This article is a summary of numerous lively conversations I have had with my husband, Dr. Dennis Robinson (Podiatrist) over many years. We have discussed in great detail the best shoes to wear for different activities, and the role of shoes in actually causing foot deformities and pain.

Women are more at fault than men when it comes to wearing shoes that cause foot problems. The number one culprit that causes problems is the high heeled shoe. It elevates the heel which shifts your weight to the front of your foot, the metatarsal area. Extended additional weight on that area can lead to pain and problems including Morton’s neuroma, metatarsalgia, sesamoiditis, and even stress fractures. It can also cause you to compensate for the forward shift by hyperextending your low back which can jam the lower vertebrae of the spine, causing pain and problems with discs and joints.

While the high heeled shoe is the biggest contributor to foot problems, one of the worst foot problems seen is the bunion deformity (the big painful bump) of the big toe area. About 90% of bunion sufferers are women! This is due in large part to years of wearing pointy, high heeled shoes.

For men, women, and children, the best way to prevent foot pain and risk of deformities is to find shoes that are always comfortable! You should not have to “break in” a pair of shoes to get them to feel good. If they are not comfortable, they are not for you. Shoes should provide a combination of shock absorbing and arch support.

A quick way to see if shoes are the right fit is to stand on a piece of paper and trace around the bare foot. Then place your shoe on top of that outline, then trace around the shoe. If your foot outline is bigger than the shoe outline, your shoes are too tight and perhaps too narrow.

Everyone knows that high heels can make legs and glutes look great, but that does not cancel out the grimace on your face coming from your sore feet and back. I’m pretty sure that a man invented high heels! You would never catch a man wearing a painful shoe for even five minutes. And neither should you! So donate the painful shoes. Your feet and your back will thank you.

As we get older and/or heavier, our feet flatten, and this can lead to a number of problems, especially plantar fasciitis (degenerative changes of the large band of tissue on the bottom of the foot). Here are some tips that can help:

• Roll your feet on a frozen bottle of water 2-3 times per day
• Throw a towel on the floor and crunch up a towel with your toes to strengthen the feet muscles that support the arch of your feet. Do this 2 times per day.
• Orthotics may be indicated, depending on the problem. Some people do well with an over-the-counter device, but many will need a custom orthotic. I have several pair of orthotics made by my favorite Podiatrist and they are a game changer for me!

If your feet continue to hurt after trying the above recommendations, a Podiatrist can help. I know a good one!