For sporty men, nothing but athletic shoes will do. Dressy boots or the casual loafers cannot possibly handle the amount of running, walking, sprinting, stretching and all the stress the feet of athletes go through.

A good athletic shoe helps its athlete owner in achieving his full potential in sports. To be able to realize this, the athlete must be equipped with the right kind of sports shoe for each specific event. Thus, it is equally imperative that he or she should know what shoe to get when he or she goes shopping. Here are some helpful tips for athletes who may be clueless in their search for the perfect pair of athletic shoes.

1. Determine what sport you will be using the shoe for. There is no generic sport shoe. While some shoes may work well for some events, it does not mean they can handle the foot pressure some events have. Take for example basketball and football shoes. Players of these two sports play on different fields; the former on a shiny pavement, the latter on a field of grass. Yes, these two events may take a lot of running but there is more strain on the feet for football players as it is their feet that do almost all the work in making a goal. Therefore, the first advice is to know what sport you'll be participating in to know what shoe you should get.

2. When in the search for athletic shoes, it is best that you go visit a shoe store that specializes in sports shoes. Branded sports shoes can be easily replicated these days and a number of sports shoe retailers may be carrying bogus or counterfeit shoes. Check the reputation of your shoe store from among the persons in your community particularly the athletes or even the runners you may meet nonchalantly in the park. When shopping online, you can easily check on the reliability and validity of the seller by checking on its connections with the manufacturer. There are also lots of venues online like forums where you may find reviews and customer feedbacks which can give you clues on the sellers' reputation.

3. Measure your feet each time you go shoe shopping. You may be surprised to know that your foot size can change even if you have stopped growing. Also, sizes from manufacturer to manufacturer may differ. Measure your foot size when standing, when sitting, from heel to ball, from heel to toe and of course, the width of your foot.

4. Bring your socks and your orthotics. Socks and inserts can take up space in your shoe so wear them when you are fitting for a pair. Make sure that your feet are still comfortable and have sufficient space to move even with some orthotic or socks on.

5. Inspect the shoes for any defects. Like shopping for any other item, you should examine every detail of the shoe for any cuts, tears, rips, discolorations and other defects. Place the pair together to see if they are evenly of the same height and width. You may also want to place them on a flat surface to check if the shoes are stable or if the heels are well aligned.