The importance of proper footwear is often overlooked or ignored. Why? Perhaps it’s because we don’t think about our feet until something goes wrong, but the reality is that a properly fitted shoe can help protect your feet from injuries and prevent a host of common foot conditions. That means preventing sores, blisters, corns, calluses, and ingrown toenails – all things that you want to avoid! Some signs that indicate damage has been done are swollen ankles after running; pain in one area as opposed to general soreness across the whole foot; red marks on your toes/heels/soles… etc. It doesn’t take much for this type of imbalance underfoot to cause big problems down the road. So, take care of your feet and invest in a good pair of shoes! They will thank you for it.
First, you must be aware of the 6 signs that your shoes are damaging your feet and through this, you’ll realize how important it is to have proper footwear. Check the list below:
You’ve Had Your Shoes For a Long Time
If you’re experiencing pain in one area of your foot, that could indicate a problem with the shoe. Another sign to pay attention to is if you have red marks on your feet after wearing your shoes for some time.
Finally, if it seems like you need to “break-in” a new pair of shoes by standing or walking around occasionally while still wearing them before going out somewhere, there might be too much pressure being put on one part of the foot. If this is happening, try slipping into another pair and see how it feels – especially if they are from the same brand/model! This will give you an idea about which size may work best for you.
Your Feet Hurt When Running Or Walking
If you’re feeling pain in your feet when attempting to do either activity – running or walking – it could be a sign that the shoes are not meant for that type of movement. For runners, this is often because the shock absorption qualities in the shoe are poor and don’t protect your feet enough as you hit the ground with every step.
The most common cause of sporting injuries is overextending yourself or your body. It’s important to know when something hurts so you can take care in order to spot those problem areas and take care of them. If your foot suffers from chronic pain after spending time on it, this could be due to shoes that do not provide enough arch support and padding which would make every step awkward at best!
Here are the recommended solutions:
- Replace your shoe’s inserts with custom inserts/orthotics;
- Get your feet properly measured so you can choose shoes that fit better.
Your Toenails are Damaged
When shoes don’t fit correctly, it can lead to corns and ingrown nails. This is mostly due to pressure being put on the tips of your toes by tight shoes that are too narrow or pointed. Wearing poorly-fitting footwear for long periods of time makes this worse as well!
The right pair should be roomy enough so you can wiggle all five toes freely within them but snug enough not to fall off (although they shouldn’t be loose either). Why? If they’re too big, there’s extra space inside which causes friction between the shoe/sock liner and foot; if they’re too small, blood circulation may be cut off because everything starts getting squished together in one place.
If you have painful and/or infected nails, it is important to get them checked out by a doctor. A specialist will be able to help with the healing process as well as ensure that your feet stay healthy in spite of any shoe issues.
You Are Developing Blisters, Calluses, And Corns
Blisters, if not treated appropriately and quickly, may become infected. That’s why it is important to keep an eye on your feet for any signs of blisters or other skin conditions that could indicate damage has been done. If you do get a blister, don’t pop it – the fluid inside should be able to drain naturally without forcing anything out (which can cause more problems).
If corns are present at the end of your toes because there’s pressure put on them by:
shoes that are too tight; then padding or custom orthotics/insoles should solve this problem
corn pads work great in order to prevent pain when wearing closed-back shoes like high heels where straps cut into upper parts of feet causing pressure points which ultimately lead to corn development
Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar Fasciitis also known colloquially as heel spurs, is a common ailment that can be caused by wearing shoes that don’t provide adequate arch support. It happens because the band of tissue running under the foot gets inflamed and may begin to hurt when putting pressure on it through walking or running or even just standing up!
The best way to deal with this is to get fitted for custom orthotics – these are inserts made from special materials designed specifically for one’s feet in order to deliver maximum comfort while preventing pain.
You Can’t Take Off Your Shoes Easily
If you notice that getting your shoes off is becoming a problem, it may be time to consider changing them for something more suitable. Why? When the backs of high heels are too thin or there’s no grip on their soles whatsoever – then slipping out of them will become an issue since they’ll feel like little slip ‘n’ slides underneath feet! Shoes this slippery can cause lots of accidents because people tend to panic and try harder which just makes things worse by causing slippage/slipperiness even faster – so avoid these at all costs.
It sounds silly but if your new footwear doesn’t come with proper support – don’t bother buying it! Why? Because foot pain won’t be the only thing you’ll have to worry about if that’s not taken care of; it can lead to serious injuries like sprained ankles and knees since all your weight will be focused on them instead (not to mention stress fractures which are another problem altogether).
The best way at looking for shoes is by shopping online because this makes it easy to compare prices, styles, etc. There are lots of great shoe retailers out there with websites where people leave reviews so make sure you check those before buying anything! Why? Because these opinions come from real customers who didn’t receive any compensation in order to tell everyone else what they really think – so keep an eye out for signs that warn something doesn’t look very good or isn’t going to be the best choice for you.
For example, if a lot of people say that shoes hurt their feet surely enough – then surely they will end up hurting yours too! It is okay to wear high heels or other types of footwear that aren’t necessarily ‘comfortable’ (because we all know: comfort can sometimes come at a price) but wearing something like this and taking it back immediately because it hurts your toes isn’t going to solve anything; neither is staying in them even when they start causing pain after some time – so make sure there’s no pressure on any parts of foot while also making sure nothing gets jammed/pinched inside. Otherwise, these issues may turn into health problems down the road since constant irritation could lead to infection or injury.
Today, more than ever before in human history we are utilizing our feet to walk on hard surfaces. The foot was never intended for this task and as such it lacks proper support from day one – most shoes offer little or no cushioning against injury while others simply protect you against debris outside but can’t even help prevent chronic pain inside your shoe!
We’ve talked about why it’s so important to have the right pair of shoes, but what are some signs that your current footwear is doing more harm than good? These six telltale signs may be a sign that you need new shoes. It doesn’t matter how long ago you bought them or if they’re still in great shape! If you want to avoid developing plantar fasciitis and other foot-related issues, then don’t hesitate any longer. Contact us today for an assessment of your feet and we’ll recommend the best shoe options for you based on your needs. The sooner our team gets started with finding the perfect fit, the better off all those hard-working toes will be!
The Shoe Doctor Has Specialized In Providing Custom Orthotics For 20 Years
People want to take care of their feet, they just don’t know how to do it right. The Shoe Doctor provides health feet education to teach people how to care for their feet. Most people wait to come to see us when they can’t stand the foot pain anymore or their feet need the equivalent of a root canal! It would be much easier and less expensive to do bi-year maintenance. In some ways, we should take better care of our feet than teeth, because you can replace every tooth in your mouth with implants, but there is no such thing as a foot transplant!
The right orthotic insoles can greatly reduce foot, knee and hip pain while increasing performance and comfort. Russell at The Shoe Doctor will help educate and assist you in finding the perfect solution for your particular situation. We will create a 3D map of your feet and make custom orthotics for your hiking boots, everyday shoes, and everything else in between. These orthotics, along with our expert advice, will get you using orthotics like a pro, and have you performing at the peak of your abilities in no time! If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, give The Shoe Doctor a call to get the best custom orthotics in the area! We are here to assist you, give us a call at (925) 820-0220 for your free consultation!
