Choose your shoes: The best exercise footwear

The right kind of workout shoes can aid your efforts and help you see results. The wrong kind, however, can hamper and injure you. We list the kinds of exercise shoes you should check out.

Sports are a great option for those who wish to be physically and mentally fit at all times. Playing any sport keeps you sharp and full of vigour, and it keeps many ailments at bay as well.

But whether you play a sport professionally or go to the gym for fitness, you need a good pair of sports shoes. There are many types of sports shoes – some, like football cleats are aimed specifically at a certain sport – and you have to match the right one with your preferred sporting activity. The wrong shoes can hamper your efforts and even injure your feet and legs.

Here’s a list of the kind of sports shoes you should check out:

1 Walking shoes. Most sports shoes for men are walking shoes, so this is a fairly basic kind of shoe to ask for. However, just any pair of shoes cannot qualify as walking shoes. Study the sole and heel carefully – walking shoes are designed for wear and tear over rough terrain, as also some amount of shock absorption. While the sole cannot be extremely thick – there is the chance that it might be inflexible – it cannot be thin and soft enough that you feel every pebble underfoot. Look up Adidas shoes if you’re investing in a good pair of walking shoes for exercise.

2 Running shoes. Running shoes are designed for high impact, second-by-second shock absorption and huge wear and tear. They are worn by amateur and professional runners, recreational sprinters, marathoners and people who jog long distances for exercise. They may also be used for running on the gym treadmill. They are characterised by a flexible but sturdy sole, with a strong grip that prevents slipping and tearing over rough terrain. The shoes also have good heel and arch support so that your feet don’t develop problems like Plantar Fasciitis and Achilles Heel. You can find a great range of running footwear from Adidas shoes, but be sure to replace them every six months.

3 Aerobic shoes.This is a relatively new type of sports shoes for men. Aerobic shoes are used in the gym for floor and static running, jumping, skipping, cycling, etc. These type of shoes are lightweight, and feature a porous body to help the feet and socks dry up rapidly during exercise. They also do not allow heat to build up inside the shoes, thus keeping your feet comfortable. But don’t be fooled by their lightweight appearance – they can take on intense bouts of exercise and have excellent shock absorbing abilities. So you can skip, jump and run as hard as you want.

4 Hiking shoes.Men who often go hiking will have a sturdy pair of hiking boots in their shoe cabinet. These shoes are not worn at other times. The shoe features a thick rubber sole with intense grip, meant to navigate gravelly roads and marshy surfaces equally well. If picking out hiking shoes online, look for a waterproof variant and rough laces that won’t come undone easily. A ridged sole is better than a plain one.

5 Sneakers.Sneakers are every guy’s go-to shoe type, though they are not often used for sporting activities. That is not to say that a pair of well-crafted sneakers won’t help you jog or walk. However, sneakers are more about high fashion rather than sporting action, so pick accordingly. Adidas shoes have some excellent options in men’s sneakers.