Ill-fitting shoes can cause a lot more damage to your feet than blisters and shoe bite.
The feet are often one of the most ignored part of our body, although it supports almost every part of our daily functioning. Just pedicures and spa visits aren't enough to take care of them. Walking, running, work out, or mere standing for a long time can exert extra pressure on your feet. When we cram our feet into ill-fitting shoes, stiff or tight footwear, or subject them to unnatural angles of high heels, the skin, the 26 bones that constitute the feet, and the intricate webbing of muscles and ligaments get worn out. According to Medical News Today, improper footwear, diabetes, and aging are some of the chief contributors to foot problems. Here we will discuss some of the common foot problems caused by the wrong pair of footwear.
In a survey done by the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Association (AOFAS), reported by winchesterhospital.org, more than three-fourths of sample population of the women in the survey had some kind of foot pain. The most common foot ailments are related to the choice of footwear, which leads them to a range of aches and pains. Many women have experienced some sort of discomfort, pain, or blistering burn at some point in their life due to their footwear. It could be a dull throb or sharp pain caused by unnaturally high heels, narrow pointy shapes, or misaligned base that doesn't support the soul of the feet. Alternately, standing and walking for long hours could also be a contributing factor. Prolonged usage of ill-fitted shoes for a long time could aggravate the symptoms with age.
As its name suggests, it is more likely to occur to people who tend to walk, run, or workout in tight-fitted shoes for long hours. Although it is not limited to them, anyone who wears damp, tight shoes for a long time exposes themselves to microscopic fungi that thrive in warm, moist places—shower floors and sweaty socks or tight-fitting shoes are common environments. They occur in between toes or on the sole of the foot.
These are bumps on the base of the toes that cause the big toe to move slightly inwards pressing other toes. This causes a bulge on the side of the foot that can be painful and inflamed. Tight shoes put pressure on the metatarsophalangeal joint (MTP), which is where the bone of the foot meets the bone of the big toe. According to Medical News Today, women are more likely to have bunions due to increased pressures from narrow footwear or high heels that put a lot of pressure on the front half of the feet. Pick shoes that evenly distribute your weight across your feet.
Most of us are no stranger to annoying and painful blisters. Blisters occur when you walk or stand for a long period of time with sweaty feet. The friction of feet rubbing against the footwear causes pockets of fluid to develop. Shoes that don't fit, those that are too stiff, or don't adapt to the natural curves of the feet can cause blisters. So if you are breaking in a new pair, use a band-aid to cover the blister while you have your shoes on. This may prevent the blister from getting worse. If blisters occur regularly alongside flu-like symptoms, seek medical advice right away.
When the toes are not aligned properly or don't get the space to lay flat, the smaller toes tend to curl up. Wearing shoes that are too short can also cause this problem. For some people, it causes no discomfort, for others, it can be painful. It is noteworthy that claw toe may be a sign of other conditions, including diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and cerebral palsy, reports Medical News Today.
Heel spurs or pain are caused by long-term strain on muscles and ligaments. They can also be caused by arthritis, excess body weight, and by wearing badly fitted or worn-out shoes. It can trigger inflammation and soreness in the plantar fascia ligament. This ligament runs between the heel and the ball of your foot. The inflammation that is therefore caused is called plantar fasciitis. Relative rest, shoe orthotics, and gentle stretching are known to often ease this kind of pain.
References:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319190#blisters
https://www.winchesterhospital.org/health-library/article?id=14645
Disclaimer : This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
