Our feet are a complex structural form that requires care and protection. Negligence can cause severe problems that could have long-lasting effects. Therefore, pay attention to what shoes you wear.
The wrong footwear or ill-fitted shoes can lead to several foot problems, including:
- Ingrown toenails: tight shoes can push your nails to grow inwards into your skin, causing pain and in worst cases, bleeding and infection. Make sure you have ample space between the interior walls of your shoes and your big toe.
- Bunions: tight shoes can also wreck the shape and positioning of your toes. A bunion is a protrusion on the joint of the big toe that pushes it towards the other toes. Constant friction with the shoes increases the deformity and results in extreme pain.
- Haglund’s deformity: is a bony bump that develops at the back of the heel, due to hard, tight or rigid shoes. If the back of your shoes is irritating you, then it is best to change the shoe, get a bigger size, or use padding to protect the back of your heel.
- If your shoes are not comfortable or place too much pressure on your heels, toes or joints, you may develop calluses or warts. This starts with the thickening of the skin and can aggravate into painful wounds.
Dr. Joseph Stuto of Joseph Stuto, DPM recommends that you select your footwear wisely.
Here are a few tips:
- Get your feet measured professionally by a podiatrist.
- It is better to go shoe shopping later during the day, as your feet tend to swell up and reach their maximum size by that time.
- Buy shoes that have extra padding, so that your feet do not get injured due to friction.
- Shoes with a stronger grip are good for stability and balance.
If you are experiencing any of the above conditions or would like to get your feet checked as a precaution, call us today at our offices located in Brooklyn Heights (718) 624-7537 and Brooklyn (718) 567-1403, New York and consult our experts right away. Feel free to browse through our patient library for more information on podiatry related topics.