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Your feet hurt, and they hurt all of the time. Before you think about booking a foot massage or taking an Epsom salt bath, it’s a good idea take a look at your shoes to see if they’re the reasons behind your aches and pains.
Check to see if they’re worn down
If you’re experiencing foot pain, the first thing you need to do is check your shoes to see if they need to be thrown out and replaced. Over time, the support and structure that you need in a shoe will break down and your feet will suffer the consequences.
Shoes don’t have an expiration date printed on the heel, so you have to look for proof that your shoes are breaking down:
- The tread on the sole is worn down and smooth
- The heel on one shoe has gotten lower than the other’s heel
- There are holes in the mesh
- The lining is splitting open
- They look like they’re falling apart
You should also ask yourself when you first bought the shoes. Any pair that has been in your closet for over a year could be replaced, depending on their quality and how often you wear them. The more often you wear a pair of shoes, the sooner you will need to find replacements. For instance, a pair of running shoes will degrade faster than other styles because they’re used often, and they pound more pavement than the average sandal or slipper.
Runners will need to replace their shoes even more frequently: Runners should replace their running shoes every 500-800km, but that can all change depending on surface terrain, frequency, foam structure in the shoes etc. That means that some runners should be replacing their running shoes every 3-6 months.
Check to see if they’re the right size
Another reason why you may be experiencing foot pain is that your shoes aren’t the right fit for your feet. Try to look for signs that they’re too big or too small.
If they’re too big, your heel will slip out and the shoe will slide around while you’re walking. The friction from the material moving up and down your foot can give you blisters and bruised toenails.
If they’re too small, you won’t be able to take them off without undoing all of the laces. They shouldn’t take too much effort to pull off. You may notice numbness or strain on the top of the foot, or a burning sensation when you’re running.
Don’t assume that discomfort is normal for brand-new shoes. A pair of dress shoes should be comfortably snug but not tight or painful when you first try them on. “Breaking them in” will only stretch the leather so much. Other shoe styles can’t be “broken in” in the same way.
When you buy new shoes, make sure that they fit properly right off the bat. If you’re stuck with shoes that are too snug, you can try getting them professionally stretched so that you don’t have to suffer pinching or blisters.
Check to see if they’re the right shoes
Certain types of shoes won’t offer you good support or structure. If you depend on these styles too much, you’re going to deal with painful foot conditions. For example, high-heeled shoes can cause hammertoe and mallet-toe because the toes get crowded into the toe box and instinctively curl.
The first step in choosing proper footcare is taking the shoes that are causing you discomfort out of your closet and tossing them away for good. Replace them with comfortable and supportive shoes that can ease the pain and improve your foot conditions — if you act quickly, you might see a major turnaround!
If you don’t know where to go after throwing out your bad shoes, a foot clinic is a good start. A biomechanical assessment and gait analysis with a licensed chiropodist will determine your foot type and gait pattern. This will dictate what type of shoes you should be wearing. Then, after your assessment, you can find footwear that aligns with the chiropodist’s recommendations.
Your chiropodist may also recommend custom orthotics. Custom orthotics are a great way to upgrade your shoes while addressing any foot pain and discomfort – especially if you have any underlying biomechanical issues.
Your shoes are the likeliest cause behind your foot pain. Take some time to investigate if they’re too old, too big, too small or too unsupportive to stay in your closet. Then, go shopping to get yourself some footwear that is kinder to your feet.
