Shoe Gear Selection
Shoe Gear selection: Fact vs. Fiction:
Fiction: You can buy your shoes based upon your measured size. WRONG: Every manufacturer uses a ‘last’, which is a design model for sizing. They vary according to the whim of the designer.
Fact: Poorly fitting shoes don’t cause bunions. They just aggravate the existing bony mal-alignment. We are born with the potential to develop bony abnormalities in our feet and nature overrules good or poor shoe gear choice.
Fiction: “My shoes are great because they keep out all of the moisture.” WRONG: Leather shoes need to breath to let out the perspiration and shoe tops which are glued to the soles (welt construction) will keep moisture close to the skin. Make sure that your dress shoes are stitched to their soles, not bonded.
Fact: The best socks to wear service a dual purpose of protection against friction and wicking away moisture. A combination of acrylic and cotton is superior to the long held notion that wool socks work best.
Fiction: My running shoes are great because they feel like I’m walking on a big cushion. WRONG: Flexibility is great where the toes meet the foot but a sport shoe needs to be stable and supportive under the arch and behind the heel.
Fact: Your foot is bigger at the end of the day due to the gravity induced collection of fluid. Yes, buy your shoes at the end of the day for a better fit.
Fiction: “My running shoes have plenty of life left because they are hardly worn out.” WRONG: Most athletic shoes are ready for the trash bin after about 500 miles of use. The midsole shock absorption is gone by about 50% at that point even though the shoe looks like new; especially when exercise is performed on an indoor apparatus
Fact: High heels, “Pumps” throw off the normal walking pattern and their use can become addictive. Continued use of an elevated heel will shorten the muscles behind your legs over time and it will be painful to wear lower, more supportive shoe gear.
Fiction: The blisters that my new shoes are creating will stop as I break them in. WRONG: If it is a poor fit initially, it will only get worse over time.
Fact: It was once considered a truism that shoe gear selection was responsible for much of the pain and deformity that both our male and female patients experienced over time. The reality is quite different. Regardless of shoe gear selection, there is no substitute for a good gene pool dictating that you have well shaped, strong normal feet. People in third world countries, where shoe gear is a rare option, experience as many foot deformities as seen with our shoe gear protected suburban patients.
Fact: Shoe gear is nothing more than a protective coating, covering the foot to help safeguard it against abrasions and impact injuries.
