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I’dliketoTelltheWorldaboutShoeWear
Asweageourfeetgetlesstolerantoftightfittingshoesandhighheels.Overalifetime(particularlyinthe caseofwomen)tightshoesresultindeformityandcompressionofthenervesbetweenourtoes.Asyouread this,nomatterwhatyourage,startthinkingaboutwaysinwhichyoucanmodifyyourshoewearandstart wearingmore“healthy”alternatives.Justtrytoaddanoccasionalwidershoetoyourhabit.Thinkaboutusing archsupportsinsomeofyourshoesorgettingashoewithmoresupportforyourarches.Youdon’thaveto makeaparadigmshiftinyourshoewear,justagradualmoveinthehealthydirection.Giveyourfeetabreak.
Highheels:Shoeswithhighheelsforceyourfeetdownintothenarrowtoespaceandjamyourtoes together.Thisalsocompressesthenervesbetweenyourtoesandovertheyearswillcontributeto numbnessinthem.Trytoavoidwearinghighheelsforlongperiodsoftime.Putonacomfortableshoeto walktoworkorshopandusetheheelsforshorterperiodsoftime.Itwillsaveyourfeetalotofmiseryin thefuture. Openbackedshoes:Thesearealsoknownasmules.Mypatientsoftentellmetheirmulesareso comfortable.Thisismainlybecauseyoucaneasilyslipthemoffwhenyou’renotwalkinginthem.Open backedshoesforceyoutouseyourtoestokeepthemonwhenyouliftyourfoot,especiallyiftheyare looseͲfitting.Iftheyaretightenoughtostayonyourfootwhenyouliftit,thentheyaresqueezingyour toesandforefoottoomuch.Openbackedshoesincludemules,flipͲflops,slings,clogsandslippers. They’reverycute,butthinkaboutreplacingthemwithclosedͲbackalternatives.Insteadofflipflops,geta sportysandalwithaslingback.Insteadofabacklessclog,gettheoneswithacompletebackorapartial lip.ExchangeslipͲonslippersforoneswithaback.Thereareplentyofvarietieswhichareeasytoslipon, evenwithaback. Pointedshoes:Historicallyspeaking,Icanassureyouthatamaninventedpointedshoes.It’ssimple. Cobblersweremen!Justputoneofyourpointedshoesonthefloorandthenstandonyourfootnextto it.Inwhatworlddoesyourfootfitinthatshoetherightway?Justimaginewhatitisdoingtoyourtoes thewholetimeit’son.Hereismyadvicetowomen,neverweartheseagainonceyouhaveahusband.If you’renotlookingforahusband,thenIseenoreasontoeverwearthem.Ihavenoadviceonpointy shoesformen. Strappyshoes:Strapscancausealotofdamagedependingonwheretheytiedownyourfoot.Keepin mindthatashoewithonlyacoupleofstrapsplacesalotofpressureontheareaunderthatstrap.There arelittlesuperficialnervesinyourfeetwhichcanbedamagedbyastrap.Ifyoutakeyourstrappyshoes offandtherearedeep,redindentationsleftbythestrap,perhapsthatisasigntoyoutogetridofthat shoe.Wouldyoueverwearashirtthatleftadeep,redindentationinyourwrist?Thenwhywouldyoudo thattothetwolittlestructuresthatholduptheentireweightofyourbody.Sometimesstrapscome acrossbonyprominencesonyourfoot,likeabonespuronthetopofyourarch.Ditchthem.Sometimes strapscausenumbness.Ditchthem.Permanentdamagetothesenervescanbetheresultoftightstraps! Austin: Northwest Austin: Central Cedar Park Round Rock Westlake Marble Falls 439-1000 439-1002 439-1009 439-1004 439-1005 877-966-7846 www.txortho.com
Tightshoes:ThisisoneofthemostcommonabusestofeetIseeandagain,it’smostlyinwomen.Guys don’ttendtogetstuckontheirhighschoolsizeandstaythere.Theyareallaboutcomfortandnotabout styleortryingtomaketheirfeetlooksmaller.Theurbanlegendofourfeetgettinglargerasweage doesn’treallyrefertoactualgrowthofourfeet.Itprobablyhasmoredowiththefactthatwe’rejustless tolerantoftightshoesasweage.That’sagoodthing.Asmanypeopleagetheybegintoretainfluidin theirlegsandfeet.Thiswillresultinalargerfoot!Arthritisandbunionscanalsoforceoneintowearinga largershoetoaccommodatetheexpandingwidthofthefoot. Ifthefleshofyourfootissqueezingoutthetopofyourshoe,youneedalargershoe.Ifyounoticered linesaroundtheedgeofyourshoe,youneedalargerpair.Ifyoutakeyourshoesoffandyourtoesare rectangular,lookinglikepackagedwieners…ifyourfeetarenumbafterwearingyourshoesforanhour…if yougetingrowntoenailsfromwearingcertainshoes…areyougettingthepoint? Here’satipfordecidingonahealthysizeforyourfoot.Puttheshoedownbesideyourfoot.Standup andputfullweightonyourfootsoitcanspreadoutinanaturalway.Lookattheshoe.Doesitlooklike yourfootwillsitcomfortablyinthatshoe?MostofthetimewhenIhavemypatientsdothis,itisobvious. Thatfoot,likeCinderella’ssisters’feet,hastobecrammedintothatshoe.Getalargersize. Listen,Iloveapointed,strappy,highheeledmulejustlikeanygirl.Butthoseshoessitinmycloset…a lot.IreservethemforspecialoccasionswhenIcanjustifythepainandthedamageIknowtheyaredoing tomyfeet.
Whatkindofshoesshouldyouwear? ͲShoeswithaback ͲFlatshoes ͲBoots ͲRunningshoeswithagoodarchsupport ͲThick,woolyslipperswithaback ͲClogswithaback ͲWiderwidthshoes
Ohyeah!
Austin: Northwest Austin: Central Cedar Park Round Rock Westlake Marble Falls 439-1000 439-1002 439-1009 439-1004 439-1005 877-966-7846