Aching feet at the end of a long day are something many of us take for granted, but nobody really should. There is no reason why everyday mens and womens shoes shouldn’t be perfectly comfortable and support the feet instead of punishing them. Comfy footwear is a possibility for anyone, and if yours give you grief, it’s time to get rid of that pair.
Aside from immediate discomfort, there are a few telltale signs that show up when a shoe doesn’t fit quite right. The first is a deep crease in the leather developing above the ball of the foot just where the toe joint is. When this appears it means that the shoe is flexing at a sharp angle rather than a shallow curve. That constant strain on the leather is a visible sign of a constant strain on your foot.
Looking at the bottom of the sole unit can also provide clues to possible problems. Some people tend to walk with their weight on the outside edge of the foot and others with the weight concentrated on the ball, and some fall in between the two extremes. The pattern of wear on the bottom of an old pair of trainers will tell you where in the spectrum your walk falls. Those who find a really pronounced trend in all their old footwear- for example where the outer edge of the heel has worn away on every pair while the rest of the soles are still intact- may benefit from a visit to the podiatrist but if it’s just one particular pair that’s wearing down unevenly then the chances are high that they simply aren’t the shoes for you.
Pinching, blisters at the little toe or the heel, and toes that become sore from being pushed against the end of a shoe are all obvious signs that footwear needs to be replaced. If you suffer from these problems or just from sore feet, take a close look at your shoes and see if they really do fit you properly.