Your feet aren’t like wine and get better with age.  And age is going to happen to your feet, aging happens to everyone.  Except me of course.  Just call me Chris De Leon, the more successful decent of Ponce.  For years people have been trying to curtail the aging process to no avail and your running feet are no different.  They are going to change with age and you need to be prepared to buy the right running shoe accordingly.

No shoes no service?  Yeah right. Your feet have been servicing you for years and are tired.  Overtime feet become wider and longer because of joint changes, muscle and ligament changes, weight gain, and fluid retention.  As this happens you need to adjust the size of your running shoes accordingly, but even though size does matter, you should take other aspects of your running shoes into account.  For instance, with age your feet’s natural padding under your heal and forefoot thins, thus you need more cushioning and padding in your running shoes the older you become.  As well, your arches flatten the older you get, so running shoes with more arch support may be needed for your aging running feet.

If you continue to wear the same type of running shoes as your feet change with age you may develop bunions, calluses, or blisters.  A good way to avoid this from happening is to try on new running shoes about once a year before buying the same type of running shoes over and over.  To ensure you get the right fit make sure you try on shoes later in the day as your foot expands during the day.  Also, make sure you fit your largest foot, not all feet are created equal.

I know you’ll continue to run as you get older but your feet don’t have to feel old.  Make sure you continue to wear the right pair of running shoes for your feet.  You’ll save on quarters that you would have had to give your grandchildren for foot rubs.  Keep those quaters for the pay phones grandpa!