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The news on shoes

boots from 1957

Do your shoes look like this?

Perhaps it's time you thought about wearing some appropriate footwear for your sports. Check out below to see how to make sure you get the best shoe for your feet.

Buying tips

Shoes are an important part of protective equipment.

Australians are one of the world's largest consumer of athletic shoes. But how do you choose between all of the shoes that are on offer?

boots from 1957

There are four shoe features you can test when in the store:

Torsion The greater the twist of the shoe, the more the foot will roll. You want a shoe with minimal movement. To test, grasp the sole and the front of shoe near the ball of the foot and twist lengthways.
Flexion The shoe should bend right at the ball of the foot. If it doesn't, neither will your foot. Grasp the heel and toe of the shoe and push together.
Midsole density With your two thumbs, compress the rubber of the midsole. If it compresses by more than a third, it may be too soft. Your shop assistant might talk about dual density midsoles. This is where the sole on the inside of the heel is hard and the sole on the outside of the heel is soft. This is good if you are a pronator (ankle rolls inwards). Neutral midsoles are ideal for supinators (ankle rolls outwards).
Heel counter With your thumb, squash down on the heel counter. The strength of the heel counter is important to keep your heel upright, especially if it wobbles. Make sure the heel counter is made of plastic, not cardboard. Plastic provides more support and will last longer.

The news on shoes

Do your shoes look like this?

Buying tips

There are four shoe features you can test when in the store:

Torsion

Flexion

Midsole density

Heel counter