What’s the Difference Between Pronation And Supination?
There’s more to picking out a pair of shoes than fun colors. The first place to start is knowing which shoe category - Neutral or Stability - you should be in. And that starts with knowing whether you pronate or supinate.
Feet Move in Mysterious Ways
Well, maybe not mysterious. Just different.
Pronation and supination are the two main movements of the foot. Here are their definitions:
Pronation: The inward rolling of the foot, which occurs when the arch of the foot flattens and the heel rolls inward.
Supination: The outward rolling of the foot, which occurs when the arch of the foot rises and the heel rolls outward.
The Diadora’s Vigore 3 is a good stability shoe for runners and walkers who pronate.
Both pronation and supination are necessary for normal walking and running. These motions help to absorb shock, distribute weight evenly across the foot, and prevent injuries. However, too much pronation or supination can lead to problems.
Overpronation is when the foot rolls inward too much. This can cause the arch of the foot to flatten out, the ankles to roll inward, and the knees to collapse inward. Overpronation can lead to conditions such as plantar fasciitis, shin splints, and knee pain.
Oversupination, also known as underpronation, is when the foot rolls outward too much. This can cause the arch of the foot to rise too high, the ankles to roll outward, and the knees to collapse outward. Supination can lead to conditions such as Achilles tendinitis and stress fractures.
Ideally, the foot should pronate and supinate in a balanced way. This is called neutral pronation. Neutral pronation helps to reduce the risk of injuries and allows for smooth, efficient movement.
What Causes Overpronation or Oversupination?
There are a few things that can affect the amount of pronation or supination that a person experiences. These include:
Genetics: Some people are simply more prone to pronation or supination than others.
Foot structure: People with high arches are more likely to supinate, while people with flat feet are more likely to pronate.
Muscle weakness: Weak muscles in the foot and ankle can contribute to excessive pronation or supination.
Improper footwear: Wearing a shoe model from the wrong category (more on this below) or wearing shoes that are too loose or too tight can also affect pronation and supination.
What Should I Do About My Pronation / Supination?
If you are concerned that your level of pronation or supination is causing you problems, you should see a podiatrist or physical therapist. They can help you determine the cause of your problem and recommend treatment options. You can also talk to a Fit Expert at John’s Run/Walk Shop. We are happy to look at your feet and shoes to help you find solutions.
tips for preventing or correcting excessive pronation or supination:
Wear shoes that fit properly and provide good arch support.
Strengthen the muscles in your foot and ankle.
Stretch the muscles in your foot and ankle.
Use orthotic inserts such as PowerSteps or Currex to correct excessive pronation or supination.
Avoid activities that put excessive stress on your feet.
What Kind of Shoes Do I Need?
The Saucony Echelon is a wide-lasted shoe that helps address supination.
Proper footwear can help reduce the effects of overpronation or oversupination. John’s Run/Walk Shop fit experts can help you determine which type of shoe is best for your feet. We can also recommend inserts that can work with your shoes to help correct your gait.
Part of our fit process involves a gait analysis. We watch you walk without shoes on so that we can see the way your feet naturally hit the ground while moving.
The ASICS GT-2000 is a stability shoe, good for pronators.
We also perform a wear pattern analysis, looking at the bottoms of your current shoes to see whether one area of the sole is more heavily worn out. This is why it’s helpful to bring your current shoes with you when you come to John’s Run/Walk Shop for a new pair.
Typically, overpronators want to be in Stability shoes such as the ASICS GT-2000 or Altra Provision. Heavy overpronation may necessitate something from the Motion Control category such as the Brooks Beast.
Those who supinate should wear Neutral shoes such as the HOKA Bondi or New Balance 1080. People with a neutral gait (not too much pronation or supination) should also wear nuetral shoes. For heavier supination, we recommend Wide Lasted shoes such as Brooks Ghost Max or Saucony Echelon.
We want to help you keep moving comfortably. Come into John’s Run/Walk Shop so we can help you find the right shoes for your feet.