Proper Fitting Shoes Can Improve Your Overall Body Health ...

Whether for fitness, work or play, proper fitting and well-made shoes are essential for foot comfort and foot health. With 25 percent of the body?s bones in the feet, any misalignment can affect the entire body. In addition to foot pain and injury, improper fitting shoes and poorly made shoes can cause knee, hip, back, shoulder and neck problems.

Shoe-In for a Sure-Fit

Width, length, arch support, heel support and cushioning are all important factors that determine a good fitting shoe. According to the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society, one out of every six people in the United States has foot problems from poor fitting shoes. This organization also reports that nine out of 10 women have foot deformities as a result of tight fitting shoes. Tight fitting shoes can cause hammertoes, corns, calluses, bunions and other disabling foot problems. Before purchasing shoes, consumers should have their feet measured, as time and circumstances can change the foot?s configuration. The width of a shoe should comfortably accommodate the width of the foot, and the toe box of a shoe should allow for some wiggle room. Consumers are under the myth that shoes need to be broken in to be comfortable, and this is a fallacy. Shoes should feel comfortable right out of the box. If a shoe feels too tight, it is best not to purchase it.

Proper arch support is essential for foot comfort. The arch support in a shoe should rise at the level of the arch for support to the mid foot. If it doesn?t, there are individual insole cups which are molded to fit the arch that can be place inside the shoe for arch support. Proper heel support and cushioning go hand in hand. The inner heel should have enough dense cushioning to reduce the friction caused by movement. Proper heel support will reduce the chances of heel pain and plantar fasciitis.

When to Buy New Shoes

Wearing worn shoes can cause foot problems and replacing worn shoes with a new pair of shoes is important for good foot health. Shoes should be replaced when exhibiting the following:

• The sole or heel of the shoe shows signs of wearing on either side
• The heel leans or collapses on either side
• The inner lining of the shoe is worn and leaves a hole that rubs the foot
• A hole on the underneath of the sole or heel of the shoe

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