Bad habits are hard to break, including with your shoes. You’ll be more motivated to change your ways when you learn what lousy footwear decisions will do to your feet in the long-run. Read ahead to find out three incredibly popular foot habits, their consequences and their solutions.
Wearing Flats
Ballet flats offer no arch support or shock absorption. Using them all of the time can lead to longstanding medical conditions. For instance, the shoes can bring about plantar fasciitis — this is when the tissue that connects the heel bone with your toes becomes inflamed.
The easiest solution is to stop using flat shoes like ballerina slippers and flip flops. To ease painful foot conditions like plantar fasciitis, see a chiropodist and get yourself custom orthotics. If you don’t know about orthotics, you can click here to learn more about how they can offer additional arch support and cushioning in different types of footwear.
Wearing High Heels
While you’re aware of the short-term pains that come with these shoes, you may not realize the long-term ones. Wearing high heels puts pressure on the balls of your feet so that you’re standing on your tip-toes and bending your ankles forward. The position lowers your blood circulation and forces you to modify your posture, which causes an extensive list of side-effects:
- Spider veins
- Lower back pain
- Joint pain
- Shortened calf muscles
- Inflamed bunions
- Hammertoes
- And more…
If you must go for this type of shoe, choose one with a chunky and low heel, less than 2 inches in height. The modification will put less pressure on the balls of your feet and give your arches additional support.
Wearing Shoes That Don’t Fit
It’s possible that your foot-size has changed! They can change because of weight gain, weight loss, diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis. You may think you’re safe from this problem if your weight has been consistent and you don’t have any medical conditions, but you’re wrong. Aging changes your foot size. The tendons lose their elasticity, flattening the arches and making the soles longer and wider.
That’s why one of the biggest shoe mistakes that you can make is not getting your feet measured before you buy a new pair of shoes. Assuming that the size is the same as it was a few years ago could lead to discomfort and pain down the line.
Here are some common signs that your shoes aren’t fitting properly:
- Your toes are cramped or crowded
- Your feet often have bruises, blisters or calluses
- Your arches are sore
- The shoes are not easy to slip on or off
If you are noticing that your footwear is getting a little snug, find a specialized shoe store or foot clinic. They can stretch your shoes to accommodate your current size.
Shoes may be a small portion of your wardrobe, but you should put more thought into purchasing them. Considering factors like size and arch support ahead of time will guarantee that your feet feel comfortable throughout the day. Even better, these factors will make sure that your feet are healthy in the future, too.