The Shoe And You: A Biomechanical Tale

(Thursday, March 09, 2006) - Bob Strena can't begin to count how many times he has asked his friends to go out for a run and heard one of them say "I used to run, but I don't anymore because I have bad knees."

Knees may not be the problem, according to Strena, who owns Fleet Feet Sports in Pleasant Hill. It is more likely the shoes. And Strena should know, since he sells them for a living.

"It always has me thinking when I hear somebody say 'I can't run anymore because I have bad knees,'" said Strena, who bought the store three years ago after spending 15 years at Charles Schwab. "The reality of it is, so much of it is foundational, and it starts with how you're contacting the ground. It starts right at the foot.

"But so many times, you leap to the area of irritation and try to fix it there. So if you have a hurt knee, you try to put wraps on it or ice it. You work on the knee instead of the foundation. There's no question in my mind that it's the shoes."

Runners once accepted the theory of "no pain, no gain." That no longer has to be the case, said Strena, who runs 40 miles a week. A properly fitted pair of shoes can make running a pain-free option for exercise.

"Running is going to continue to grow because now it's geared to long-term success. The shoe technology has advanced to a point where people aren't going to get hurt over time," he said. "I think that was the challenge in the first running boom. People went out there and ran and pushed the envelope until they got injured. And at that time, there wasn't really anything to help correct the biomechanics.

"One of the beauties of running now is you can continue to push the envelope forever. I still encounter new aches and pains, but now I know there's a solution out there."

Last year, the 47-year-old Strena developed a nerve problem in his right foot. "If I didn't know what I know, I would have been 'Oh man, I can't run.'"

Once Strena put an insert in his shoe, the problem was solved.

"It was another reminder that the biomechanics have to be perfect," he said. "You don't have to resign yourself to pain. You don't have to throw in the towel when you have an injury. The whole beauty of running is knowing that's not baggage you have to carry.

"It's like aligning a car. Your biomechanics have to be in alignment."

Strena challenges himself to find the right shoes for his customers without having them try on every pair in the store. He begins by taking 12 different measurements of a customer's foot to gauge his or her gait.

"We know that's going to help us to draw some conclusions even before we watch the person walk or run," he said "You get to a point where we can look at someone's foot and will probably nail the shoe they're going to want in the first pair or two.

"Nine times out of 10, or maybe it's eight out of 10, the first shoes I put them in are the ones that they're going to leave with."

Strena may sound like a matchmaker, but his goal is for his customers to fall in love with the shoes he chooses for them.

"You get sucked in. Do I have a strange fascination with biomechanics? Yeah, you could say that," he said. "Like with musicians who really know music, when they're listening to music, they hear things that other people don't hear. They can take out the component pieces and break down the music as they listen to it."

Running has become music to Strena's ears. And all he has to do to enjoy it is listen to his feet.

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