B2 - Sunday, November 20, 1983 - North Shore News SFU STUDENT RATES RUNNERS If the shoe fits — you’re lucky BOB LEE is a fourth year kinesiology student at Simon Fraser University who takes exception to the adage, ““If the shoe -fits, wear it.”’ Lee says it just isn’t that sim- ple, especially if the reference is to athletic footwear. Lee has been researching running shoes as part of his studies for a number of years and the knowledge he has ac- quired makes him much in demand by athietes on cam- pus. The reason for the degree of interest is obvious to the 24-year-old Vancouver native. ‘‘We’re in the middle of a fitness craze. In North America estimates of recrea- tional runners have grown from two million in 1970 to upwards of 35 million now. Outside of knowing muscle and cardiovascular tolerances, one of the most important decisions facing a runner is the choice of a running shoe. The tragedy is that the walls of sporting goods stores are covered with footwear that are not worth the price of the box they come in. Unfor- tunately, in addition to being a poor investment, inferior footwear can actually in- crease the incidence of injury and take much of the fun out | of sports activities. All it takes is a little intelligent study and foresight to Minimize the margin of error.’’ Lee says many people buy athletic footwear according to price and make the false assumption that the more digits on the sales tag the bet- ter the shoe. ‘‘Running shoes are very personal athletic equipment and the ‘right’ pair should be properly con- structed and take into ac- count how much a person ex- ercises and his or her style of movement.”’ There are basic com- ponents that the prospective buyer should check: ‘*The heel counter — the support that runs from the heel of the shoe up the back of the foot to the Achilles tendon — should be solid and fit reasonably closely to the foot to eliminate movement. Soft heel counters don’t give enough support and can lead to rota- tional injunes of the lower leg, knee and hip. ‘“‘The midsole is the por- tion of the shoe sandwiched between the outer sole and in- ner sole. It functions as a shock absorber to reduce trauma on the knees and flower back. The midsole should be constructed of flex- ible material but avoid too much thickness which can cause a platform effect. Strike a balance between flex- ibility and cushioning. ‘*The outer sole ts the por- tion of the shoe that makes contact with the ground. The Juvenile B’s out of gate NORTH VAN Juvenile ‘**B’’, Team | is off to a flying Start early in the season, win- ning seven of their eight pre- season contests. In the first three regular season games their record stands unblemished at 3-0. Going down to defeat at North Van are West Van, 8-6, Rivals North Van Team >. , on 4 2, 61 pounding, and Bur- naby Minor, a 9-5 score. Leading the way for the team, so far, is Dave Eisler (six goals, one. assist), Graham Shanks (four goals, three assists) and Craig War- ren (three goals, one assist). Goalies Derrick Burgess and Scott Henshaw have shared in the three wins, both going unbeaten to date. 1] Gay Christmas Ski Camp! years 5 lift tickets 5 all day lessons complete rentals with ski brakes 12-16 years e ® $119.00 5 lift tickets 5 two hour lessons complete rentals with shi brakes $97.00 Hus Cransportation available 25° 10% DISCOUNT if registered by 15th Dec/83 Call Mt. Seymour today: 929-23 1 1 lateral. type of treading determines traction and for outdoor jog- ging it has been found that running shoes with = pro- nounced nippies are the best for surefootedness.”’ Lee cautions that there is no such thing as an all pur- pose runner since the traction and support requirements for jOgging as opposed to rac- quet sports are dramatically different. He notes, however, that all athletic footwear should have flexible con- struction which allow the shoe body to bend easily with the natural arching of a foot in’ motion. Sole material should be tough enough to stand shock yet soft enough to bend and provide cushioning. *‘The uppers should not be leather because it does not breathe and tends to rot after becoming wet repeatedly. Leather also conforms to the shape of the foot and can lead to abrasion. Nylon up- pers are preferable.’’ Lee says running shoe technology has even extended into how the shoes are laced. **Many people have narrow feet and the traditional lace holes which run in a straight line don’t allow the shoe to conform to the narrowest part of the foot. There are some brands now which offer © WORK WERR | lace holes in a zigzag patern which seem to be more Satisfactory. ‘*‘The toe cap of a runner is important for comfort; it should be large enough inside to not cramp the toes or foot.’’ When purchasing a pair of running shoes Lee suggests a brisk half hour walk or run just before going into a store for a fitting. ‘‘People may not realize how much feet swell under exertion. To en- sure comfort, a shoe may have to be a half size larger than normal.’’ But what about those $100 runners? What makes them worth the price? Lee says most shoes in the upper price bracket are made for heavy use conditions such as high mileage jogging. ‘“‘The average runner should not have to spend more than $40-$60 for a shoe that fits well and that is satisfactorily constructed. If, however, so- meone has flat feet or are prone to over pronation — excessive turning inward from heel to toe — a special shoe or pediatric supports may be in order.’’ Lee is reluctant to advise people where to go to pur- chase quality runners or what brands to look for. ‘‘Some sales staff know what they’re ANWORLD’S— end fit of Camoren James Jeans af ¢ price es lew es this! Anytime! *CHOOSE FROM STRAIGHT LEG (SUMFIT) OR ATHLETIC FIT STYLES (MORE THIGH ROOM) *SIZES 28.38 * 100% COTTON. PREWASHED © WORKWERR AN WORLD. 1540 Lonspate at 15th phone 985-5543 rie talking about and _ others don’t. But be wary of people who say that more expensive is best. Read magazines such as Runners World for tips and think logically about how arunner fits, feels and is made. And, when you do get what seems to be a good pair, use them, but not to the point where the soles are worn through and the uppers are At N. Shore Bowl falling apart. Old, worn out runners can do more harm than good and their primary purpose should be as a gauge of what to look for in a new pair. ‘*If people would take a bit more time to select the right ‘athletic footwear they would surely perform better and gain more enjoyment from running."’ Strikes and spares PAINE HARDWARE Camille Spicer, 702-255, Ray Kojima, 680; Ron Smillic, 270: Brass Nuts, 1169-3019. LEGION Dale Bucknell, 731; Gerry Bone, 345: Janis Irvine, 755; Wendy Minar, 298. EAGLES John Ramsay, 828-346, Judy Davis, 830; Alice Ewing, 818. PACES Norm Butterfield, 340-761; Mundi Thompson, 276-767; Jean Weekes, 270-706; Dolly Garnet, 284-664. ALL STARS John Bradshaw, 300-304-1104; Rich Giampa, 378; Kirby Moody, 380, Rhonda Akai, 912; Laurie Thomp- son, 910, Barb Bradshaw, 343. CITY MIXED Doreen Binns, 327-680; Mavis Con- gram, 280, Joann Marleau, 688; Bill SUN NITE LIVE Doug Giampa, 311-758, Darryl Kell, 750; Gord Schwab, 296: Lorraine Schwab, 668; Jackie Burnett, 660; Barb Michalko, 292; Sue Reeder, 282. Y.B.C. JETS Karta Lambert, 107; Michelle Pistlli, 105; Teresa Roberts, 113. JETS Chris Overend, 154; Craig Holderness, 111; Daniel Sneigrove, 93. BANTAM AND JRS. Elaine Gossen, 291; Michelle Gossen, Teresa French, 258; Jason ; Jason Overend, 208; MASTER BANTAM CHAMPIONSHIPS Sue Blanchard, Lisa Blanchard, Ledra Flindal, 2nd, Mary Chisholm, David Chisholm, Michelle Pistilli. MASTER JUNIOR CHAMPIONS Jack Gossen, Michelle Gossen, Elaine Paliot 303-779; Ernie Lawrence, 707. Goossen. Sale prices in effect thru November 27, 1983