Treat Your Feet Right with the Right Shoes
We always take our feet for granted!
Some will agree with this statement, others will
not! Those who do not – ask yourself this question: Do I treat my feet
the same way I do my face? Well, there’s the answer! The right make-up
is important; the eye-shadow, kohl and lipstick are always chosen with
care. But we rarely ever give the same thought, the same attention and
the same treatment when it comes to choosing our footwear.
- Bunions
- Corns
- Calluses
- Pain
Though the first three are not caused by high heels, they certainly can be aggravated with such footwear.
So how would you choose your footwear?
There are different levels of
support/compensation required for different people. This is because
most people have misalignments with their skeletal structure. There are
some whose feet flatten
out under excessive weight and there are others who have high arched
feet. In the former case, the movement of the joints inside the foot is
called pronation, and in the latter, the joints’ position is known as
supination.
People who are pronators will benefit from footwear that provides support to the inner border of the foot.
Supinators have lesser flexibility, and hence there
is need to were footwear that has inner border cushioning. It needs
more cushioning as there is rigidity in the joints and this type of
footwear will compensate for the decreased natural shock absorption
capacity of the foot.
How will you know if you are a pronator or a supinator?
Here is a small test. After a bath, walk a few
steps with your wet, bare feet. Observe the foot pattern. Take a good
look at how little or how much of your instep is seen in the footprint.
You will have your answer.
Here are some tips for you to remember the next time you go shoe-shopping.
- Make sure you try on both shoes. We usually slip on one shoe and make the decision to buy the shoe. This is wrong. You must try on both shoes and walk a few steps before making the decision. What feels good on one foot may not always be comfortable on both feet.
- Buy shoes in the afternoon. It is natural for the feet to swell a little during the day. So try on the shoes you need to buy in the afternoon. This is the time when the feet are supposed to be at their largest.
- Pay attention to the material. It is good to choose leather uppers. If you are not able to do so, choose materials that allow your feet to breathe.
- Check how the footwear mould with your feet. The shoes you choose should mould well with the shape of your feet. For e.g. If you have broad feet, try to choose shoes that are broad and rounded at the toes, rather than one that are narrow and taper at the toes. The latter will only cause more and more discomfort.
- Lastly, when you try on shoes, wiggle your toes inside the shoes to check if there is enough space to move your toes to make sure that the seams and stitches don’t rub your feet.
Remember, buying shoes at a “Sale” may help you save
money, but can cost your feet dearly if you buy ill fitting shoes.
Whatever you buy, it should be comfortable, fit well, and have no
adverse effects on your feet.
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