My trainers are old and battered; they’ve seen a lot of action over the years. I’ve had them since September 2010 when I started training for the London Marathon in 2011. I dread to think how many miles they’ve seen! I’ve been meaning to get new trainers for a while, but I wanted to make sure I got the right pair for the MdS. It’s so important to make sure you look after your feet and to get the right shoes.
Profeet are the people you need to go and see if you’re undertaking any sporting challenge. They’re specialists in helping you find the perfect shoes for whatever event you’re doing. They’ll provide shoes which are the perfect fit, which in turn will help improve performance and also reducing the risk of injury.
I had a one hour consultation (£40) booked in their Fulham shop on the 5th December.
This covers off the following: -
Foot length and width measured and checked
Professional gait analysis treadmill
Full foot/ankle/knee/hip video analysis both barefoot and shoes
3D foot scan analysis
A physical assessment of your foot/ankle
Shoe recommendation and fitting
I was very impressed with everything about Profeet, from the professionalism and friendliness of the staff to how personalised the service was. I felt as though they were very passionate about what they did and they were going to get me the best shoes possible for me and not just try and flog me the most expensive trainers in the shop.
Charlotte would be doing my consultation; she talked through my needs and totally understood when I explained about the Marathon des Sables. This is one of the benefits of going to a place like Profeet, they get hundreds of other athletes coming into the shop, so she was fully aware of what was involved in the race, and knew the heat would cause swelling to my feet and that I’d need to go either one size or half a size larger.
She started by testing the flexibility of my feet, I have very flexible feet, probably all the yoga! Although I should have gone for a pedicure first! Next was the Biomechanical Analysis.
I had my feet and lower body evaluated through a video gait analysis to identify movement patterns and to check for any likely problems.
A dynamic foot scan was then taken which examines the forces acting through your foot as it impacts on the ground. This information will help to determine the degree of cushioning and support needed in your shoes.
Results
My Footwear Profile
Pronation on both my left and right foot
I strike with my heel when I run
I have a Knee Valgus – especially on my right side
I drop both my right and left hip when I run
I have a neutral running gait
What is Pronation? Pronation is the inward roll of the foot while walking or running. In the photo below you can see my right ankle collapsing.
What is Knee Valgus? The knee basically caves in on its self. Women are more prone to experiencing Knee Valgus as they have proportionally wider hips.
Testing of Trainers
Charlotte came out with a number of different trainers for me to try on, I felt really comfortable with the choices she was making. I’m not overly concerned about the look of the shoes and rather they’ll be able to stand up to the training miles and will provide me with enough support to do the race.
I would try the trainers on and she would test to see where my toes were and if they had enough room. It was then back on the treadmill for a short filmed run to see if they were providing the right level of support. I tried on about five pairs of shoes, before we found the perfect ones. They gave me the right level of support and would help to improve my form while I ran. I can’t wait to try them out! I ended up with two pairs of trainers, one to train in and one to keep fresh for the race.
Tips from Charlotte
Focus on keeping foot strike under hip. Don’t let the leg cross over
Stretch calves
Do single leg stability exercises
Overall I was very happy with my time spent at Profeet, they gave me a great service and I can’t wait to get training!
Only 119 days to go!