Having a hard time getting motivated to workout? Then, treat yourself to new gym gear to get you going! I don’t know about you, but donning a new pair of leggings, top, or workout shoes always seems to give me a boost of self-esteem and get my pumped to go get my sweat on. Of all my workout gear, I make sure to keep my gym shoes up to date.

Having good quality shoes is super important. Even if you don’t need an extra boost to motivate you to workout, check your shoes. Make sure you have good shoes.

Proper Footwear

Over the years, I’ve had multiple clients approach me talking about how their back consistently hurts them. One of the first things I always do is ask them how old their gym shoes are. After a funny look, most people give me their response and it’s usually 1+ years or older. No wonder their backs hurt all the time.

They haven’t been taking care of their feet. After they go out and get a new pair of shoes, 95% of the time, the back pain subsides.

Proper footwear is not just important for your health. It is essential! Our nerve endings are in our hands and our feet. If your shoes are 1+ years old, chances are they don’t have the necessary support. This in turn can cause back pain and other discomfort.

Prevent bunions, hammertoes, corns, ingrown toenails and other unpleasant foot ailments by making sure you have good shoes. Having proper footwear not only aids in preventing the nasty ailments listed above, but it also reduces the changes of falling.

What To Look For

I’m going to focus specific on athletic footwear; however, it is just as important to have good shoes for everyday activities and work. When shopping for a new athletic shoes, go shopping in the late afternoon since you swell throughout the course of the day and wear the same kind of socks as you would when working out in those shoes.

This will help gauge the proper size. Look for shoes with with the following characteristics:

  • a rounded toe with enough depth for your toes

  • good arch support

  • a low or flat heel

  • soft material

Online Shopping

Prefer to shop online for your new good shoes? No problem, I’ve got you covered. Check out Road Runner’s Shoe Dog. It’s a questionnaire with specific questions that will provide you with several shoe options https://www.roadrunnersports.com/rrs/product/shoe-dog.jsp. Just make sure to get your feet measured once a year in a store since our feet change over time.

If you live in or near the Chicago area, I personally recommend Fleet Feet. Besides being a great place to buy workout shoes, one of my closest friends actually met her husband there. Sometimes going to get new running shoes has other benefits 😉

What Brand to Buy?

Do I need to break the bank to buy a good pair of shoes? No 🙂 However, don’t buy super cheap ones since then they’ll wear too quickly and cause you to have to go out and get another pair sooner rather than later. Also, you’re better off buying a good pair of shoes than buying cheaper ones and getting shoe inserts.

Personally, my favorite brand of workout shoes is Brooks; however, there are a lot of other good shoe brands out there: Asics, Saucony, Nike, etc. People’s feet are very different from each other. A brand that works well for your friend might not work well for you. Go get fitted then make a decision best on the shoes that fit you best.

Now, go take care of those feet and toesies! Look at this an excuse to go shoe shopping 😉

Resources

Check out our blog on our website, Transform’s Facebook page, and our Instagram account (@TransformFitCoach) you’ll find fit tips, recipes and more so you can reach your goals. Also, don’t forget to join our FREE FB group and your Fit Fam for MORE exclusive content + daily coaching on the regular (search Your Fit and Healthy Life on Facebook).

Ready to Get Results?

If you’re really ready to take things to the next level and crush all of your health goals, go ahead and book your free breakthrough coaching call where we’re going to get crystal clear on your vision, identify challenges, motivate the heck out of you, provide you a roadmap to your goals achieved. Simply follow this link to Contact us.

Our team of highly experienced coaches will help you get on track. Hit a plateau? Our rockstar staff can help you push through that too. Regardless of where you are on your fitness journey, we want to see you happy and healthy so you can live the best life possible.