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When to Get a New Pair of Shoes

From John Thomas,
Your Guide to Volleyball.
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The main factor in retiring a pair of shoes is comfort. If you find that you have an increased number of blisters or your feet are more sore than usual, your shoes are a likely culprit. As the shoes become worn out on the inside and padding wears away there will be more friction on your feet. You will also begin to feel the impact from jumping and running more, which may increase the stress on the knees and ankles. Never play in a tattered pair of shoes.

Besides comfort, you will also want to pay attention to the tread on the bottom. As shoes become older and used this tread will be worn away, becoming flat and smooth. When this happens you will not being able to grip the court as much increasing the likelihood that you will slip, possibly injuring yourself. Moving laterally efficiently is heavily reliant upon the state of the tread on the shoe.

Less important than the previous two but still noteworthy is the cleanliness of the shoes. Besides having an unpleasant odor, old and dirty shoes increase the probability of athlete's foot and similar problems.

Your feet are put under a lot of pressure while playing extensively. Treat them well and keep your shoes in good condition and your feet will return the favor.

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