How to Shop for the Right Athletic Shoes

All feet are not created equal. Neither are all shoes. That's why aerobic-dance shoe shopping is as much a science as an art.

If you're serious about exercise, you want to make sure you get the right pair of shoes, one designed for your unique foot type. You should work that body, but pamper your peds, or you may be laid up with an annoying injury that will keep you off the dance floor for quite a while.

Although the shops are full of aerobics shoes, a good pair does more than look chic. Aerobic dance may give you a hard body, but it can also give your body - especially your feet - a hard time, considering you land with the force of up to three times your body weight. Shoes should protect feet and joints from the impact of a heavy-duty workout.

What you want most in a shoe is stability, shock absorbency and flexibility. The front of your foot and your heel should stay in place during all your twisting, sidestepping and leaping - if they don't, you'll place a lot of stress on your ankles and knees. The ball of your foot, where most of the impact hits, should be protected with maximum shock absorbency, so you're not plagued by injuries such as shin splints or stress fractures. (In running, you land on your heel, so the back of the foot should be cushioned - just the opposite of aerobics shoes.)

However, there's still no perfect shoe. There are some good shoes, some very good shoes and some excellent shoes - but a pair that performs perfectly for you may be uncomfortable for your friend. Shoes, like yourself, are highly individual. So don't follow the lead of your aerobics instructor - pick the pair that suits you best. And, most important try them on and try them out. We've structured this year's shoe survey so you can determine your special footwear needs, and then match yourself with the appropriate shoe.

The aerobic-dance shoe industry has grown by leaps and bounds over the years. Over 30 different companies are clamoring for a share of this huge market: millions of dance exercisers who must be shod. The quality and general standards of the shoes have risen with the volume. Just about all the shoes we looked at were designed as serious exercise shoes. Biomechanical research and consumer studies have paid off. Overall, this year's shoes are more flexible, better cushioned and provide more stability.

However, these three characteristics tend to work against each other, resulting in a trade-off: A shoe with excellent shock absorbency may have only adequate forefoot stability. When it's designed, the dream shoe will provide excellent cushioning, stability and flexibility all at the same time, without sacrificing performance.

Shoe developers are beginning to understand the importance of lateral stability and are supplying it with lateral straps, better heel counters, wrap-around outer soles or extended (platformed) outer soles. They're also addressing the aerobic dancer's need for better shock absorbency by adding extra cushioning materials to the ball of the foot. Mid-sole technology has come of age, outer soles are fairly functional on most surfaces, and inner soles supply both cushioning and stability.

Shoemakers are giving exercisers the option of low-or high-tops, mid- or 3/4-cuts. Our testing showed high-top models generally increase stability, especially of the heel, in varying degrees. The shoe industry is even responding to trends in aerobic fitness. This year, several companies will introduce low-impact or cross-training shoes.

All in all, this year's crop is as good as it is plentiful. The athletic-shoe market is competitive and confusing, but our survey will help you make sense of it all.