Foot and ankle injuries form a substantial part of our practice. It’s thought that as many as 1 in 6 people have trouble with their feet mostly from improper fitting shoes.” Foot problems can range from the minor, perhaps an ache that prevents you from walking your dog, to the debilitating which may prevent you from working and have a devastating effect on your life. An integral part of treatment of these conditions is footwear, ensuring an adequate fit and fulfilling the needs of each individual.

ASSESSING YOUR FOOTWEAR

Ensuring That Your Shoes Fit Correctly

It is vital that you purchase shoes that correctly fit your feet. Here are some tips to consider when choosing your footwear.

1. Make sure you are standing when getting your feet measured. This will more adequately reflect the size and shape of the shoe you require.

2. Make sure both of your feet are measured. Most people have one foot bigger than the other.

3. Ignore shoe sizes. They vary greatly depending on the brand, country of manufacture and style. Choose a shoe that feels comfortable rather than “the size you usually wear”.

4. Try your shoes at the end of the day. Quite often your feet will swell as the day progresses so ensure your shoes have adequate room to allow for this.

5. Allow at least a fingerbreadth between the end of your toes and the end of your shoes.

6. Compare the outline of the shoe to a tracing of your foot. Don’t try and fit a square peg in a round hole! 7. Ensure there is adequate room for your toes. Your toes should not feel cramped. Tight shoes will not stretch through use.

8. Make sure the shoe fits snuggly around your heel. This will prevent your shoe from slipping and causing blisters.

Ask To See Our List Of Recommended Footwear Retailers For Stockists Of Appropriate Footwear.

ANATOMY OF A SHOE

It is important that you have an understanding of the parts that make up a shoe as this will allow you to better choose a shoe that suits your needs.

Toe Box As the name suggests this is the end of the shoe that covers your toes. Vamp The mid-section of the shoe incorporating the shoe closure whether it is laces, velcro or buckle.
Sole Your shoe has an inner and outer sole. The innersole is inside the shoe and may incorporate some padding and arch support. The outer sole, on the base of the shoes, is normally made of leather, EVA or rubber and may have a heel and sole (standard shoe) or wedge sole (runner or bowls style). The material used for the sole of the shoe can dramatically effect the shoe’s qualities. Heel Height This is the difference between the thickness of the sole across the ball of the foot and at the heel. The standard difference is 1.5 cm. The higher the heel you choose the more pressure you place on the ball of your foot.

DO YOUR SHOES TELL A STORY

Wear marks on the sole and upper of your shoes can tell the story of foot problems and or poorly fitting shoes. Have close look at an old pair of your shoes and see if you recognise any of these problems.

Wear on the ball of your foot. Possible tight calf muscles or collapsed metatarsal arch. Calf stretching, a heel raise or metatarsal dome may help.
Wear along the inside of your sole and heel. Indicates your foot/ankle rolls inwards (pronated/flat feet). Consider a foot assessment and orthotics..
Stretch marks on the upper or sides of the toe box. Your shoes are too tight or are cramping your toes because you have clawed toes, bunions etc. Look for shoes with suitable width and depth in the toe box.
Wear along the outer side of the sole. Indicates your foot/ankle rolls out (supinated/cavus or high arch feet). Ensure your shoes have a good shock absorbing sole and consider a foot assessment and orthotics.

HOW TO LACE SHOES

You can also improve the fit of your shoes by adjusting the way you lace them up.

Narrow Feet People with narrow feet should use the eyelets farthest from the tongue to allow greater tightening of the shoe.		Wide Feet People with wide feet should use the eyelets closest to the tongue to allow the throat of the shoe to open more.		Narrow Heel & Wide Forefoot People with a narrow heel and wide forefoot can use two separate laces to allow expansion at the base of the laces and tightening at the upper end to prevent heel slipping.

CHOOSING THE CORRECT SHOES

Today we are inundated with choices when looking for shoes. Jogging shoes, aerobic shoes, walking shoes, stilettos court shoes, boots and sandals. The choices are almost endless. It is important that you utilise these choices to ensure you purchase a shoe that will meet your needs.

Use common sense when choosing your shoes, for example if you have bunions, clawed or sensitive toes, you should look for shoes with a roomy toe-box .

Consider shoes with uppers made of fine leathers or stretch materials such as neoprene to allow for irregular bony prominences and reduce the risk of rubbing on and around the toes. If you work on your feet all day or in an environment where there are a lot of concrete floors you should consider a shoe with good shock absorbing sole made from materials such as EVA or rubber. Avoid leather soles as they provide little protection.

See your oapl orthotist to discuss the specific requirements of your footwear.

REQUEST APPOINTMENT