The first step is figuring out what’s causing your pain. The two most common problems are overpronating or underpronating. Overpronators stand out for the way the soles of their shoes wear sharply inward. If the heels of your favorite kicks have some seriously angled wear, you probably fit this group. Another symptom: flat feet. If that’s you, the solution is motion control. These shoes specialize in getting your heel to hit the pavement with a more natural roll, which prevents added strain on joints and ligaments. Once you have that under cover, the pain should stop. These are a good starting point.

Higher arches cause their own problems, namely underpronating. These runners often strike the ground with the outside of their feet, which puts more pressure on a small surface area. To fix the flaw, look for shoes marketed as flexible or cushioning. These will keep your foot where it needs to be. These might change your running style.

And those lucky few who have the feet that would make Adonis proud don’t have much to worry about. Just focusing on your personal running style is enough. If you’re looking to drop time, then a racing shoe probably offers a good balance of support without adding extra weight. Trail runners, on the other hand, will be looking for something a little more durable with more protection against the elements.  Once you've found just the right shoe, you can ask yourself, Am I famous now?

Athleticism won't be the only thing on display in Beijing. The world's top designers, from Polo Ralph Lauren to Gucci to Alexander McQueen, are getting involved in the Games, taking advantage of the opportunity to kick-start or expand their business in the booming Chinese market.

The designers will also be able to attract attention from people of several other nations, as the Summer Olympics are expected to draw over 4 billion viewers worldwide, the largest audience ever to watch the Games. And about 3 million domestic and overseas visitors are expected to be traveling to Beijing. This creates an enormous global outlet for designers to showcase their work.

"This is a different kind of Olympics," says Tony Alcindor, vice president of public relations and marketing at Ports 1961, which is outfitting four of NBC's Olympic commentators. "It has become a global mission for sports and fashion to come together to do something good, despite the political drama surrounding the games."

New Event, Same Relationship
The Olympics merely present the best opportunity for visibility. The collaboration between fashion and sports, with joint ventures between athletes and labels other than Rolex and Cartier , is nothing new.

Dolce & Gabbana partnered with Italy's Milano Beach Soccer league in the 2006-2007 season, and Cavalli's June 2008 campaign featured five players from the Italian rugby team. Collaborations, such as Stella McCartney and Adidas and Alexander McQueen and Puma, are making sportswear fashionable as well as performance-friendly.

This relationship between contemporary fashion and global sportswear is even the subject of a new exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London beginning Aug. 5. There will be about 60 outfits--including performance sportswear--on display to show the influence of sportswear on high fashion.

"Fashion and sports have a lot to give to each other," says Ligaya Salazar, the show's curator. "Fashion has the freedom of creativity, while sportswear has the knowledge of the best fabrics to make items functional."

One Giant Fashion Show
With so many people watching, all at once, the Olympics present an unparalleled opportunity for designers to connect with the sports world and build brand recognition. Ralph Lauren in particular is raising its presence in the sports arena as the official outfitter of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams.

"Polo wants to maintain its association with the elite, and the Olympics is one of the most austere sporting events," says Milton Pedraza, CEO of The Luxury Institute, a market research organization that focuses on high-net-worth consumers.

For the Olympics, Ralph Lauren's collection includes apparel for the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as pieces for the U.S. teams to wear around the Olympic village when they aren't competing. The opening-ceremony outfits are a return to the classics that reflect the heritage and sensibility of the 1920s and '30s, while the closing ceremony outfits have a sportier edge.

"As our athletes take to this world stage they are representing the best of America, and we are proud to be a part of that," says David Lauren, senior vice president of advertising, marketing and corporate communications.

Apparel from the entire collection is currently available in Polo Ralph Lauren U.S. retail stores, select department stores and online.

Luxury Lines
Gucci and Prada have also embarked on limited-edition collections in celebration of the Olympics.

Gucci's 8-8-2008 Limited Edition features eight accessories, splashed in bold red, that epitomize luxury. An I-Gucci digital watch, bicycle, Mah Jong set, leather panda, two-piece luggage set and men's and women's sports shoes all make up the collection.

"Not only does red evoke happiness and celebration--two emotions that couldn't be more appropriate to describe the excitement in the world of sports--but it also happens to be a very fashionable color for 2008," says Frida Giannini, creative director for Gucci. "I also designed just eight products for this collection, which mirror the lucky number 8 in Chinese culture."

Though the I-Gucci watch will be offered worldwide for $1,415, all other designs will be sold exclusively in Hong Kong and mainland China.

And some designers are getting in on the Olympics in the name of charity rather than profit. Lane Crawford, a high-end specialty store with locations throughout Hong Kong and China, invited 12 world-renowned designers, including 3.1 Phillip Lim, Burberry Prorsum, Givenchy, Stella McCartney and Yves Saint Laurent, to create one-of-a-kind outfits inspired by Olympic events. "The Collective: Synergy in Fashion" is on display at Today's Museum in Beijing throughout August.

The garments will be auctioned, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the Special Relief Funds for Children affected by the Sichuan earthquake.

Whatever the goal, however, be it profit or philanthropy, the opportunity is unprecedented for designers, since the Olympics is an event that everyone, in some way, can identify with.

"Competition, failure, achievement, these are all things entrepreneurs and people on Wall Street deal with on a daily basis," says Pedraza. "We all understand the feeling of being only as good as your last achievement."

It's that feeling designers are counting on to capitalize on for two weeks in August.

Some sports require lots of expensive equipment, but all running requires is a good pair of shoes. In recent tests, Consumer Reports found that, thanks to modern materials and sophisticated design, most of the shoes tested performed well.

To evaluate 24 models of running shoes, Consumer Reports bought 205 pairs of shoes, enlisted a panel of typical runners and had them crank out a total of 1,240 miles. CR selected men's and women's versions of the same model, where available. Prices for the shoes tested ranged from $28 to $120.

Of the models tested, the $120 Nike Air Zoom Vomero+2 topped the rankings for men's and women's shoes. The men's and women's Brooks Glycerin 6 were judged "Very Good" overall, but the men's version scored better than the women's, owing to better stability ratings.

Other top-performing men's shoes include Adidas Supernova Cushion 7, $90; Mizuno Wave Rider 11, $95; and the Asics Gel-Cumulus 9, $80. For women, other top performers include Nike Air Pegasus+2007, $85; Puma Shoes, $85; Reebok Premier Hatana, $85; and Adidas Supernova Cushion 9, $90.

For adequate performance at a rock-bottom price, try the men's Champion Helium at Target, $30, and the women's Champion Wonder C9 at Target, $28.

For people who like to run after dark, give special consideration to the men's Nike Air Zoom Vomero+2 and the Avia Tuned Trainer II, both $80, and women's Avia Tuned Trainer II, $80, and Reebok Premier Hatana, $85, which have the most effective reflector strips.

Whether a particular shoe is right for an individual depends on several considerations:

•Fit. Most of the shoes provided at least a good fit for most panelists, but there were exceptions. For example, while testing the top-rated men's Nike Air Zoom Vomero+2, two panelists complained of pressure under the balls of their feet.

•Cushioning. Running can be hard on feet and joints. Shoes should provide enough cushioning to absorb impact.

•Stability. A stable shoe controls motion in the ankle. Among the men's models, all but the Champion earned a Very Good score for stability. But only half of the women's models performed as well as the men's.

•Flexibility. The front of the shoe should flex enough to let the runner push off with the ball of the foot.

•Breathability. Shoes that dissipate sweat quickly keep feet cooler and reduce the risk of bacterial or fungal infection.

•Weight. The lighter the shoe, the better -- as long as cushioning and stability don't suffer.

Any podiatrist or orthopedic surgeon specializing in the foot will say this about women's 3- or 4-inch high heels: Don't wear them. Or if you wear them, don't walk.

But the recently released "Sex and the City" movie will no doubt trigger shoe lust in naive young women, and even in women who have been hurt before.

So for those who know that high heels can lead to blisters, callouses, corns, hammertoes, bunions and foot damage that can torment them for the rest of their lives, but who still can't resist the calf-enhancing, seductive effect of the high heel -- not to worry.

Eve Michaels, Beverly Hills image consultant, has advice on just how to wear Jimmy Choo stilettos when the call of the sexy shoe overwhelms all logic and reason. One such moment is immortalized by Carrie Bradshaw in the HBO series when she spots a pair of mile-high Manolos and dreamily croons, "Hello, Lover."

For those who should, and probably do, know better, here are Michaels' top five tips on wearing "Sex and the City" shoes -- with comments on each by the president-elect of the California Podiatric Medical Assn., Daniel Altchuler, Santa Monica podiatrist.

1. The ball of the woman's foot must line up with the ball of the shoe. In other words, the pattern of the shoe must match the shape of the woman's foot. That's good advice, says Altchuler. "That's where most people get in trouble with high heels," he says.

2. Buy pointy toe high heels a half size larger. Nonsense, says Altchuler. "They make the shoe like a regular shoe, then add more material for the pointy toe. You don't need a bigger size."

3. When standing in a pair of heels, the weight of the woman's feet must be on her heels, not thrust onto the balls of her feet. Otherwise agony, not pleasure from the delicious shoes, will be felt. "That'll never happen," says Altchuler. "Once a heel is more than an inch and a half, your foot jams forward."

4. The toes shouldn't be cramped into the shoe, and it should feel comfortable from the start. The right shoe should not need more than three wearings to feel great. Good advice on feeling comfortable immediately, but Altchuler wouldn't give it three wearings. It should feel good at the shoe store.

5. Realize that some high heels are made for walking and others are made for fine dining, partying or wearing in bed! A true diva knows the difference. Altchuler agrees that women can't do much more than try to keep their balance on very high heels. "They're for posing for pictures and sitting on bar stools," Altchuler says.

Altchuler has additional advice. When shopping for any shoes, buy them late in the day, because feet swell as the day goes on, and you'll get a more realistic fit. As for stilettos, they're pretty, not functional. "But I believe that everything in moderation is OK," he says. "If you're going to wear them to a wedding, take them off to dance."

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This trip, I’m officially jealous. At Kohl’s (44 of which are located in New York state and zero of which are a suitable distance from my apartment) she found striking black chunky-heeled pumps from Vera Wang’s already affordable Simply Vera line, on clearance for $20.

They’re from the winter collection, so no longer available online. But for you lucky gals with convenient Kohl’s, go check! They look high-class with everything (I can attest, I gave myself a mini fashion show before forlornly handing them back) and they have mom’s comfort seal of approval.

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