One easy thing to notice when shopping for athletic shoes is the heel drop- that’s how high the heel sits above your toes. Here are a few pics showing a progression of heel drop in sneakers, from high to low.
When deciding on heel drop, people with plantar fasciitis or posterior tib tendonitis often do best with a higher drop shoe. People with toe complaints (like arthritis in the big toe or neuromas) would feel more comfortable in a flatter, lower drop shoe. If you have both, you might need to look through a few choices in the middle, and investigate orthotics if you don’t have them already.
A higher drop shoe can also minimize ankle tightness with squats, so you can sit lower. If this is your main complaint, look for this component in your next cross training shoe, or buy squat specific shoes, like the 1st photo.
Fashion high heels put pressure on the toes and are notorious for reinforcing quad dominance fyi. But this is not the case with athletic shoes bc they are much more stable throughout the footbed so you can press through all parts of the foot when needed and can compensate for tight calves. While it’s not the only thing to look for in a shoe, heel drop is a necessary component to be aware of- for comfort, pain reduction, and even performance. . #physicaltherapy #ptTips #fitlife #gymlife#gym #running #squats #sneakerhead