Your feet work pretty darn hard to serve you well. They support your weight and help maintain your balance when you walk. Because feet are small in comparison to the rest of the body, each step (you take between 8,000 to 10,000 a day) exerts a force that is about 50% greater than the person’s body weight.
This means that your feet act as shock absorbers, supporting a combined force equivalent to several hundred tonnes every day. And let’s not forget the hours you spend standing on them as well.
If that isn’t bad enough, some women often cruelly cram them into unnecessarily high stilettos that may look fashionable, but are nowhere near comfortable. In fact, they may even do serious damage to feet.
It’s no wonder then that as many as four out of five adults suffer from foot pain and problems; most of which are caused by shoes that do not fit properly or that force the feet into unnatural shapes (such as high- heeled or pointed-toe shoes).
Avoid Foot Pain by Wearing the Right Footwear
The discomfort some stubbornly bear – with the latest, must-have killer heels too gorgeous to pass up on or for a cheapo RM10 pasar malam pair that is considered a steal – underlie the causes of many an unnecessary trip to the podiatrist. Bunions, corns, calluses and ingrown toenails are all caused by years of friction from poorly fitted shoes.
Morton’s Neuroma occurs when thickened tissue wraps around the nerves that lead to your toes, resulting in nerve compression. One of the main culprits – overly tight shoes.
With 33 joints and 26 bones in each foot, they make up nearly a quarter of the bones in the entire body combined. So, the least we can do for them is invest in a good pair of shoes that will give adequate comfort and support to avoid injuries.
The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society advises that shoes should be comfortable, practical and fit well.
“It is very important that the shoe fits the shape of your foot. Narrow and tight shoes result in foot problems. Make sure your shoes fit comfortably at the time you buy them. If new shoes need to be broken in, they were not properly designed or not properly fitted to your feet.”
Find the Perfect Fit
All of our foot problems are unique, and there is not one-size-fits-all solution. We’ve compiled a list of common foot pains, its symptoms and the recommended footwear to address the issue. Use the chart below to treat your loyal feet a little bit better, and you’ll enjoy the benefits as the years pass:
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