The Right Shoes

I cannot stress to you the importance or wearing the right shoe for your foot, whether you're running, jogging, or walking. Go to a specialty shoe store, where the sales person will hopefully measure your bare foot, press around your arch area with their fingers, fit you with the right width & support that's perfect for your foot.
After running for several months in cheap, neutral running shoes, I was having tons of back pain, muscular core pain, some knee pain, and sharp shin pain (that were not shin splints). This finally led me to do some research, and I realized that not only were my shoes just simply too cheaply made, but my feet actually were a little wider than normal. I also found out that I "over-pronate", which means when my foot hits the ground, it rolls inward more than it should, causing my knees to bend inward too much. This rolling inward motion every step I took was the main reason for all those aches & pains that just wouldn't go away. And no wonder; I was hurting my body with every step I took!
So I went to Fleet Feet Sports in Blue Ash, OH (about a half hour North of Cincinnati), where they fitted me with very supportive shoes and even with some supportive insole inserts to wear inside my shoes. They were extremely professional & knowledgeable, and I now have running shoes that support my body instead of making it work against itself. After 2 weeks, my back muscles have mostly loosened and my knees & legs no longer hurt. What a relief!
I highly recommend that anyone with aches & pains realize that it might be because of wearing the wrong kind of shoe, and do some research, then go to a specialty shoe store for help!