FOOTWEAR/SOCKS

Keep in mind that during a Sprint Race you can take more than 14,000 steps, a 48 Hour Race (Geoquest) 78,000 and during an Expedition Race (XPD) 198,000 steps.


Choosing the correct shoe is important not only for comfort but also for foot function and injury prevention.  Podiatrist Scott Morrison, of Allsports Podiatry, idenitifes several features to look for when selecting shoes to best match your needs in performance and fit:

The shoe should only bend where your foot bends   i.e. at the ball of the foot
The shoe should resist being twisted (or wrung out)
The toe box region should be deep and roomy with ample room to wriggle your toes yet firm enough to resist sliding forward in the shoe
The shoe should be a thumb width longer than the longest toe
The shape of the shoe should match the foot (curved last for a curved foot, straight last for a broad/flat foot) as this helps with the comfort and function
Finally, the shoes should be suitable for your foot type - adequate motion control for pronated feet, and adequate cushioning for supinated feet as a general rule  N.B. Pronated feet are those that roll in excessively (low arched), supinated feet roll out (high arched)

We strongly recommend that unless you are certain of which shoe to select, it is well worth consulting a podiatrist to identify your foot type and needs, thus ensuring that your feet don't pay the price for wearing incorrect shoes. 

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