Shoe Assortment

Choosing the right footwear for your feet is crucial for avoiding foot problems in the future. Our feet can spend twelve hours or more each day squashed into ill-fitting shoes, so it's no surprise many of us end up with blisters, corns and bunions.

Feet tend to be one of the most neglected areas of the body with priority given to style or price rather than comfort or fit when buying shoes. However, choosing the right footwear doesn't have to mean sacrificing your sense of fashion if you want to look after your feet.



Problems caused by the wrong footwear

With numerous cut-priced footwear outlets lining the high streets, it's all too easy to pick up a pair of shoes on a whim. But often the material used is extremely poor quality, providing inadequate support or not allowing your feet to breathe. Wearing such shoes soon leads to all sorts of foot problems. Forcing your feet into shoes with impossibly high heels, those which are too tight or allow your feet to slip, will only lead to foot conditions such as bunions, corns, hammer toes and painful ingrown toenails.

Choosing the right fit

When you're looking to buy a new pair of shoes, visit stores in person and try on several pairs of shoes, rather than buy on-line. And to make sure you don't end up with shoes that pinch during normal wear, go shopping for them late in the afternoon when your feet are more swollen. Walk around the shop to see whether they slip off your heel and that you don't need to clench your toes to keep them on. There should, however, be enough room for you to wriggle your toes around. Don't be tempted to buy shoes that are too small hoping they'll stretch over time. They're more likely to lose their shape, develop holes or cause foot pain.

The right shoe for the job

Apart from protecting our feet when we're out and about, many shoes are designed with a function or purpose rather than to simply look good. For instance, there is a huge variety of sports shoes tailored for different types of activities and it's important you buy the right shoes for the purpose.

If you like jogging, then buy shoes for runners. If you're going to be standing up all day, then a pair of three inch stilettos will obviously leave you in agony by the time you go home so buy shoes with a low heel. And if you're likely to spend much time in freezing weather, make sure your shoes provide adequate insulation.
 
Choosing the right footwear

When choosing your shoes, leather is generally the best material for your feet.  While it may be more expensive than man-made materials, leather allows your feet to breathe, which is particularly helpful for those suffering from athletes foot. Also, leather properly follows the contours of your feet while providing stronger support. If you're buying sandals, choose those with a strap around the back of the heel as this take some of the pressure off the smaller bones at the front of the foot.

The ideal heel height is about one inch for general everyday shoes but if you must wear significantly higher heels, limit wearing them to less than three hours at a time. Shoes should have non-slip, flexible soles with well-cushioned insoles. And while slip on shoes or those with Velcro are popular and quick to put on, lace up shoes provide greater support and a more secure fit.

Never underestimate the importance of choosing the right footwear to look after your feet. While buying good quality, well fitting shoes may cost a bit more, it will be money well spent. They’ll last longer, look better and you’ll avoid painful foot problems caused by ill-fitting shoes. Your feet have a tough job, so treat them with care and they won’t let you down.