Shoe Shopping With The Experts
As podiatrists, every day we are asked about shoes. Many patients understandably want to know what brand or style of shoe they should be looking for.
Although it is a simple question, the answer is not always so easy. The truth is that everyone’s feet are unique. Some of us have high arches and some have low arches. Many people have foot deformities such as bunions and hammertoes, and others have painful conditions such as neuropathy, plantar fasciitis, tendinitis, or arthritis, just to name a few. Unfortunately, there are many people with several of the issues mentioned, making shoe buying quite an endeavor!
With so many differences in the shape and function of our own individual feet, it should generally be accepted that not all shoes will be a good fit and you must be careful and sometimes diligent in order to find the shoe or shoes that will work for you. At the end of the day, wearing a shoe that does not function well for your foot can lead to significant pain and even injury.
It only makes sense that one brand or model of shoe is generally not able to accommodate all the differences in our feet and this situation gets even more difficult when you add fashion to the mix.
So how do you find a shoe that feels good AND looks good?
In some sense there is no way to know ahead of time whether a shoe will be a perfect fit. At the end of the day, shoe buying is often a trial-and-error process. It may take a few tries to get the right shoe but it is a worthwhile process because unhappy feet can have a real impact on your overall well-being.
Here are a few tips that can make your shoe-buying experience less costly, painful, and time consuming:
- Don’t force it!
- Many of us have funny bumps, lumps, or “hot spots” that rub in our shoes. It seems obvious, but we don’t always realize when our feet are too wide for our shoes. Consider accommodating for the differences that make your feet unique! Often this means a shoe with plenty of width, especially in the front “toe box” where bunions and hammertoes can get crowded.
- One tip is to pull out the sock liner in your shoe and stand on it. Are there areas where your feet hang over the edges? Are those the area where your foot hurts? If so, then consider giving this area some relief with more space or a more forgiving material such as a soft leather that can be stretched. Some knitted materials if not too taut can work well.
- Try a quick search on Google or Amazon for Men’s or Women’s “Extra Wide Shoes”
- For elderly patients with painful areas on their feet you may try searching for “Extra Wide Orthopedic Shoes” on Amazon and using the filter section to find a good option.
- Women with wide feet may benefit from a Men’s style shoe which are often wider
- You might also consider a shoe with extra depth to prevent your toes from rubbing along the top of the toe box.
- Support it
- If you have injured your foot or have a condition such as arthritis or tendinitis, after being cleared by your podiatrist, you are likely to benefit from a shoe that is not too thin, flexible, or flimsy. A tennis or walking shoe that is stiffer from the heel to the base of the toes would provide more support for your healing.
- Hold try-outs
- If you can, try the shoes on before you buy. Consider going towards the end of the day if you deal with swelling in your feet so you don’t buy a shoe that is too tight.
- If buying shoes online, consider ordering several sizes or styles at one time, knowing you will try them on in the house and return the ones that do not work.
- Consider inserts or orthotics
- Sometimes the shoe just isn’t enough. We all have differences in the way we walk and the shape of our feet. Prefabricated inserts and custom orthotics can improve how they function to help you keep going.
- See a podiatrist!
- Having trouble figuring it out? We are always here to help point you in the right direction!
- If you have any concerns for an acute injury or have lasting foot pain, then you should consider seeing a specialist to preserve your long-term mobility.
- There are some things that a shoe just won’t fix!