If the Shoe Fits… Then Test it in Extra Mile’s Gait Analysis

gaitYou may have two feet, but you only have one pair of them. So you should be pretty picky about what you put on your feet before you go run. Getting active can put a strain on your body, especially your feet. They carry all of you and help you move so you should get the right pair of shoes to keep them covered, in every sense of the word.

Have you ever been to Extra Mile Fitness to buy shoes? They sell the top brands for running gear and footwear, and they know their shoe stuff.

Like many stores that sell shoes, staff at Extra Mile will help you find the shoe that you want. But they will go beyond just plopping a pair of shoes into your hands and bidding you good day. They will “go the extra mile”, if you will, and do some thorough testing on you to make sure that you will get the right shoes that will benefit you the most.

“What we do for the shoe fit process is, first we take a look at your foot. The shape of your foot will determine the style and brand that we should have you try on,” Heather Henderlong, owner of Extra Mile Fitness said. “Then we have you walk around to see if it feels good. And just to confirm everything, we have you hop on the treadmill and run so we can watch how you move in the shoes.”

The reasoning behind this is that people look different between when they walk and when they run. When you walk, neither of your feet leave the ground at the same time; one is always planted. But when running, for a brief period you do get air born. While on the treadmill, your feet will be videotaped as you run. Once recorded, you and the staff member helping you will go through the footage in slow motion to watch your gait in detail to check your form and any issues that may have been missed.

“It completely changes everything,” Henderlong said. “You may look one way when running but completely different when walking. We use our treadmill as a tool to verify the fit and to give you a chance to run in the shoe. It can also identify issues with your gait, stuff that you might have to go see a doctor for or do some exercises to strengthen your hips or legs.”

Henderlong said that the gait analysis is a decision maker for many people in the market for shoes. They come from as far away as Newton County to get the gait analysis done, as no other running store in the area offers this service.

For more information on the gait analysis and fit process, call Extra Mile Fitness Company at 219-286-3606.