The behavior of your foot during the rolling process is of crucial importance for the right choice of shoes, because this has a significant influence on the stability of your leg axis.
Running shoe advice: foot position & leg axis
Neutral, overpronation, supination
After the short impulse of the first contact with the ground (landing phase), the actual support phase in the walking cycle begins. In the course of the rolling movement, the body's center of gravity is actively pushed over the foot on the ground. The entire body weight rests briefly on this leg. The stability of the entire leg axis depends in particular on the foot muscles and the ankle. The arch of the foot is the natural cushioning in the support phase. Under load, the ankle bends inwards very slightly - this slight pronation movement is therefore a completely natural process that can also be observed in neutral runners. The leg axis remains straight even under load.
In the case of overpronation, on the other hand, the ankle bends inward beyond this normal extent during the support phase. The cushioning option via the foot muscles is less pronounced. The reasons for this can either be muscular fatigue (e.g. on long runs) or often an existing foot malposition (flatfoot/sagrench). As a result, the entire leg axis buckles inwards with every step (knee-knee shape), which can have negative effects on the knee joint and the entire statics of the running movement. To prevent kinking in the ankle, there are shoes with an inside pronation support. This can vary in severity depending on the shoe model.
Supination has the opposite effect: a slightly bowleg-shaped leg axis can be observed here, since the rolling movement is increasingly carried out on the outside of the foot. This walking behavior can also be easily recognized by the corresponding signs of wear and tear on the outer sole of the running shoes. In contrast to overpronation, there are no shoes with a supination support, since the effect is usually very slight. Therefore, "supinators" are well advised to wear a neutral shoe.
The differences become visible in our video. What type of runner are you?
overpronation
neutral position
supination
In our video we show you how you can determine your leg axis with a simple test at home. What type of runner are you?
overpronation
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- Pronounced bending of the ankle in the support phase
- X-leg shaped leg axis, knees inward
- suitable: shoes with active pronation support
- Category: Support , stable shoe
neutral position
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- normal, even support behavior in the ankle
- straight leg axis
- suitable: neutral shoes without active support
- also possible: light, passive support that prevents buckling when the muscles are tired (selected shoes from the category: Support )
supination
-
- pronounced rolling over the outside of the foot
- O-leg shaped leg axis, knees outward
- only suitable: neutral shoes without active or passive support
Would you like personal advice? We're happy to help!
Telephone: +49 (0)89-95760842 or by email to: shop@triathlon.de
