You're such a Heel

A lot of people come in a tell me they supinate. Supinators are pretty rare. When I ask how they know that they point to the heel of their shoes and show me the outer heel wear. Generally, if you wear out the outer heel of your shoe it means you are human!!! When the foot strikes it is supinated so you hit on the outside. That is why they angle the "crash pad" on the heels of shoes. Supinators generally hit way up on the midsole or forefoot. They usually show little to no heel wear (the heel wear they have is usually from walk in the shoe).

What's a supinator, you ask? Supinators (and underpronators) feet tend to be VERY rigid so when the foot strikes the ground it does not pronate (or not much). They stike on the outside of the foot (usually near the forefoot) and stay out there. They need shoes with a lot of cushioning and as curved a last as they can get (more curve, more pronation, all things being equal). With such rigid feet, they do not naturally cushion as well as someone with pronation. It is very rare to see a supinator. Most people who are "supinators" are actually underpronators. An underpronator has some pronation, just not enough (you fit both of them in the same type of shoes). I only see a few true supinators a year.

My next post will be about how to "read" your wear pattern.

See ya soon!