Be Hungry; Be Foolish

Don't be naughty be nice to your feet! Whether they’re skyscraper stilettos, open-backed clogs, pointy-toed pumps, or just ballet flats with no arch support, most women have so many shoes and so many ways to destroy our feet. While wearing them for a few hours during a rare special occasion is absolutely fine, anything beyond an hr. or two is going to cause some serious pain and long-term damage. I'm talking, bunions, hammertoe, calluses, tendonitis, planar facitis. All ailments easily caused by naughty shoes and not easy fixed. 


The culprits: 

Flip-flops and Ballet flats! They usually have no arch support & no pronation support (helping your ankle and foot not roll in or out every time you touch down). Wearing them around the beach, pool, and gym shower is fine but beyond that--walking around NYC, playing frisbee in them are no no no's! Here's a great alternative flip-flop with wonderful arch support (the only one's I'll wear these days): Orthaheel (flip-flop to the right, they come in a lot of colors too!)


High heels! Anything higher than about two inches causes a problem,” Dr. Shapiro on WebMD says. “The Achilles tendon shortens when the foot is in a high heel, so if you wear them too much, that tendon can become chronically shortened and you have Achilles tendonitis.” Heels also put an abnormal amount of pressure on the ball of the foot which can cause chronic pain and even stress fractures from all the pressure and hammer toes from the abnormal positioning.”

Pointed high heels! We get to add on to the damage done by simple high heels. By wearing these beauties, in addition to metatarsalgia (acute pain) and hammer toes, pointy-toed shoes can cause neuroma, an inflammation of the nerve between the toes. The pinched and inflamed nerve causes pain and burning, and may need to be treated with injections, physical therapy, or even surgical removal of the neuroma. (WebMD)


What should you wear? Heels at minimum, a shoe that has a real sole and support around the heel counter (the part of the shoe that wraps the heel). For daily office wear, Shapiro recommends either a dressy flat or a pump with no more than a 1-1.5 inch heel. “You’re looking for good support around the heel counter, a good arch support, and a wider toe box,” he says. “Ideally, there’s also a lace or buckle closure to support the foot.”
Look to The Walking Store, Born Shoes, Orthaheel, Road Runner Sports, and other specialty athletic or walking stores with knowledgeable service.