You walk on your feet every day, forcing them to support the weight of your body. Repeated stress on your feet can cause damage over time. The right shoes can help protect your feet, and also make your everyday life more comfortable. This is especially important if you need to be on your feet for work, or do a lot of athletic sports.
The right shoes should
- feel comfortable and supportive
- have laces; this allows for greater control with the fit
- have an inbuilt arch; most people need extra arch support. You may also need an additional insert
Tips for shoe shopping
- get your feet professionally measured; you might be surprised and find you’ve been wearing the wrong size, your feet may also change over time (during and after pregnancy for example)
- keep the occasion front of mind; are these shoes going to be for running? To wear at work? You’ll need different shoes for different occasions
- go shoe shopping towards the end of the day, your feet swell during the day
- wear socks to the store that you intend to use with the shoes
- have a good test run of the shoes before you buy them, if you’re buying online make sure you can return them if you need to
If you still feel your feet aren’t getting the support you need – best to visit your local Chiro, physio or podiatrist to get further assessment.