We are hard on our feet. We stand on them for hours, run on them for exercise, cram them into socks and shoes and expect them to continue to carry us wherever we need to go. While our feet help us accomplish our day to day activities, all that action can cause unneeded wear and tear. It’s important to treat our feet to properly fitted shoes to ensure they continue to carry us everywhere we want to go.
While there are many factors that contribute to common foot problems, ill-fitting shoes lead to several issues including:
- Blisters and calluses
- Bunions
- Hammertoes
- Plantar fasciitis
- Heel spurs
Shoes that are too short, too tight, too pointed or too small wreak havoc on your feet. If you’re experiencing pain or any of the above problems, contact Dr. Fedorak to evaluate and diagnose your foot pain and come up with a treatment plan for your precious feet.
Choosing The Right Shoe
Knowing your shoe size is just the first step in selecting shoes that are right for your feet. Following these tips will ensure that the shoes you buy will be comfortable and help combat foot problems.
- Have your feet measured. Your foot size and shape can change over time. Don’t rely on the fact that you have always worn a certain size. Since many people have one foot that is slightly larger, make sure you have both feet measured, and find a fit that matches the larger foot.
- Measure your feet at the end of the day. Our feet go through a lot throughout the day causing them to swell. Measuring them after you’ve been on them all day will ensure that the shoes you find will be comfortable from start to end instead of just when you walk out the door in the morning.
- Check the width and depth of the shoe. The ball of your foot is the widest part and good-fitting shoes should fit comfortably across the widest section. Also, make sure the shoe is deep enough to fit your toes. Otherwise, they will rub against the top creating calluses or sores.
- Observe the shape of the shoe, especially the toe. The shape of the shoe should resemble the shape of your foot and fit comfortably. Avoid shoes with pointed, rigid toes, like high heels. These shoes lead to many of the foot issues listed above.
- Stand and make sure the shoes are comfortable. When you walk around, make sure they do not rub or chafe anywhere on your feet. They should not slip while moving. If they do, they aren’t the shoes for you!
The most important thing to keep in mind is whether the shoes feel comfortable. Those beautiful boots may look great, but if they make your feet sore, leave them at the store.
How Dr. Fedorchak Can Help
Dr. Frederick N. Fedorchak & Dr. Veronica A. Kacmar-Fedorchak are board-certified podiatric physicians and surgeons that provide state of the art diagnostic technology to evaluate your feet and develop a treatment for whatever your foot ailment may be. They also provide custom orthotics specifically measured and molded for your unique feet, helping keep your feet comfortable and your shoes fitting right. Contact Northwest Indiana’s leading podiatric physicians and surgeons to get you back on the right foot.
