Footwear Recommendations
Footwear plays such an important role with the feet. Pain in the feet, back, hips, knees and ankles may be the result of poor footwear, or footwear note designed for your foot type or activity.
It can often be quite overwhelming with the selection of shoes and brands available.
Here are some tips of what to look for:
- Fit – Feet come in all shapes and sizes. No two feet are the same and often there are significant differences between the left and right foot.Make sure your feet are measured properly in the length and width. Try in the shoe on and make sure there’s enough width and a small thumbs width at the end of your longest toe. If you have a bunion or clawed toes, make sure there is adequate space or a soft material in the area.
- Activity – Wear the correct type of shoe for the activity you are partaking in. If you play tennis or cross directional sports, make sure you wear a cross trainer or running shoe with good lateral stability.Avoid wearing high heels, thongs or flat shoes for walking. We recommend wearing running shoes for walking.
- Material – Leather is preferred for shoe uppers, although neoprene (synthetic stretchy wetsuit material) has benefits for people with bunions or clawed/hammer toes. Synthetic or rubber soles are the preferred as they are often more durable, shock absorbent and provide good grip.Try wear footwear with a well padded sole. Cushioned soles absorb shock and reduces pressure on the feet.
- Style – All shoes should have a midfoot strap or laces to keep the shoe on your foot. Your foot muscles may be overused and cause clawing of the toes if your muscles have to work to hold onto the shoe.Heels height of less than 2.5cm is recommended, high heels increase pressure on the ball of the foot and can increase occurrence of bunions, clawed toes, neuroma, corns, callous.
- Shape – Avoid pointy shoes or any shoes that are too narrow in width.
If you have any specific questions, please feel free to email me on the address below or make an appointment with myself or any of the team on 07 3393 6819.
vanessa@movepodiatry.com.au
