpful motion control sneakers are, and if infact they can cause problems with your gait in the long term.

Asics makes a number of great sneakers, but it’s important to choose one that has been designed for overpronaters.

They make them for men and women. They have incredible cushioning, are really durable, and will help your running.

They come in lots of different color combinations. You can read tons of reviews on Amazon and see what other runners say about the sneakers. Many people use them even if they don’t have an overpronation problem because the sneakers are so comfortable.