Shoe Buying Tips – What The Right Shoe Can Do For You

What The Right Shoe Can Do For You – Shoe Buying Guide

Footwear has been an essential tool designed to meet mankind’s real and perceived needs: protection, support, comfort, sturdiness, and stylishness. It can be overwhelming when searching for new shoes as today there seems to be an unimaginable amount of options. Another struggle is choosing a shoe that is right for you and your feet. When you go shoe shopping, it’s easy to get lost in the colors and fancy design, and though you want to look the best, there is a way to choose a shoe that is stylish and supportive.

The advantages of the right shoe are endless, and we want to ensure that our patients are not burdened with recurring problems. After a long day on your feet, you should be focusing on what really matters and not on horrible foot pain. The right shoes should: 

Cushion the feet- As you walk, your feet are subject to high levels of stress, and the main part of the shoe (the midsole) provides cushioning. With a proper shoe, the force that goes through the body is reduced, giving your body enough time to adapt. 

Provide foot support- A dependable shoe aligns your foot when it touches the ground adjusting to every terrain while providing arch support, which benefits not only the foot but also the back. 

Feel comfortable- You are on your feet all of the time, getting from place to place. It’s only right that you eliminate pain completely with comfortable shoes that you can’t wait to put on every morning. 

Fit well- Shoes that are too tight or too big put your feet at serious risk. A well-fitted shoe should have 1 to 1.5 cm of room at the end and is wide enough to fit the unique shape of your foot. Remember, a shoe should feel snug and not like it’s cutting off circulation. 

Tips to Use When Purchasing Any Pair of Shoes 

The right footwear helps keep your feet healthy and happy when participating in any kind of activity. Your feet are one of the essential tools during your day to day life. Here are tips to use when purchasing a pair of shoes that will keep you comfortable and healthy: 

1.Have your feet measured while standing up 

Always be standing when you measure your foot, when you stand, your feet expand a bit. During your visit to the store, ask a friend, family member, or assistant to measure your foot so you can stand tall and the length, width, and arch length of your feet can be measured properly. 

2.Always try on both shoes and walk around the store 

When you try on a shoe, you may like the way they look and feel while you’re standing, but how do they feel when in action? Don’t worry; the store isn’t worried about you running away from them; get up, walk around, and see how they really feel. 

3.Don’t buy shoes that you need to “break-in” 

Your shoes should feel comfortable from the moment you buy them and put them on. If you need to walk around in them for them to feel better, don’t buy them. 

4.Don’t rely on the size of your last pair of shoes 

Different styles of shoes don’t always fit the same. You may have been a size ten last month for a pair of running shoes, but your new dress shoes may fit differently. Also, your feet do get larger, even when you are an adult. So always make sure to measure.

5.Avoid Early Morning Shoe Shopping 

The feet tend to swell a bit throughout your day, so it is better to shop later in the day for shoes to accommodate a more comfortable fit. 

6.Select Flexible and Sturdy Shoes

A dependable pair of shoes should have the following components: Stiff heel, appropriate cushioning, and flexibility at the ball of the foot. A Good shoe supports your whole body, not just the feet. 

7.Buy shoes that don’t pinch your feet

Whether it is at the tip of the shoe, in the heel, or across the base, if your feet are feeling like they are being pinched, it’s bad. Find a shoe that perfectly molds to the shape of your foot. 

8.Try on shoes while wearing the same type of socks or stockings you always wear. 

For the best fit possible, bring along a pair of socks that you would typically wear during your day. 

9.Bring your prescription orthotics 

If you wear orthotics, always bring them to shoe fittings so you know that you will have the proper amount of space for both your orthotics and feet inside the shoe. 

How Your Shoe Choice Affects Your Feet, Legs, and Joints

If your shoes are too loose, too tight, or do not provide enough support, your daily activity has the potential to put an unprecedented amount of stress on your feet, ankles, legs, and joints. If these problems are persistent, they can contribute to a variety of different injuries. A choice in poor footwear can lead to things like shin splints, corns, bunions, ingrown nails, and lower back pain. Choosing the right shoe not only protects your feet from the outside elements but also helps avoid serious injury. Here’s what can happen when you wear the wrong shoes:

• Chances of injury increase if your shoe is not designed for the right activities. I.E., Running shoes vs. day to day shoes. 
• Wearing the wrong shoes can worsen existing problems like back pain and arthritis in the ankles and feet. 
• Significantly impact the way you walk. 
• Change the way your feet absorb shock.

Choosing the right shoe will help prevent foot pain, and because you are on your feet all the time, no pain is always something you are looking for. Do not let foot pain hold you back, and trust in the foot specialists at Global Podiatry to make a difference in your life!