6 months ago
WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA) -- He may look like he's doing the latest YouTube dance craze, but he's not.
He's actually part of a Consumer Reports evaluation of athletic shoes. Testers checked out ten pairs of men's and women's shoes. They cost anywhere from $28 to $110.
"Athletic shoes are different than running shoes. They're suitable for a variety of sports and athletic activities," says Peter Anzalone.
You can use them for aerobics, to run on the treadmill or weight training.
In addition to the stability test, conducted at an outside lab, the tester also wears reflector as he runs on a treadmill. A computer than analyzes all the data to determine a shoe's stability.
In another test, a 19 pound weight dropped is dropped on a shoe to see how well it will cushion your feet.
Panelist also exercised in the shoes to size up the fit and flexibility.
Peter says, "Fit is by far the most important feature, and we had a couple of shoes that didn't perform so well."
For example, the men's and women's Reebok Smoothfit Mobile II Trainer.
"The tongue was attached on one side and detached on the other which meant you couldn't lace up the shoe as tightly as I wanted to," says tester Gayle Williams.
And many panelist didn't care for the women's Champion C-9 Rocksie which uses elastic bands to secure the shoe.
Tester Odalys Grieco says, "My foot actually slipped out of the sneaker. There's absolutely no support because there's no shoelaces."
In the end, the Asics Gel 150-T-R for both men and women came out on top. Both provided excellent fit and cushioning and cost $65.
It's a good idea to go to a store that has a knowledgeable sales staff to help fit the shoe. It's important that your toes should fit snugly but have enough room to spread during exercise.
Your arch needs adequate support, and you want to be sure that your heel does not slip when you take a step.
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