Footwear

There are many choices when selecting shoe gear. Not only do you need to select the proper types of shoes but also there are many brands, and adjustments that the companies make to different foot types.

I don’t recommend one brand over others. What needs to be done is to evaluate the shoes you are buying and make sure that it’s is the proper shoe for you.

The most important part of choosing a shoe is choosing the correct size. 80% of people wear shoes that are too small for them. The reason for this comes from our childhood. Many people, when they were children, went to the shoe store with their parents. The parent would put their thumb in between the end of the toe and the end of the shoe and say “these are too big”. In fact, you want to have a thumbs width and between the end of the shoe and the end of the toe. This extra space is necessary because every time you take a step your foot slides forward. If that extra space is not there then the toes jam against the end of the shoe. This can cause pain in the toes and deformity of the nails.

Another aspect of proper fitting shoes is that the widest part of the shoe should correspond with the widest part of your foot. In the majority of people the widest parts of their feet are between the big toe joint and a little toe joint. This is often where bunions occur. When trying on the shoes the widest part of the shoes should usually correspond with this area.

There are many different types of feet out there. Some people have low arches and tend to pronate during gait. Others have high arches and tend to supinate during gait. People who pronate need to have more support on the inside of the shoe in the arch area. Conversely, people who supinate need more even stability. Insufficient support on one side of the foot or the other can lead to pain on that side of the foot.

Obviously there are different shoes made for different activities. Basketball shoes are made to support the ankles more, while running shoes are made to keep proper alignment of the foot joints for repetitive motion.

As I said before I don’t recommend one brand over another. Each persons feet are different. One person may like the way new balance shoes fits while others may like Nike, or Adidas. I believe as long as the support is proper and the shoe fits the brand of shoes becomes more of a personal preference.

One aspect of new balance shoes that is interesting is that new balance makes a brand of women’s dress shoes that uses the same technology that they use in their athletic shoes. This can be quite an advantage for women who have trouble finding shoes that are good for them but also fashionable.

In many cases purchasing shoes alone may not provide sufficient support. Often people need shoe inserts such as custom or over-the-counter orthotics that will help support the feet.

As is said before the most important part of taking shoes is making sure they fit properly and they provide the proper support that you need. Please see our office for any advice you may want about finding proper shoe gear.