The Importance of Wearing Properly Fitting Shoes
No matter what you will be doing while wearing your shoes, one thing is for certain: you want them to feel good. No pinching of the toes, rubbing of the heel or bruising of the arch should be tolerated. For the love of your feet, buy shoes that fit well. Although wearing shoes that hurt your feet for ONE evening out probably won’t do any permanent damage to your feet, wearing the wrong shoes day in and day out can cause plantar fasciitis, shin splints, fallen arches and a host of other painful conditions. Getting to wear those shoes you bought half off that only squish your feet a little just isn’t worth the risk to your health.
A few tips to keep in mind:
Inspect your foot. It’s good to get to know your own feet. Find out if you have a rigid or a flexible foot by simply grabbing hold and bending your foot around. If it’s easy to bend you have a flexible foot; if it’s not easy to do, you have a rigid foot. Try dampening the bottom of your foot and stepping on brown paper. Then trace the outline of your footprint. You will be able to measure the width of your foot and see what sort of arch you have.
Foot size changes over time. If you had a professional fitting three years ago, you should consider doing so again. A common recommendation is to have a professional fitting or at least measure your foot once or twice a year.
Shop towards the end of the day. You will be able to get the best fit by shopping at the end of the day, because feet swell throughout the day and also expand as you walk or run. You will also want to take your own socks, in order to get the truest measure of how the shoes will feel when you wear them at home.
Make sure your toes have space. The general rule is the “rule of thumb.” There should be about the same amount of space as the width of your thumb between the tip of your longest toe and the end of your shoe.
There should also not be any kind of “breaking in” period. Your shoes should feel good from the moment you put them on. If they are too rigid, move on to a more flexible pair. If they hurt your arches, don’t buy them. If you will be wearing the shoes to workout, ask for professional advice to be 100% certain you are getting the best shoes for the activity you will be doing. Walking shoes and running shoes are not the same. Do you need a cross-trainer? Take advantage of the experts in shoe stores, read reviews if you shop online and always find out the return policy where you shop.
The health of your feet is important. Taking a little time to make sure you are purchasing shoes that will not cause you harm is worth it. Your feet will thank you by providing a firm, pain free foundation for years to come.
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