Do you run more than three times a week? Play basketball or racquetball? Or do you prefer to take long walks? How often you participate in a sport or activity determines what type of athletic shoe you need.

In general, you require a sports-specific shoe if you play a sport (or perform an activity) three or more times a week. Specialized groups of footwear differ in design, material and weight to protect areas of the foot and ankle most affected by a particular exercise or sport.

The American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFA) groups shoes in seven categories:

• Running and walking. Good running shoes offer ample cushioning, flexibility, control and stability in the heel counter. Running shoes are lighter than walking shoes and are made for the harder pounding the feet must withstand (the rear foot strikes the pavement and the toes of the forefoot propel the runner forward). Walking shoes, by contrast, are more rigid and offer more of a heel-to-toe roll.
  
  Because of their different designs, running shoes may be used for walking, but walking shoes should never be used for running.
  
  
• Court activities. Tennis, basketball, volleyball and racquetball are all considered court sports. Shoes designed for court activities take a lot of abuse from sudden stops, movements forward, backward and side-to-side. A good court athletic shoe has stiffer soles and good traction.
  
  
• Field sports. Specialized athletic shoes for games such as baseball, football and soccer use cleats, studs or spikes to gain traction on the ground. Most feature replaceable or detachable cleats, spikes and studs embedded into nylon shoes.
  
  
• Track and field. Includes activities such as running, sprinting, pole vaulting, etc. There are many specific and individual requirements of track and field athletic shoes, including foot types, gait patterns and styles of training. The AOFA recommends consulting your coach to help choose the right type of shoe for your event.
  
  
• Winter sports. These include ice skates designed for specific activities such as figure skating and ice hockey, as well as footwear for skiing. All should provide good ankle support.
  
  
• Specialty sports. Golf, aerobic dancing and bicycling have activity-specific shoes. Bicycling shoes, for instance, clip into pedals to improve pedaling efficiency.
  
  
• Outdoor sports. Includes shoes designed for outdoor recreational activities, such as hunting, boating and fishing.

Cross-training shoes are designed to fit several of the categories, such as court activities, running and aerobics. They are flexible for running while providing support for side-to-side motion. Again, if you frequently engage in an activity (more than three times a week), choose a sports-specific shoe.

Many athletic shoe brands incorporate components designed to improve performance. For example, air soles may improve shock absorption and “pumps,” which are inflatable linings that are pumped up using a device in the shoe, may provide a more secure fit.