Many patients come in with an old pair of runners and are concerned about their shoe wear pattern. Now, it is normal to have certain shoe wear patterns on the bottom of your shoes depending on your style of running. First, you need to know if are you a heel striker or a forefoot striker. If you are not sure, get someone to film you running and slow the video down so that you can see which part hits the ground first. The side on is the easiest angle to pick this.
Heel Striker
If you hit the ground first, then you are a heel striker. The natural wear pattern of your shoe should be lateral or outside heel wear, as this is where you hit the ground first. The next place you may have some wear is on the lateral or outside part of the midfoot. The next place to look for wear is around the base of your big toe, as this is where you should be pushing off from.
Midfoot Striker
When you land with a flat foot you are usually termed a midfoot striker. The mid part of the sole will be more worn and the heel should be in relatively good condition. There will also be some wear around the base of the big toe as again this is where you propel yourself forward.
Forefoot striker
A forefoot striker will land more on the ball of their foot. The forefoot striker will have most of the wear around the ball of the foot as this is where they land and take off from.
What if my wear pattern doesn’t look like any of the above?
If you have a completely different wear pattern to any of the above it may mean that you are nursing an injury and trying to offload the area. It could be due to a biomechanical issue such as a stiff toe that won’t let you push off from the big toe. Or your wear could be uneven side to side, which would suggest that one leg is taking more force than the other. An treatment option to discuss with your physiotherapist is custom orthotics.
If you are concerned about your shoe wear pattern, it might be time to book a running analysis with Vitalis Physiotherapy.
Book an appointment
If you have any concerns about your shoe wear pattern, and you would like some help putting your best foot forward, call the Vitalis Physiotherapy team on 0410 559 856 to book an appointment with our highly experienced team.
For more information, please see our FAQs or contact the clinic.
