It holds the weight of the whole human body, but very few people pay attention to the condition of their feet. In most cases, we only see our feet as a way for us to get from point A to point B. It is, perhaps, this kind of mindset that typically lead to people finding out too late that their feet already need medical attention.
It’s in The Way You Walk
When we walk, it is easy to think that both feet bear the brunt of the whole body. In reality, we only have one foot at a time in contact with the ground, while the other one swings to keep the balance. This is particularly the case when you walk fast or when you are running. Because both walking and running involve a whole set of smaller actions, each person tends to have their gait. It is this gait that could make or break your feet as well as your shoes.
Choosing the Right Shoes
Any footwear aims to provide added protection to your feet, particularly to your soles. This makes it even more important that you choose the right shoe for you, and one of the things that you should consider is whether your shoe can provide arch support.
Your feet have several connective tissues that help your heel connect with your toes. This connective tissue runs across your sole, particularly the arch area. Without the proper support, your connective tissues can get stretched beyond its limit, causing it to get torn. When this happens, you would feel a sharp, stabbing pain and will have a difficult time walking or standing for an extended period. This is what is known as plantar fasciitis.
Aside from arch support, your shoes should also be able to bend where your toes bend and should have enough space so that your toes are not forced to bend down. Wearing the wrong size of shoes can cause the muscles on your toes to tighten up which, in turn, can lead to such conditions as a hammer toe, mallet toe, or a claw toe. In cases like these, your podiatrist might recommend some exercises to strengthen and stretch your muscles. You might also be made to wear pads or inserts to relieve the pressure. Some stores in Singapore will give you shoes that are half an inch larger than your size to help you deal with your toe problems.
Knowing When To Replace
They might be your favourite shoes, but, at some point, you will need to have them replaced. The first part of your shoe that will typically wear will be the area near the ball of your shoe and is typically followed by the heel. If you are seeing some significant wearing out on these areas, consider having it replaced as it can have an impact on how your feet can distribute the weight. This, in turn, can affect your knees and hip joints.
If you are using running shoes, the best practice is to have it replaced once you have used it for around 350 miles or if it has been around for more than a year. If you want to keep using it, you will need to store your running shoes properly.
