Choosing the right athletic footwear is about more than looks. It’s about comfort, performance and most importantly safety.

To prevent injuries, it’s important to wear the right shoe for specific activities and playing surfaces. Different activities require different levels of grip as well as padding and support for various areas of the foot.

Each person’s foot structure and biomechanics may also call for a specific shoe design. For example, if you hyperpronate (excessively roll your foot in), you need to look for a shoe designed to control excessive motion. In contrast, if you supinate (roll your foot out), you need a shoe that absorbs shock.

Shop for shoes later in the day when feet are more swollen and wear the type of sock that you would normally wear with that shoe. Be sure to try on both shoes as one foot is often larger than the other.

Shoes need to be comfortable the instant you try them on — there is no such thing as a break-in period. Shoes should firmly grip your heel and your toes should be able to wiggle freely.

Once you’ve slipped the shoes on, completely relace them. You don’t run in loosely laced shoes and you shouldn’t commit to a purchase in loosely laced shoes. Take a few steps, both running and walking, to make sure the shoes are comfortable.

You can use various lacing techniques to help prevent injuries and alleviate pain or foot problems. If you have a narrow foot, use the eyelets farthest from the tongue of the shoes to bring up the side of the shoe. Or, if you have a wide foot, use the eyelets closest to the tongue of the shoe to give the foot more room.

The American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society provides very good illustrations and directions on their Web site at www.aofas.org.

If you’re confident you have the right shoe but the demands that sports put on your feet and ankles are causing repeat injuries, you may want to consider an orthotic device. Orthotics support and align the foot and can sometimes be used to prevent or correct foot deformities.

Orthotics can help cushion the impact against hard surfaces and are often made of shock absorbing materials such as silicon or Spenco. They can also relieve pressure by providing support behind a problem area such as a callous, a neuroma or a metatarsal head injury. Common problems like flatfoot, excessive rolling of the foot and ankle or leg length inequality can also benefit from the use of orthotics.

If you have a history of foot injury or potential for injury, talk with your primary care provider about how an orthopedist, podiatrist or physical therapist can help you address your foot issues. Listen to your feet — if you support them, they will support you.

Terry M. Jordan is a physical therapist with Samaritan’s Rebound Physical Therapy clinic in Albany. He can be reached at 812-5150.