Flat Shoes

Do your knees hurt when you squat?

The problem may be more than your knees. The problem could actually have been caused by the shoes you are wearing when you workout.

Some popular brands and makes of shoes designed for working out my actually be putting your knees at risk. These shoes have elevated heels that raise your heel up higher than your toes. This causes your knee to be anteriorly tilted forward placing unnature strain on the knee joint. When you squat, lunge, and deadlift you place even more strain on your knee. Over time this strain can result in knee pain.

So to remedy this problem you need to buy a flat pair shoes that will keep your toes and heels level. I have tried this both personally and with some clients and it has seemed to help.

Now before you ask: Well what about doing these exercises in your bare feet and socks wouldn't that be better? Maybe, maybe not. The concern I have with squatting, lunging, and deadlifting in your bare feet is that over time with the heavy loads placed on the tissues and structures on the foot it may become worn down and cause you to have foot problems. Doing this once will not hurt you, but doing it all the time may cause some harm to your foot overtime.

So stay away from Nike Shox and Adidas Bounce and go with a flat shoe that does not have a raised heel. Both of the brands mentioned make shoes like this, they are just not as popular. But hey what's popular is not always right and what's right is not always popular.

Train Smart,

Josh