The other day I went into a local athletic shoe store, appropriately called The Treadmill, to buy a pair of arch supports. But I ended up walking out with a new pair of running shoes, and a lot more knowledge.

Being the eternal optimist when it comes to products’ revolutionary claims, several months ago I decided to try Reebok Easytone aerobic shoes. Every woman wants to improve her appearance, and if a pair of shoes promises to do just that, I’m sold.

Well, unfortunately I didn’t know that the instability pads (that were intended to engage your muscles), were actually making me off-balance, which resulted in chronic pain in my foot and hip area. So, my simple solution was to get arch supports.

When I spoke with the sales associate about my problems, she explained that arch supports wouldn’t solve the matter, but rather, finding the “right” shoes to fit my feet.

After she did a full analysis (judging width, studying my walking pattern, and talking to me about my fitness regime), she had me try on a few pairs of shoes. She also explained that when it comes to athletic shoes, always get a 1/2 to full size bigger than usual. There should be enough room for your toes, but still feel secure.

After trying on three pairs, the shoes that fit best (and made my foot pain disappear immediately!) were the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11. These got great reviews by running magazine editors and were worth the price.

Cheers to happy feet!