Some time ago, after I finally got a diagnosis of dislocated patella, my physiotherapist recommended I buy a new pair of sneakers specifically made for overpronators. Apparently, my tendency towards overpronation put a lot of pressure on my kneecaps when I was spending long periods of time on the gym’s stair machine, which is what got them off track and pulled them out of their socket. Armed with this new information, I went to a general athletic shoe store and spoke with an associate who seemed knowledgeable and recommended a pair of shoes for overpronation that felt comfortable. So imagine my dismay when I went back to my physiotherapist and she informed me that I had been sold shoes for an underpronater, not an overpronater. My therapist told me not to worry and put some special inserts in the shoes to balance them out for my overpronating tendencies, which left me wondering why we couldn’t have just done that with my old sneakers….

At any rate, I’ve wanted to get a new pair of properly orthopedic shoes since that time – so one of the sessions I had earmarked to attend at FitBloggin’ was How to Find The Perfect Shoe For You, presented by Reebok. I was curious to hear what an actual shoe expert – unlike the person in the generic store I visited – could recommend for me! This session was lead by Chris, who had traveled to Portland from Reebok’s headquarters in Massachusetts to discuss which shoes best address which needs. He actually mentioned overpronation right off the bat, mentioning the Reebok ONE Guide shoe for overpronators. Clearly a lot of us have this issue!

Chris also discussed shoes for a variety of different needs, from running to dancing.

Reebok have a line of shoes specifically for walking – not running – which are apparently quite popular in Europe. That makes sense to me, because it’s so much easier to get around on foot in European countries than it is in the US, where everything is so spread out!

They also offer a series of shoes made especially for the challenges faced by dancers. These are currently only available in women’s sizes, so male dancers, let Reebok know if there is popular demand for men’s dance sneakers!

If you follow a CrossFit training program, then these are the shoes for you. Because CrossFit involves a variety of activities, including heavy weight lifting, Chris explained that Reebok’s CrossFit shoe is specifically designed to have a flat sole without padding, as inserts could potentially cause problems while lifting.

Each FitBloggin’ attendee received a pair of Reebok CrossFit Nano 2.0 shoes. Mine came in this bold combination of teal and green – a lot of people at the convention complimented my shoes and said they loved the color! Since I’m an overpronator, I asked Chris how shoes like this will work for me. He said that obviously these sneakers are not specifically designed to address that issue, but he didn’t think it should be an issue for an overpronator to use CrossFit shoes during this type of training, since CrossFit covers a variety of activities and doesn’t have a lot of repetitive motion, which tends to be the issue for us – I can vouch for that first hand, since that’s how I hurt myself! He said I could maybe add an insert if I wanted, but he didn’t think it would be too much risk for this specific type of activity. And obviously, I’m no doctor, so you should talk to your physiotherapist before buying any pair of shoes, since each person has different orthopedic needs! Even if you don’t have any injuries or known physical issues, it’s best if you can have your gait analyzed at a fitness store to come up with the optimum combination of support for your needs before buying an athletic shoe.

Here I am in the audience during the How to Find The Perfect Shoe For You session wearing my new shoes. Do you like my suit and sneaker combo? 😀 I know these sneakers are not specifically designed for long periods of walking, but let me tell you, they were infinitely more comfortable and kinder to my feet while walking around the conference than my dress shoes were!

In addition to the shoes, each attendee received a Reebok gym bag and a Yoga Long Bra Top. Attending this conference was one of those interesting moments of realization during my fitness journey – when they asked what size top I wore, I automatically said “Large”. When I got home and tried this top on, I realized it was actually a bit too big under the arms. In its own way, this conference helped me adjust my self-perception a little bit – I still expect to look bigger in photos and take a larger size in clothes than I actually do in real life. It surprises me every time, even though I know from the scale that I’ve lost 40 pounds!

So tell me: What kind of sneakers do you wear?