You work out to keep yourself fit and in order to improve your game. Occasionally, you enjoy a game of tennis, badminton, or whatever sport catches your fancy. It’s great to have such an active lifestyle but do you know if your feet are well-supported and protected throughout these activities?

Each sport requires you to use your feet in slightly different ways and in order to keep your feet healthy, happy and injury-free, you need special athletic shoes to support your feet in all the right places. We give you some tips on buying the right one.


How many shoes do I need?

Regardless of what the sales person tells you, it’s not necessary to buy a specific type of shoe for each sport, unless you play that sport regularly – at least two to three times a week. For most people, a cross-trainer and a running shoe (if you run regularly) should suffice.

Walking & Running

Do you know that the average person takes 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day? That means you’ll be travelling over 185,000 miles – more than four times round earth! So isn’t that a great motivation to get a good pair of running shoes to keep your feet healthy and happy?

Walking and running puts a great deal of impact on your heels – far greater than your body weight. Running shoes help absorb and lessen the impact on your feet and joints by incorporating extra padding and a slightly elevated heel.

Cross Trainers

This multi-tasker is designed to handle everything from light running and aerobics to gym sessions and the occasional racket or ball game. A wider front and firmer heel helps stabilise the feet and provide great support on the sides to prevent injury during lateral and stop-and-go movements.

Do a “road test”

Really test the shoes before deciding on one. By that, we mean walking around the store for at least five minutes to see if the shoes remain comfortable even after activity. Some specialty stores even provide treadmills for you to test out running shoes. Don’t feel too shy, your feet’s health is at stake! For non-running shoes, try making sudden stops and move side-to-side movements to test the support.

Time for a replacement

Most people replace their athletic shoes only when the soles are worn out. But if you play a certain sport or run regularly, it’s a good idea to replace them even before your shoes are physically worn out. Often, the support and shock absorbers of these shoes wear out before the soles do. Use this as a guide:

When to replace:

• Cross-trainers and sport-specific shoes
  Every 60 to 70 hours of actual activity.


• Golf shoes
  100 to 125 rounds for walkers. For buggy lovers, your shoes will last far longer than that.


• Running shoes
  Every 550 to 880 km. Say you run an average of 15km per week, you are looking to replace your shoes every 9 to 14 months.


• Using visual cues
  Look at the heels when you place your shoes on a flat surface. If it’s tilting, it means one side is wearing out faster and it’s time to replace the shoe.