Shoe Shopping Tips

Here are some tips to help reduce the risk of foot problems. Use this guide when you shop for shoes:

• Fit new shoes to your largest foot. Most people have one foot larger than the other.
• Have both feet measured every time you purchase shoes. Your foot size increases as you get older.
• If the shoes feel too tight, don`t buy them. There is no such thing as a "break-in period."
• Most high heeled-shoes have a pointed or narrow toe box that crowds the toes and forces them into an unnatural triangular shape. As heel height increases, the pressure under the ball of the foot may double, placing greater pressure on the forefoot as it is forced into the pointed toe box.
• Shoes should be fitted carefully to your heel as well as your toes.
• Sizes vary among shoe brands and styles. Judge a shoe by how it fits on your foot - not by the marked size.
• There should be a half-inch of space from the end of your longest toe to the end of the shoe.
• Try on both shoes.
• Try on new shoes at the end of the day. Your feet normally swell and become larger after standing or sitting during the day.
• Walk around in the shoes to make sure they fit well and feel comfortable.
• When the shoe is on your foot, you should be able to freely wiggle all of your toes.
• Women should not wear a shoe with a heel higher than 2 1/4 inches.

If you have any hesitations about your shoe selections, make an appointment and we'll help identify what you should look for in a shoe with your specific foot shape (high arches, high instep, etc.)!

From Flats to Stilettos, it's Agony of the Feet



I went to visit my boyfriend's grandparents the other week and his grandpa cut out this article from the Richmond Times for me!

The article describes how women will wear 5 inch stilettos to work throughout the week then will switch to flats or flip flops over the weekend. (Around these parts, however, with all the students it's more of wearing flats throughout the week and growing 5 inches taller on the weekend!) 

When conducting a study on the feet, it was found that "women who wore so-called 'high risk' shoes that lacked sound structure and support, including high heels, sandals and slippers, were more likely to complain about foot pain later in life."

Listed are some common problems associated with wearing heels (or frequently switching from heels to flats to heels):

• Bunions- Experts say bunions, when the big toe points toward the second toe causing a bump to appear on the outside edge of your toe, are partly genetic. Wearing pointy-toe high heels can make the problem worse.
• Hammertoes- Shoes that crowd the toes together can cause the second, third, fourth and fifth toes to become bent, like a claw.
• Corns- Thickened skin on the top or side of the toe.
• Neuromas- Pinched nerves that cause a burning sensation, tingling or numbness between the toes and in the ball of the foot.
• Heel pain- Plantar fasciitis commonly causes inflammation of the thick tissue on the bottom of the foot, which leads to pain in the bottom of the heel.

What it comes down to is if height is important to you, wear wedges instead of platform or high heels. I personally recommend Danskos (I wear them everyday!) however, they are an investment, but they will give you the height and the support you need.

Also, make sure to stretch, yes it may sound silly to stretch after removing your heels for the day, but it will help in the long run with pain, swelling and discomfort!
Here are some quick stretching exercises we recommend: Plantar Fasciitis stretches and Heel Pain stretches

Kristen Stewart's Legendary Hurt Foot

Cover of Twilight (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Kristen Stewart, of the hit Twilight films, recently hurt her foot during re-shoots of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2.

While not a long-time fan of high heels anyway, Stewart recently gave them up after the injury. The harm was found out to come from a puncture wound which can be very serious.

Many times people brush off puncture wounds but honestly, they can lead to severe infections! In order to determine the severity of the wound there are a few items to note, which are listed here.