What Kind of Sports Shoes Have Good Shock Absorption Performance?

Selecting Athletic Shoes

Choose the right athletic shoes by understanding the characteristics of your foot's pressure points. When it comes to exercise, people often think of walking, running, or other physical activities. However, standing is actually the first form of movement for healthy individuals, upon which walking, running, jumping, and other forms of exercise are based. Therefore, when selecting athletic shoes, the first consideration should be the reaction of our feet in our normal standing position.

During standing, the feet bear the weight of the entire body. Therefore, we should choose athletic leisure shoes with a certain degree of midsole elasticity and good shock absorption. This is the usual choice. In addition, recent research has found that a normal person’s feet can be divided into three different types according to their support when bearing body weight: front foot pressure, full foot pressure, and back foot pressure.

Shock Absorption of Athletic Shoes

From the appearance, shock-absorbing athletic shoes have an EVA material on the inner side of the heel, which is different in color from the midsole of the shoe. This type of material usually has a small density, is relatively soft, is easily deformed under pressure, and has a slow rebound, thus achieving a cushioning effect. In addition, the addition of air cushion or "arch" type shock absorber can also achieve a shock-absorbing effect.

Front foot pressure means that the main pressure point of the sole is the front part of the foot. The pressure graph of this type of foot is mostly red in color, and the color transition is not obvious, indicating that it is a strong pressure area of the sole. The circle is the area with the strongest pressure on the front part of the foot.

The pressure graph of full foot pressure is characterized by partial pressure-bearing in the middle of the foot, aside from the front part of the foot and the heel bearing pressure. The color transition of the pressure graph is obvious, with a clear yellow transition between the red and green colors.

The pressure graph of back foot pressure is mostly red in color in the heel area, and the color transition is not obvious. The heel is the area of strong pressure.

These three pressure points on the sole are the locations where the average person is most likely to feel fatigue during long periods of standing or walking, and are typically where the soles of athletic shoes are first worn down and calluses form on the soles of the feet. Selecting athletic shoes that are suitable for your foot type and pressure points can greatly reduce foot fatigue, extend the duration of exercise, and reduce the risk of sports injuries.

How to Determine the Quality of Athletic Shoe Outsoles?

When selecting athletic shoes, hold the two ends of the shoes with both hands and apply a slight force to bend the arch of the shoe. Check to ensure that the arch is firm and not easily bent. Then, hold the heel of the shoe with one hand and apply a slight force to bend the front part of the shoe with the other hand to check for elasticity and ease of bending.