General Footwear Advice

Some serious foot disorders, and even more common conditions, can be linked to one avoidable thing: inappropriate, poor quality or ill-fitting shoes. Any podiatrist will tell you that a good quality, properly fitting shoe pays big dividends for your feet down the road.

When shopping for shoes, always make sure to not force your feet in order to conform to the shape of a pair of shoes.

The most important quality to look for in shoes is durable construction that will protect your feet and keep them comfortable. Shoes that do not fit properly can cause corns, callous, ingrown toenails and other disabling foot disorders.

The fitting
Here are some tips to help reduce the risk of foot problems. Use this guide when you shop for shoes:

Avoid slip on shoes. Best are laced or Velcro straps that you tie each time you put on the shoes.

Fit new shoes to your largest foot. Most people have one foot slightly larger than the other.

Have both feet measured every time you purchase shoes. Your foot size increases as you get older.

If the shoes feel too tight, don't buy them. There is no such thing as a "break-in period."

Shoes should be fitted carefully to your heel as well as your toes.

Sizes vary among shoe brands and styles. Judge a shoe by how it fits on your foot - not by the marked size.

There should be about a half-inch (or your thumb width) of space from the end of your longest toe to the end of the shoe.

Try on both shoes.

Buy new shoes at the end of the day as your feet normally swell and become larger after standing or sitting during the day.

Walk around in the shoes to make sure they fit well and feel comfortable.

When the shoe is on your foot, you should be able to freely wiggle all of your toes.

The shoes should not be tight against the sides of the front of your feet.

When laced up they should stay on when you pull the heel down.

If you over-pronate anti-pronatory runners are a good idea. An updated list the best of these shoes can be found on this website. Contact your podiatrist to see if your feet over-pronate.

Avoid “rocker sole” shoes. These are designed for people with ankle joint or subtalar joint limited range of motions.

Shoes that bend easily at the ball of the foot only are best as this is where the sole of your foot bends. Avoid shoes that are too flexible or too stiff.

Most high heeled-shoes have a pointed or narrow toe box that crowds the toes and forces them into an unnatural triangular shape. As heel height increases, the pressure under the ball of the foot may double, placing greater pressure on the forefoot as it is forced into the pointed toe box.

For more footwear advice contact your podiatrist.A good stable, supportive shoe should be a shoe that you tie on either with laces or Velcro. It should a heel no higher than 1.5 inches and have a roomy toe box. If you normally wear heels you may finds it uncomfortable to go into a totally flat shoe as your calf muscles are probably tight. See the “General Footwear Advice” section of this website for a more detailed advice on shoes.